Urban Heat Island and Household Energy Consumption in Bangkok, Thailand

AbstractThis study focuses on the urban heat island (UHI) development and its impact on household energy consumption. Hourly air temperature data were used to study the characteristics and intensities of UHI in Bangkok area. A survey questionnaire of 400 randomly selected respondents is conducted to explain the relationship between UHI intensity and household energy consumption. Cooling Degree Days (CDD) index was used to establish the correlation between UHI and energy consumption. The result indicates that the presence of UHI in Bangkok plays a significant role in residential energy use, directly and indirectly. UHI is found to have association with the air conditioning equipment in Bangkok and increase the monthly electricity bill. Energy consumption is found to have positive association with CDD, which implies that UHI have significant influence on the household energy consumption. The study concludes that combining the concept of UHI mitigation and adaptation planning and energy-efficient housing design will contribute to better solutions for creating a more energy-efficient city

The effects of park improvement on park use and park-based physical activity

Park is considered as one of the necessary settings in the urban area to promote physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. It provides opportunities to engage in park-based physical activity to a wide range of users. Studies have found that park improvement is a sustainable way to increase the urban population’s physical activity levels. This study explores the effects of park improvement on park use and park-base physical activity using Benjakitti Park, one of the major district parks in Bangkok, Thailand, as the case study. The park improvement was designed and constructed from October 2016 – January 2017. A System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) observations were used to observe the changes in park use and park-based physical activity before and after the park improvement. It was found that park improvement changed users’ characteristics and the patterns of park use and park-based physical activity. The park improvement was associated with an increasing number of children and elderly visitors and a 4.1% and 17.6% increase in cycling and running. The project shows that even a tiny improvement in the built environment can change people’s attitude and behaviour towards physical activity and a healthy lifestyle

Association between Park Visitation and Physical Activity among Adults in Bangkok, Thailand

Visiting parks regularly can provide multiple health benefits, including increased physical activity levels. However, empirical evidence connecting park visitation and physical activity in urban settings in Southeast Asia remains scarce. This study explores the association between park visitation and physical activity among adults. A cross-sectional study using a survey questionnaire of 585 respondents in Bangkok, Thailand was conducted. Two binomial logistic regressions (odds ratio = ORs, 95% confidence interval = CI) with park visitation and physical activity level as the dependent variables were employed. We found that park visitation was influenced by individual and neighborhood environment correlates. People with a healthy lifestyle and who lived near parks were more likely to visit parks. We also found that park visitation was a strong predictor of physical activity. People who visited parks were almost four times more likely to meet the 2020 WHO global recommendation for physical activity of 150 min of medium and vigorous physical activity per week. The findings suggested that parks and green spaces are important settings for physical activity. The results of this study can inform policymakers on how to plan and design active environments that are conducive to physical activity and health

Association between Park Visitation and Physical Activity among Adults in Bangkok, Thailand

Visiting parks regularly can provide multiple health benefits, including increased physical activity levels. However, empirical evidence connecting park visitation and physical activity in urban settings in Southeast Asia remains scarce. This study explores the association between park visitation and physical activity among adults. A cross-sectional study using a survey questionnaire of 585 respondents in Bangkok, Thailand was conducted. Two binomial logistic regressions (odds ratio = ORs, 95% confidence interval = CI) with park visitation and physical activity level as the dependent variables were employed. We found that park visitation was influenced by individual and neighborhood environment correlates. People with a healthy lifestyle and who lived near parks were more likely to visit parks. We also found that park visitation was a strong predictor of physical activity. People who visited parks were almost four times more likely to meet the 2020 WHO global recommendation for physical activity of 150 min of medium and vigorous physical activity per week. The findings suggested that parks and green spaces are important settings for physical activity. The results of this study can inform policymakers on how to plan and design active environments that are conducive to physical activity and health