The Social Impacts of Privatizing an Open Public Space: A Case Study of Nam Phu Park, Vientiane Capital, Laos

Abstract

This paper aims to demonstrate the transformations of public space in Vientiane Capital, focusing on Nam Phu (Fountain) Park as a case study to understand the urbanization process impact on the urban social spaces. The Lao government has been actively involved in urban management of public spaces since the early year 2000s, following its decree to turn land into a capital (TLIC) in 2006. Public spaces and assets have been transformed in order to facilitate this transfer of “capital”, which has been driven by both foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic direct investment (DDI). The Nam Phu Park is one of public spaces that has been privatized by the DDI, in order to develop it as a modern place to attract tourists. Leading to direct negative impact on community in the form of being restricted from access to Nam Phu Park that they had previously used. Nam Phu is a case that the Lao government and the capitalist class have collaborated together in the transformation of public space into privatization. They have been able to achieve this by obtaining legitimation from residents through the promotion of a ‘modernity and beautification’ discourse, which attempts to convince national residents that they have the duty to develop the country and sacrifice their individual interests to the common good. This changing phenomenon concerning public space transformed the meaning of space from ‘state-owned, public space’ to ‘commodified space’, which is meant to facilitate economic growth. This privatization of state land has led to many negative impacts on surrounding communities. To understand the process of transformation of Nam Phu Park, the author applies the qualitative method including observation, in-depth interviews of key informants, as well as a critical literature review to investigate the urbanisation process of public space in Laos and the implications for the powers of exclusion the community from the Nam Phu Park.