What if the city had places where we could sit, walk, and talk without rushing—and green spaces were not just parks, but places that care for the body, mind, and long-term quality of life? This is the idea that Shma invites everyone to experience through four new green-space models at Bangkok Design Week 2026—experimental spaces that explore how much more livable a city can be when it is designed from real urban life.

The project began with UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, which recognized and supported Bangkok as a City of Design (UCCN). Following this, Creative Economy Agency (CEA) opened a call for proposals focused on designing green spaces to improve quality of life and urban ecosystems—an approach that aligns closely with the long-standing mission of Shma.

“Today, people talk a lot about longevity. With environmental challenges and concerns about living longer, healthier lives with good quality of life, this has become an important issue of our time. We chose to combine the idea of longevity with the need for a third place in the city, and developed LongiPark—a park that supports longevity.”

Yossapon Boonsom, Founding Director at Shma Company Limited, explains the original idea behind LongiPark, which later evolved into four sub-concepts developed through working with different urban areas.

“The areas we focus on are Phra Nakhon and Charoenkrung. These zones already have very limited green space, but they also carry strong cultural and artistic dimensions. Beyond responding to community and urban needs, the spaces must last over time, be truly used, be cared for, and create real impact.

“We started with a participatory process with local people to understand what the community actually needs. For example, Lan Khon Mueang is extremely hot and mostly concrete, so we had to rethink the surface and the microclimate.”

The result is four green spaces that differ in size, concept, and the urban issues they aim to test:

Long Rest & Heal, a pocket forest at Lan Khon Mueang;

Long Play & Learn, a park for play and learning on Unakan Road;

Long Chat, a conversation space designed to encourage interaction around House No. 1;

and Long Share, a compact green space of just five square meters in the Chotik community.

“We plan to use BKKDW as a platform to invite people to try these spaces and share feedback—whether the design factors we chose, such as creating a microclimate or slowing down the atmosphere of Lan Khon Mueang, actually work for them, and whether their experience changes. Each site tests different questions. We also add activities to gather feedback from visitors, and then develop these into prototypes for other areas of the city.

“One challenge we learned from is that a third place is not only about physical space. It requires both hardware and software to develop together. A few days during BKKDW is not enough to confirm success. It takes time. People need to return, activities need to repeat, and familiarity needs to grow. This is something we need to learn together.”

After BKKDW, two of the four LongiPark projects will remain for long-term public use: Long Chat at House No. 1 and Long Play & Learn on Unakan Road, both open for ongoing visits.

“This helps remove the old image of public space. A ‘park’ can speak about many things—ecosystems, health, children, almost anything. It helps people see that public space can be more than just a place to exercise or picnic. It can be a farm, a forest, or something else entirely, if we find the right design process.”

Learn more about Shma’s works at Bangkok Design Week 2026 : https://www.bangkokdesignweek.com/bkkdw2026/program