Housing Planning, Community Development
Baan Mankong
Bangkok, Thailand
Active Period
Initiated in the early 2000s and continues to expand.
Description
Baan Mankong is a community-driven housing improvement program that empowers low-income urban residents along the canals by providing them with secure land tenure, financial support, and participatory design opportunities. Unlike traditional top-down housing solutions, this initiative enables communities to take an active role in upgrading their living conditions. The program has facilitated long-term leases, financial mechanisms like savings groups, and collective negotiations with authorities, resulting in improved housing, infrastructure, and social cohesion.
Outstanding Features
Baan Mankong is a pioneering example of inclusive urban development that challenges conventional approaches to slum rehabilitation. Instead of displacing informal settlers, it integrates them into the city through participatory planning, ensuring they have a stake in their own housing and community development. The project fosters long-term stability and resilience by focusing not just on improving the canal but also on social and economic empowerment. Flood resilience is therefore incorporated into project design, employing nature-based solutions to counteract environmental vulnerability.
More information: https://thecityfix.com/blog/thailands-inclusive-upgrading-informal-settlements-terra-virsilas-emily-norford/