Energy Focused Analysis of Chiang Mai Development Transition Towards Sustainable City

Abstract

Sustainable urban development encompasses various dimensions, including the well-being of citizens, urban infrastructure, environmental friendliness, accessible transportation, and a stable economy, to achieve sustainability. Efficient use of resources and energy has become a necessity. The Sustainable Cities Assessment Framework serves as a valuable tool in measuring and evaluating urban resource management while minimizing negative environmental impacts, thereby ensuring the well-being of citizens in terms of safety, happiness, and comfort. This framework assists city management in planning and implementing policies that foster strong economic growth. The transition to a sustainable city is of great importance for an emerging city like Chiang Mai in Thailand. Case Study: Chiang Mai has characteristics such as medium size, potential as a regional hub, strategic location, diverse and beautiful natural environment, and excellence in medicine and education in Northern Thailand. This work provides an overview of sustainable urban indicators across cities. The suitability of the key indices was assessed and discussed in the context of Chiang Mai. In addition, the Thai government's concepts of bio circular green economic model (BCG) and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) were also considered to promote economic and social development while guaranteeing environmental protection. Thus, the city's potential is fully utilized to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The potential indicators for assessing cities' sustainability can be broken down into three main components: economic, social, and environmental. The study also offers useful plans and guidelines derived from the sustainable city assessment framework to guide the development and expansion of Chiang Mai in the future. The study also introduces a framework for assessing cities based on expert-reviewed indicators. These indicators have the potential to be adapted for other cities based on their specific contexts, enabling the evaluation of progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In the case of Chiang Mai, this research employed 35 comprehensive indicators for assessment, with 28 of them meeting the evaluation criteria and warranting retention. These indicators, constituting 80% of the total, contributed to an overall score of 2.69 out of 3, signifying Chiang Mai's commendable advancement as a sustainable city. However, there remain certain indicators, including air pollution, water quality, waste management, energy consumption, transportation, population density, and crime rates, that have yet to meet the assessment criteria. This underscores the ongoing necessity for sustained endeavors to attain the Sustainable Development Goals. The study underscores that Chiang Mai's journey towards sustainability must prioritize environmental considerations. Initiatives addressing critical areas, especially those influencing the city's expansion and balanced population density distribution, alongside the establishment of an efficient public transportation system, hold significance. Aligning these efforts with the city's overall objectives can stimulate both the urban environment and its ecological harmony. These insights offer invaluable direction for Chiang Mai's urban planners, providing them with actionable information to integrate into their developmental blueprints. Employing the indicators and methodologies delineated in this study, urban planners can pinpoint aspects requiring heightened attention and give precedence to sustainable development initiatives. These findings hold potential to shape decision-making processes, steering sustainable growth not only in Chiang Mai but also in cities worldwide.