Urban Problems & Solutions
The are many growing urban problems in Bangkok, including land use problems, traffic congestion and air and water quality. Bangkok also has a slum in a district called the Klong Toey which is in great need of help. With these problems, we intend to build solutions. We intend to install automated traffic lights on the roads so that things run more smoothly and fairer, also therefore cleaning the air and, eventually, the water. We also plan to decrease the amount of buildings that go up, therefore stopping the land use problems. We intend to use 100% of the money normally used to build the buildings to go to those in the slums and help them improve their life there.
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LAND USE
A main problem in Bangkok is the massive number of concrete buildings. Thais have close to no zoning laws, and they use to this to build up any concrete building they want. The amount of buildings being built each year in Bangkok is increasing and is endangering the people of Bangkok. Each year, the ground subsides by 3cm. The problem is urgent, and there could only could be 7 - 10 years to tackle the problem. If the people of Bangkok don’t do something soon, the whole city could collapse.
The obvious solution for this is to decrease the amount of buildings that go up. We’re not saying that we will not build another building again in Bangkok, but we will decrease the amount of buildings going up.
A main problem in Bangkok is the massive number of concrete buildings. Thais have close to no zoning laws, and they use to this to build up any concrete building they want. The amount of buildings being built each year in Bangkok is increasing and is endangering the people of Bangkok. Each year, the ground subsides by 3cm. The problem is urgent, and there could only could be 7 - 10 years to tackle the problem. If the people of Bangkok don’t do something soon, the whole city could collapse.
The obvious solution for this is to decrease the amount of buildings that go up. We’re not saying that we will not build another building again in Bangkok, but we will decrease the amount of buildings going up.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION
The amount of transportation has increased rapidly and is the main reason for Bangkok’s pollution. From early morning to late at night, no matter where you're going, you'll sit in a traffic jam barely moving 100 metres in 10 minutes. In 1972, police records showed that there were about 243,000 cars in Bangkok (not including motorcycles), and in 1990, the number of cars had increased to 1 million. Since then, the amount of traffic has been rapidly increasing and has brought Bangkok’s traffic to a near standstill.
One way to solve the problem would to be to install automated traffic lights so people don’t have to wait a long time in the continuous traffic jam. At the moment, traffic lights are controlled by inexperienced police. Just about every other country in southeast Asia has automated traffic lights, and Bangkok needs to do the same. It would reduce the terrible Bangkok pollution and traffic jams.
The amount of transportation has increased rapidly and is the main reason for Bangkok’s pollution. From early morning to late at night, no matter where you're going, you'll sit in a traffic jam barely moving 100 metres in 10 minutes. In 1972, police records showed that there were about 243,000 cars in Bangkok (not including motorcycles), and in 1990, the number of cars had increased to 1 million. Since then, the amount of traffic has been rapidly increasing and has brought Bangkok’s traffic to a near standstill.
One way to solve the problem would to be to install automated traffic lights so people don’t have to wait a long time in the continuous traffic jam. At the moment, traffic lights are controlled by inexperienced police. Just about every other country in southeast Asia has automated traffic lights, and Bangkok needs to do the same. It would reduce the terrible Bangkok pollution and traffic jams.
WATER AND AIR POLLUTION
The water and air is very polluted in Bangkok and is an increasing issue that will eventually kill those living in Bangkok. The water is black with pollution and unable to support marine life. The canals are suffering from low oxygen levels and they often give off odors. If you spend too long outside and aren't used to it, you will end up with breathing problems. Our main solution for this is the same as the traffic congestion - to install automated traffic lights to ensure a fair and smoothly running traffic system. This will clear the air because there won’t be as many cars sitting in the one stop leaking out petrol and chemicals, therefore clearing the air, which then clears the water. Also, our solution to decrease the amount of buildings going up each year will also help, as there won’t be as many cranes around and plants and greenery lost.
The water and air is very polluted in Bangkok and is an increasing issue that will eventually kill those living in Bangkok. The water is black with pollution and unable to support marine life. The canals are suffering from low oxygen levels and they often give off odors. If you spend too long outside and aren't used to it, you will end up with breathing problems. Our main solution for this is the same as the traffic congestion - to install automated traffic lights to ensure a fair and smoothly running traffic system. This will clear the air because there won’t be as many cars sitting in the one stop leaking out petrol and chemicals, therefore clearing the air, which then clears the water. Also, our solution to decrease the amount of buildings going up each year will also help, as there won’t be as many cranes around and plants and greenery lost.
SLUMS
In the shadows of Bangkok’s luxurious malls and five-star hotels, lies a slum called Klong Toey. The slum is one of the country’s 5,500 slum communities and covers an area of around a 1600 km squared and is home to around 100,000 people. Visitors to the city can even take a “poverty tour” through Klong Toey. Around 20% of Bangkok’s residents live in illegal squatter settlements all around the city. In Klong Toey, an average household earns only around one-third of the income of an average Bangkok household. As well as the intense heat accompanied with the horrible odor of the city’s sewage system, the residents of Klong Toey experience murders, abuse, serious crimes, drug addictions, unmanaged waste, unemployment and grinding poverty on a regular basis. Garbage and undrained sewage fill the streets. Many inhabitants lack the skills and the recognized qualifications necessary to achieve social mobility, breaking away from the vicious cycle of poverty is incredibly difficult.
Our aim is to improve the quality of life for poor people by providing access to clean water, improved sanitation, and waste management services; and supporting secure land tenure and affordable housing. We intend to decrease the amount of buildings being put up and use the money normally used for them to go towards improving life for the people in the slums.
In the shadows of Bangkok’s luxurious malls and five-star hotels, lies a slum called Klong Toey. The slum is one of the country’s 5,500 slum communities and covers an area of around a 1600 km squared and is home to around 100,000 people. Visitors to the city can even take a “poverty tour” through Klong Toey. Around 20% of Bangkok’s residents live in illegal squatter settlements all around the city. In Klong Toey, an average household earns only around one-third of the income of an average Bangkok household. As well as the intense heat accompanied with the horrible odor of the city’s sewage system, the residents of Klong Toey experience murders, abuse, serious crimes, drug addictions, unmanaged waste, unemployment and grinding poverty on a regular basis. Garbage and undrained sewage fill the streets. Many inhabitants lack the skills and the recognized qualifications necessary to achieve social mobility, breaking away from the vicious cycle of poverty is incredibly difficult.
Our aim is to improve the quality of life for poor people by providing access to clean water, improved sanitation, and waste management services; and supporting secure land tenure and affordable housing. We intend to decrease the amount of buildings being put up and use the money normally used for them to go towards improving life for the people in the slums.