Krabi’s sustainable future cities
1. Context
Thailand’s Krabi province, about 783 km south of Bangkok, is internationally renowned for its stunning scenery. With over 150 islands along its 150km-long coastline, Krabi attracts over four million international visitors per year. However, the residents of Krabi district (or Tessaban Mueang Krabi in Thai) have not equally benefited from this development. Tourists’ concentration in the ‘sun sand sea’ experiences tend to exclude the beauty of local culture found in the inner city of Krabi sub-district.
2. Krabi and culture
Krabi has set its long-term vision to become a sustainable and smart city. The project was a co-created initiative between diverse stakeholders in the city. The planning team was established as a sustainable brain bank of the city, with support from a team of experts, to envision the promotion of local culture as a factor in the creation of community-based development. This co-created teamwork strives to achieve good local governance where locals could take control of their own future in a sustainable manner, with local culture at the heart of the regeneration.
The Andaman Cultural Centre was planned and built with an objective to be an attraction and a cultural learning centre for six cities along the Andaman coast (Phuket, Ranong, Trang, Satun, Pangnga and Krabi). The creative open space was re-designed to provide an open space for a group of diverse generations to share their views on how to advance local tradition and it includes a museum, a café with local products, and information about communitybased tourism.
Traditionally, the objectives pursued by local governments are to grow visitors, whereas this project is dedicated to deriving ways that effectively address local pride and how locals could be the voice of local culture. The project is committed to institutionalising this mission by allocating resources and responsibilities to ensure that Andaman cultural centre and cultural space is managed by communities for communities.
The project is committed to institutionalising this mission by allocating resources and responsibilities to ensure that Andaman cultural centre and cultural space is managed by communities for communities.
3. Project goals and implementation
3.1. Main and specific objectives
The main goal is to leverage local cultural and natural assets to transform a community into a vibrant, enticing, and engaging place to live, work, and visit.
Specifically, the project aims to:
- engage communities in co-creating better cultural spatial re-design and best practices of the Andaman Cultural Centre
- build community capacity to maximise benefits from tourism
- create local pride and self-sufficiency, minimising the degree dependency on outsiders
- provide a learning platform for involved stakeholders to understand a co-created and community-centric approach as a tool for sustainable development
- offer a development framework for change agencies to engage communities
- create new ways to work across the tourism value chain
- empower leaders who can share the community-based approach
3.2. Project development
Main actions developed
The project was supported by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) as part of the process to promote a network of sustainable future cities in Thailand. The consultation process with local government and key stakeholders determined that to enhance the cultural engagement and experiences, a good governance must be
created to encourage genuine cooperation between residents, visitors, tourism stakeholders and professionals.
The consultation process with local government and key stakeholders determined that to enhance the cultural engagement and experiences, a good governance must be created to encourage genuine cooperation between residents, visitors, tourism stakeholders and professionals.
The project was divided into 3 steps:
- Establish the planning team and co-creation system.
- Identify local assets and conduct a current situation analysis.
- Develop a masterplan and priorities for the reconfiguration of the Andaman Cultural Centre.
As well as consulting and convening meetings, the project also conducted interviews with key stakeholders to gain a clear picture of the existing management system and context in order to propose a community-based management system.
There were a number of challenges throughout the project, such as: unclear regulation and administrative procedures that delayed the implementation of the project; the lack of a sense of ownership for the sustainable future cities and a limited understanding about long term goals and short-term gains; administration issues; and
the difficulty of soliciting genuine participation from the wide range of stakeholders. The project identified two key areas for future directions. The first was to invest more in young generations, to accelerate innovative enterprises which contribute to a better quality of life. The second was to raise citizen awareness about the responsible and sustainable livelihoods and behaviours.
4. Impact
4.1. Direct impact
Impact on local government
Through the project there was a major shift in the way local government engaged with local residents.
Impact on culture and on local cultural actors
The project led to increased appreciation and sense of ownership of local culture.
There was improved value placed on the inclusion of young generations and all genders to express their creativity through cultural exchange.
Impact on the territory and population
There was improved value placed on the inclusion of young generations and all genders to express their creativity through cultural exchange. Future activities will highlight one unique marketable activity for each community, with a total of 14 activities selected.
4.2. Evaluation
The project evaluated the project based on job creation and income generation through the local shops in the Andaman Cultural Centre, family relations and happiness as a result of the activities, the development of leadership and management skills, a sense of belonging and ownership, and transparency of the process.
4.3. Key factors
A core element of the project was the co-created management system and a participatory approach in the development and implementation. Social capital is important and is responsible for a range of outcomes, including community structure, relationships, governance efficiency, inclusion and partnership amongst the stakeholders throughout the process of the project.
4.4. Continuity
A management system for better distribution of benefits will be continued to be put in place. Initial discussions proposed that 10% of the total revenue gained will be collected into a community tourism fund. The funds will further be used to support community-identified projects addressing health and wellness of senior members, cultural programs for youth, product innovation, and environmental programs. A working group of organisations will also be established to manage the ongoing operations of the shop, its staff and products.
5. Further information
Krabi was a candidate for the third “UCLG Mexico City – Culture 21 International Award” (November 2019 – May 2020). The jury for the award drew up its final report in July of 2020, and requested that the Committee on Culture promote this project as one of the good practices to be implemented through Agenda 21 for culture.
This article was written by Channarong Leeraburanapong, Deputy Mayor, Krabi, Thailand.
Contact: Municipa.channa@gmail.com
Website: http://www.krabicity.go.th/krabi/
