Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt welcomed a group of professors and students from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design at City Hall on Friday.
The group of 18 people was led by Prof Niall Kirkwood, associate dean for academic affairs, who was presented with the book “Vanishing Bangkok – The Changing Face of the City” as a souvenir from the governor.
The visitors and Chadchart exchanged views on several topics, including creative approaches to climate change in Thailand, the design of the capital city in response to challenges like floods, waste management and rising temperatures.
The group from Harvard also learned about urban leadership from the governor, as well as the development of public transport systems in Bangkok, ranging from the canal system to electric trains. They were also presented with information from Bangkok’s Drainage and Sewerage Department regarding the geographical structure of the city and its flood management system.
Also on the agenda was a discussion on the design of public space and basic infrastructure for the public, the classification of Bangkok into different coloured zones based on population density, and the tackling of PM2.5 fine dust and air pollution caused by city traffic.
The discussion also covered Bangkok’s use of the Traffy Fondue platform to manage people’s complaints, the city’s Saturday School project, and the provision of medical services and public libraries to local communities to ensure equal access to quality healthcare and learning opportunities.