Impact of Covid-19 on Chiang Mai City Center Airport: A guideline for its urban regeneration

Abstract

Covid-19 has brought Chiang Mai International Airport to a state of lethargy: The once tourism-oriented city in northern Thailand has seen its visitors arriving by air greatly reduced since the start of the pandemic. An analysis of airport spaces and usage shows that their core purposes are disrupted or at standstill. Using a qualitative approach, the purpose of this study is to propose a guideline to re-Assess spaces of city-centered airports in times of crisis to help its urban regeneration. Urban recommendations are displayed for policymakers and then applied to Chiang Mai International airport context. Results found that temporary urban and architectural solutions are worth considering during the time of crisis and its unknown end date. Permanent solutions are also suggested to connect dynamic poles of the city with the airport area, leading to improve the reliance between Chiang Mai city and its airport. This prospective approach also sheds a light on the monofunctional purpose of the airport and relative seclusion issues due to single-use zoning in the fabrication of the city.