Two Parks, One City: Lumphini and Benjakitti
Bangkok is a megacity in constant transformation, continually adding to or reshaping parts of itself. In recent years, the city has introduced a new, modern park – with specific functions – alongside one of its historic public parks. These are Benjakitti Park and Lumphini Park. Although very different in character and located about one kilometre apart, they can be visited in sequence by walking through the newly developed One Bangkok district. Bangkok is one of the largest cities in Southeast Asia, shaped by rapid and uneven growth. Over recent decades, urban development has produced a landscape dominated by major road arteries, high-density neighbourhoods, and large office and shopping complexes. In this context, public green spaces are relatively limited and concentrated in specific areas, playing an important role in the city’s everyday life.
Lumphini Park was established in 1925 in what was then the edge of the city, surrounded by rice fields, an area that is now central Bangkok. It was originally conceived as a formal public park, linked to the image of a city preparing to expand. Today, it is a green lung surrounded by skyscrapers, with large bodies of water and many mature trees. Its layout follows that of a traditional public park: wide, tree-lined avenues intersect around lakes and ponds. The large entrance gates and surrounding walls show signs of age. The shaded paths are used by residents to spend time outdoors and momentarily escape the close presence of the surrounding high-rise buildings. It is common to see people jogging or using the outdoor public gyms, as well as groups practising gentle exercise or tai chi on the grass. Others rest on the lawns or take small boats out on the water.
A couple of kilometres away, Benjakitti Park, opened in 2004 and later expanded, shares the label of “park” with Lumphini but represents something quite different. There are no boundary walls, and visitors enter what appears to be a largely natural green area. Younger trees of varying heights emerge among wild shrubs, while elevated walkways create irregular routes linking different sections of the park, lit at night. Despite its informal appearance, the park follows a clear design logic. Built on a former industrial site, it serves a specific function: to absorb and contain water during periods of heavy rainfall and flooding. Organised into zones, some areas are deliberately sunken and designed to become wetlands during seasonal rains typical of the city’s climate, helping to naturally retain and absorb water.
Despite their very different appearances, both parks respond to the population’s need for green space. At Benjakitti, former industrial structures once used for tobacco processing have been converted into covered sports facilities. Large warehouse buildings remain lit and active into the evening, frequented mainly by younger visitors and housing indoor sports areas. The two parks are located very close to one another, less than two kilometres apart, shaping this part of the city into a greener section of Bangkok. Along the route connecting them, the One Bangkok project – a cluster of nine towers dedicated to art, tourism and business – has allocated around 50% of its surface area to landscaped green spaces woven between the buildings, adding another layer of greenery to the city. Easily reached by metro, the area around the two parks attracts both visitors and local residents.
Taken together, Lumphini and Benjakitti illustrate two different approaches to green space in a densely built city. The former continues to fulfil the traditional role of the urban park: a place for rest, social interaction and everyday activities, where residents and visitors mix along shaded paths and bodies of water. The latter reflects more recent priorities, combining leisure and climate-related functions within a landscape that feels more open and less formal.