Rethinking Development: Greenspace Management, Urban Planning, and Social Movement in Nakhon Nayok Province

Abstract

     The development of the Eastern Seaboard project, initially incorporated into the Fifth Economic Development Plan, resulted in the expansion of economic development zones in the Eastern region of Thailand. Currently, economic development plans are an integral part of policy decision-making, particularly in urban planning, with a focus on urban development in Nakhon Nayok Province. This includes the revision of urban planning schemes and the utilization of green spaces through urban planning strategies. Such developments have led to conflicts arising from industrialization within the green areas of Nakhon Nayok. The management of these green spaces by the state has not yielded benefits for local communities; instead, it has facilitated industrial expansion, resulting in various environmental issues, including soil, water, and air pollution. This situation has triggered civil society movements advocating for public participation in the development and sustainable use of green spaces in the province. Consequently, this paper aims to review the past management of green spaces and urban planning by the state, analyze the movements for the management of green areas in Nakhon Nayok, and propose alternative strategies for the transformation of green space development in the province by studying through a green political economy perspective.