Inequality in Active Public Park: A Case Study of Benjakitti Park in Bangkok, Thailand

Public Park is considered as one of the important settings for physical activity, especially in urban area. Parks support physical activity through their accessibility; their provision to facilitate active pursuits; their capacity to provide opportunities to a wide range of users; and their semi-permanent nature. The study explores the characteristics of park use in Benjakitti Park, one of the most prominent district parks in Bangkok, Thailand. The study conducts a 7 days of SOPARC (System Observing Play and Recreation in Community) observation to understand the characteristics of park use and physical activities. The study also conducts a survey questionnaire of 206 park users to understand their perceptions and preferences. It is found that the park is an active park with an average of 2,663 visitors per day and 46.2% of users are engaged in moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light physical activity (43.1%) and sedentary behaviour (10.8%). The highest level of MVPA is found in adult users (72.4%), which mostly are office workers who visit the park after working hours for exercise. The study also finds that the high number of MVPA in the park creates negative externalities, such as the conflict between users and the exclusion of children and users who wants to enjoy less vigorous physical activity in the park. These externalities create inequality of park access and discourage groups of user who want to visit the park for different purposes other than physical activity and exercise. The study concludes that planning and designing active Public Park should provide equal opportunity for all urban residents to access and engage in any types of park activity.