Plan to preserve old cities rejuvenated

Government allocates support of B120m

A master plan for the conservation and development of 27 old cities is expected to be complete within three years, after a decade-long delay. The government intends to allocate 120 million baht to support the plan, the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (Onep) says. Onep secretary-general Raweewan Bhuridej said the government has realised the importance of preserving and conserving old cities across the country. Many face the threat of destruction caused by unregulated development from city expansion. Since 2005, Prime Minister’s Office regulations have called for the identification of old city areas. Since then, 27 old cities have been identified, including those in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Suphan Buri, Lop Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi and Ranong provinces. She said the governor in each province is in charge of setting provincial master plans to preserve and conserve old city areas by dividing them into core zones and buffer zones. Some activities and the height of buildings will be limited under planning laws to prevent unregulated growth that might destroy the value of old areas. However, she admitted the master plan drafting process has been quite slow due to a limited budget. Currently there are only three provinces for which the master plan is complete. They are Nan, Lamphun and Songkhla provinces. But this year, the government is going to provide more funding to speed up the project. “We expect to complete the rest in the next three years as the government is going to allocate 120 million baht to facilitate the project. With the master plan, we will see a better-organised blueprint to preserve and conserve the old cities,” she said. The committee for the Rattanakosin and Old Cities Conservation and Development, which is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, is in charge of the project. Roj Khun-Anake, who is the chairman of the subcommittee that is considering the old cities plan, said the process of getting a master plan “is not easy”. He said it required public participation to reach the goal of sustainable development, adding it is important to listen to a community’s voice which is the key mechanism in taking care of old cities. He suggested that old cities should not only be developed for tourism activities to gain income from tourists, but also be preserved as working space for new generations to gain benefits. Pradech Phayakvichien, an expert on the committee for Rattanakosin and Old Cities Conservation and Development, said that it is very important to raise local awareness of protecting and preserving cities. Onep will host a seminar on old city conservation and development on June 8 and invite 500 participants to attend the event.