The green way forward: expanding Bangkok’s pocket parks – JLL

Enhancing Urban Green Spaces in Bangkok: A Report on Policy Incentives and Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Current Challenges in Bangkok’s Green Space Development

• The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) bonus system, intended to encourage the creation of public green spaces, has demonstrated limited effectiveness in achieving its primary goal.
• Developers show a clear preference for constructing water retention tanks over public parks, as both options yield equivalent FAR bonuses. This choice is driven by the significantly lower construction and maintenance costs associated with water retention infrastructure compared to parks.
• This outcome reveals a policy misalignment that, while contributing to climate adaptation measures under SDG 13 (Climate Action) through flood management, fails to adequately promote the creation of accessible green spaces, a key target of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

2.0 Proposed Policy Reforms and SDG Alignment

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has put forth policy proposals centered on fiscal instruments to better achieve urban sustainability objectives. These measures foster public-private cooperation, a cornerstone of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

1. Tax Waivers for Land Use: Landowners who offer vacant land to the BMA for the development of public parks for a minimum term of seven years will receive tax waivers. This directly incentivizes the expansion of green areas, contributing to Target 11.7 of SDG 11, which calls for universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible green and public spaces.
2. Punitive Taxation for Inappropriate Land Use: A proposed property tax increase, from 0.01% to 0.15%, for land within commercial zones used for agriculture is designed to discourage tax avoidance and promote land use that serves the broader community’s needs.

3.0 International Case Studies: Lessons in Urban Sustainability

3.1 Tokyo, Japan: A Model for Community-Centric Development

• Tokyo’s successful establishment of numerous “pocket parks” provides a valuable model for achieving SDG 11.
• The city’s strategy integrates strong community involvement, where residents volunteer for maintenance, with supportive government policies.
• These policies include zoning regulations mandating parks in new developments, direct municipal funding, and tax incentives for developers, demonstrating an effective partnership approach as advocated by SDG 17.

3.2 New York City, USA: A Cautionary Tale on Equitable Development

• The development of The High Line Park highlights the critical importance of social equity in urban planning.
• While a successful green space, the project triggered significant gentrification, leading to rising property values and the displacement of local, lower-income residents.
• This result demonstrates a conflict with the aims of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and underscores the necessity of embedding community-centric planning into projects to ensure they are inclusive and benefit all residents, not just tourists or affluent newcomers.

4.0 Recommendations for Aligning with Sustainable Development Goals

• The BMA is advised to enhance its use of fiscal tools, including targeted tax incentives and punitive taxation, to effectively guide private sector developers and landlords toward the creation of public and semi-public green spaces.
• To ensure full alignment with SDG 11 and SDG 10, all urban greening initiatives must prioritize meaningful community involvement throughout the planning process to mitigate risks of gentrification and guarantee equitable benefits.
• In response to global sustainability trends, developers should proactively incorporate shared green spaces into their projects, thereby contributing to community well-being and advancing corporate commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire discussion revolves around urban planning, specifically the creation of public parks and green spaces within cities like Bangkok, Tokyo, and New York. It addresses issues of land use, zoning regulations (FAR bonuses), and the quality of life for urban residents.
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article connects to this goal by highlighting the negative social consequences of urban development. The example of The High Line Park in New York City, which led to gentrification and forced displacement of local residents, directly addresses the issue of inequality where development benefits tourists and wealthier individuals at the expense of the original community.
3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • This goal is relevant through the article’s focus on the mechanisms used to achieve urban greening. It discusses the need for partnerships between the public sector (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration – BMA) and the private sector (developers, landowners). The use of financial incentives like tax waivers and tax breaks are examples of multi-stakeholder strategies to achieve sustainable development objectives.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces.
   • The article’s central theme is the creation of “public parks,” “pocket parks,” and “green spaces.” The BMA’s policy proposals and the comparison with Tokyo’s successful creation of pocket parks directly align with the goal of increasing the availability of public green spaces for residents.
2. Target 11.3: Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management.
   • The article points to the importance of “community involvement in the planning process,” citing Tokyo’s success where residents volunteer for maintenance. It also critiques the unintended consequences in NYC, implying a lack of inclusive planning. This highlights the need for participatory approaches in urban development to ensure projects benefit all residents.
3. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all.
   • The mention of The High Line Park causing “gentrification” and “forced displacement” directly relates to this target. The development led to the exclusion of local, likely lower-income, residents, demonstrating a failure to ensure inclusive outcomes where the benefits of development are shared equitably.
4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.
   • The article explicitly discusses strategies for the BMA to engage landlords and developers. The proposed “tax waivers” for landowners who offer vacant land for parks and the use of “tax incentives” for developers are clear examples of public-private partnerships aimed at achieving a common sustainability goal.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For Target 11.7:
   • The article implies a direct indicator: the creation and amount of land dedicated to public parks and pocket parks. Progress could be measured by the number of new parks created or the total area of vacant land converted into green space as a result of the BMA’s policies.
2. For Target 11.3:
   • An indicator is implied through the discussion of Tokyo’s success: the level of community involvement in urban planning and maintenance. This could be measured by the number of community-led park projects or the existence of formal structures for resident participation in planning decisions.
3. For Target 10.2:
   • The article implies a negative indicator: rates of forced displacement and gentrification in areas surrounding new public developments. Progress towards this target would be indicated by a *lack* of displacement and stable or inclusive changes in property values and resident demographics following the creation of a new park.
4. For Target 17.17:
   • A clear indicator is mentioned: the uptake of financial incentives by the private sector. This could be measured by the number of landowners or developers utilizing the tax waivers or other incentives offered by the BMA to create green spaces.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: jll.com