Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok is a multicultural and cosmopolitan city. Since its foundation as the capital of the Rattanakosin Kingdom in 1782, diversity has shaped Bangkok with a mixed population of various cultures and beliefs contributing to its growth. This open mindset has also played a crucial role in overcoming imperialism and successfully entering the modern era. Today, with over 2,000 communities and a significant presence of expats and migrant workers, Bangkok stands out as a captivating blend of cultures that harmoniously mix like a "melting pot".

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) governs the city in accordance with the 20-year Development Plan for Bangkok Metropolis (2013-2032). Its current goal is “Bangkok: Livable City for All”. Phase 3 of the development plan consists of seven strategies: building a safe and resilient city against crises; sustainable environmental development and climate change; reducing inequality through civilized city administration for everyone; connecting cities with flexibility and integrated public service systems;  promoting participatory democratic city building; the development of the city as a center of creative economy; and creation of professionalism in metropolitan management.

To build a livable city with equal opportunities, Bangkok has taken measures to enhance social welfare and introduce public participation in decision making, including the District Food Management Sandbox project, and Traffy Fondue.

Informed by a public opinion survey, the BMA established 28 goals across nine dimensions for Bangkok's development by 2025. These dimensions include travel, safety, transparency, environment, health, education, economy, society and management.

The Traffy Fondue platform has enabled the BMA to receive reports on a wide array of urban issues, from sanitation and waste disposal to electricity and water supply, from broken streetlights to damaged roads or sidewalks. Informed by these reports, policies such as the "Bangkok lighting", "pedestrian walkway program", and "urban environment campaign" have been implemented. These insights have been pivotal in addressing Bangkok's existing issues and fostering a more livable city.

The District Food Management Sandbox project is a pilot initiative in Bangkok that established distribution outlets for food and agricultural products. This project has bolstered urban food production, elevated safety standards within food establishments, and improved overall food management in the Bangkok area. Food Bank Centers were also set up, distributing food to vulnerable populations and minimizing food waste, thereby increasing waste management efficiency in alignment with recycling and circular economy principles.

Education plays a crucial role in this process as well. The Food Education and Thai School Lunch program was launched, educating students on the importance of nutrition and enabling Bangkok to maintain a comprehensive food management database.

Bangkok's green urban development efforts, such as tree planting, construction of 15-minute parks, promoting electric vehicle usage, waste separation, and installing wastewater treatment systems at the source, are all contributing to the development of a green, livable city.

With strategies aimed at reducing inequality, developing database systems for informed decision making, providing public utilities, inclusive education and multicultural learning resources, Bangkok is striving to achieve social, economic, environmental and spatial sustainability.

To further these efforts, the BMA has introduced an initiative to raise awareness and prepare a Voluntary Local Review Report (VLR) in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The VLR promotes participation and awareness among Bangkok residents in urban development as well as policy and budget allocation. This will assist in evaluating the efficiency of Bangkok's city management in compliance with international standards.