Last updated: June 2024
The Chulalongkorn University (CU) Centenary Park was created to provide a green space for the city and celebrate Chulalongkorn University’s 100th anniversary. Located in the centre of shopping and commerce, the park is designed as a multi-functional “urban forest”, which serves as an oasis for the residents and visitors of Bangkok, who can spend quality leisure time in a lush and pleasant environment. The park includes constructed wetlands with rain gardens, retention ponds, an underground water drainage system and green roof areas. Opened in 2017, Chulalongkorn Centenary Park is the first critical piece of green infrastructure in Bangkok to mitigate detrimental ecological issues and disaster risk reduction. Unlike other public parks around the city, this one is the first in Thailand to demonstrate how a park can help reduce urban flood risks and help the city confront climate change, all while offering city dwellers a place to reconnect with nature. Designed with various ecological design components, the park reminds the city of ways to live with water rather than fear it. [1, 2, 4]
The CU Centenary Park Greenroof
https://www.asla.org/2019awards/620062-Chulalongkorn_University_Centenary_Park.html
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Lakes/ponds
- In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
- Swales and filter strips
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Institutional green space
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of semi-natural blue areas
Project objectives
1. To provide a green space for the city and celebrate Chulalongkorn University’s 100th anniversary.
2. To help reduce urban flood risks and help the city confronts climate change.
3. To offer city dwellers a place to reconnect with nature. [3]
Implementation activities
The implementation activities included the creation of constructed wetlands, with a rain garden, retention pond and an underground water drainage system. The park was designed to sit on a 3-degree gradual incline. The university building was equipped with a green roof to provide the city's much-needed green space. The green roof was designed to store water during the rainy season and then further use it for irrigation in the dry season. Native water plants were planted near the wetlands, which helps in filtering the water. Some water bikes were stationed near the water filtration pond. The visitors could use these to aerate the water in the pond and facilitate the filtration system. Further, an interactive virtual museum featuring historical and socially engaging topics were built. [2, 4}
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement solutions to capture/store water to increase its availability and prevent shortages from droughts
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Create or improve outdoor spaces to help people escape from urban heat
- Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
- Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
- Increase the use of climate-resilient plant species (resistant to drought, fire, and pests)
Main beneficiaries
- Researchers/University
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Researchers/university
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Other
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Led by- Chulalongkorn University
Landscape Architectural Design - LANDPROCESS
Architectural Design – N7A architects Co. Ltd.
Structural Engineering – (CASE) Civil And Structural Engineers Co. Ltd.
MEP Engineering – EEC Engineering Network Co., Ltd. (EEC)
Construction Manager – CONSULTING & MANAGEMENT 49 Co,. Ltd. (CM49)
Softscape Contractor – CORDIA Co., Ltd.
Graphic Designer – G49 Co. Ltd. [3, 4]
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Reduced risk of damages by drought
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
- Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
Economic impacts
- Reduce financial cost for urban management
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Safety
- Improved community safety to climate-related hazards
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. The project website. Chulalongkorn University. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
2. Holmes, D. (2019). Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park – green infrastructure for the city of Bangkok. World Landscape Architect. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
3. Landezine International Landscape Award. (n.d.) Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
4. Chulalongkorn University (n.d.). CU Centenary Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
5. Grey, A. (2018) Bangkok is sinking. Here's how a new park can protect the city from flooding. World Economic Forum. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
6. Landprocess (n.d.) Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
7. ASLA Professional Award 2019 (2019). Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 14th April, 2022.
8. OCHAROENCHAI, N (2018). Seeing green is believing. Bangkok Post. URL: Source link. Accessed on 14th April, 2022.
2. Holmes, D. (2019). Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park – green infrastructure for the city of Bangkok. World Landscape Architect. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
3. Landezine International Landscape Award. (n.d.) Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
4. Chulalongkorn University (n.d.). CU Centenary Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
5. Grey, A. (2018) Bangkok is sinking. Here's how a new park can protect the city from flooding. World Economic Forum. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
6. Landprocess (n.d.) Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 13th April, 2022.
7. ASLA Professional Award 2019 (2019). Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 14th April, 2022.
8. OCHAROENCHAI, N (2018). Seeing green is believing. Bangkok Post. URL: Source link. Accessed on 14th April, 2022.
The CU Centenary Park Water Retention Pond
https://www.asla.org/2019awards/620062-Chulalongkorn_University_Centenary_Park.html
The CU Centenary Park Layout
https://www.asla.org/2019awards/620062-Chulalongkorn_University_Centenary_Park.html
The CU Centenary Park Flood Management System
https://www.asla.org/2019awards/620062-Chulalongkorn_University_Centenary_Park.html
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy.