NICE FOR DIVERSITY

Urban‘NICE’zation, where no one is left behind.

All the people living in the city are the key to driving the city forward. A ‘nice’ city is a city that leaves nobody behind, regardless of their different identities and needs. Bangkok is considered a diverse city with people from all walks of life. We do have a common mission in developing a city that is diversity-friendly to create a safe space for everyone to live. There is the main challenge in designing a city to respond to the concern of urban‘NICE’zation to ensure that diversity is embraced. 

First off, it is important to understand the core needs of each group of people before designing or launching any project for a vulnerable group such as the homeless, people with health conditions and impairments, the elderly or the unemployed. Mindful communication and allowing people and society to be part of the solution, not limited to just organizations for vulnerable groups, are crucial in achieving the goal of inclusivity.

Getting to know and understand the diversity of the people in the city

One of the easiest ways to get to know people more is to sit down and have an open-hearted conversation. Quality talk and listening without judgment lead to a better understanding of each other. Sometimes, we only consume news and content from our social circles, bouncing in our echo chamber and our worldviews have become inevitably limited. It might be better if we are more open to the world from a different view.

This notion inspired the creator of the Facebook page called “Humans of Bangkok”  www.facebook.com/bkkhumans, which was inspired by the globally recognized Facebook page “Human of New York”. Kwanchai Damrongkwan, the Human of Bangkok’s creator, has been on his journey of talking to people from all walks of life with the core belief that humans are all connected, in one way or another. However, we rarely have a chance to realize the lives of those who are out of our social circle. We, therefore, lack chances to get to know them and oftentimes, come into conflict. Kwanchai tells real-life stories through his writing, to convey diverse lives in Bangkok. This allows ‘typical people to tell their own unique stories and experiences, some of which touch the readers’ hearts and resonate with them more than anyone could have imagined.

Fulfilling life opportunities and well-being

We all desire to live the life of our dreams, but not everyone has an equal opportunity to do that. Especially, in this modern world where the wealth gap is widening, some have to struggle just to get their basic needs met. Particularly, the vulnerable who are deprived of their opportunities and choices, not only need help from the welfare system, but they also need effective and systematic help for them to be able to support themselves.

On the account of that, the Mirror Foundation, who have been doing social projects since 1991, launched a project called ‘Jang-wan-kha (Thai; ‘Hire-me’ pun intended with 

‘the hitman’) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impoverished are getting more impoverished from the lack of income due to the pandemic. The Mirror Foundation stepped in as a mediator in matching homeless people who are ready to work with employers who are looking for cleaning services to raise the quality of the homeless lives and ensure a stable income for them to support themselves a residence.

Another interesting project is ‘STEPS Community, a social enterprise and a career training center whose aim is autism therapy and creating careers for youth with aphasia or speech impairment, autism and down’s syndrome to open up opportunities for them to reach their full potential in their best condition and able to sustain lives with a career.

Life opportunities for all lives in the city

When talking about diversity in a big city, the residents are not only just humans but also stray cats and dogs who share the same walk with us and we cannot just leave them behind. Managing stray cats and dogs is a big-scale public work from the government and relies on cooperation from many sectors. University professor Yodsaporn Juntongjeen, a dog lover who has been helping stray dogs elaborate on her love for research into “Stand for Strays” project where unused ads boards are designed into foldable shelters for stray dogs to take shelter from scorching sun and rainfalls. These foldable dog shelters keep the area organized.

There is a ‘Dogs In Our Community’ project that takes care of stray dogs living around the Muang Thong Thani area. Apart from giving nutritious food, baths and vaccines for them, the project also designs dog collars which allow the community to know about stray dogs more. There are three colours, the red ones for timid dogs that people might need to be careful in getting close to them, the yellow ones for dogs that only trust people they already know or are familiar with and the green ones for friendly dogs that love to play with just anyone. These collars help the dogs to communicate with people both from inside and outside the area for their safety in living and sharing the same habitat.

The definition of livable cities is not only just facilities for conveniences but inclusive ones where all the dwellers (apart from humans) get equal access to resources and quality life. Let’s share some ideas on how to create a livable city for ALL with Bangkok Design Week 2023!

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Bangkok Design Week 2023

urban‘NICE’zation 

เมือง-มิตร-ดี

4-12 February 2023

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