The “Rurban” Community Challenges
Rurban is a term used to describe an area that has a rural setting located in the outskirts of an urban environment. Rural areas normally refer to an area that is located outside cities and towns. A typical rural area has low population density and small settlements as well as having mostly agricultural and forestation lands. Urban areas however, are characterized as having high population density and often constitute a city or a town. By combining the two words together ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ create ‘rurban’ which means an area which is chiefly residential and populated but where some farming is carried on. Such conditions creates an environment that poses different set of challenges for development altogether.
In 2014,Kenan partnered with Thai Beverage public company limited (ThaiBev)to implement a three year project entitled ‘Leadership for Better Quality of Life Project’ with a goal to improve ThaiBev’s relationship with Bang Kuwat sub-district, Pathum Thani Province communities towards maintaining ThaiBev’s social license to operate. Bang Kuwat is home to one of ThaiBev’s largest distilling factory; Sura Bangyikhan Co.,Ltd. Bang Kuwat is located only 40 minutes from Bangkok metropolitan and is strategically located on the Chao Phraya river. It has a total population of 23,564 people in an 18.46 square kilometer area, making the population density 1,275 person per square kilometers. The majority of the population is either contractors (laborers) or farmers. Bang Kuwat is also home to many factories in the area thus housing many migrated factory workers. Bang Kuwat has 21 housing villages (Moo-ban) while almost half of the land is still used for agriculture, mainly rice. With such diversity and disparity, each characteristic makes Bang Kuwat a true rurban area.
One of Kenan’s specialization is in community engagement and community development, with work done in all provinces of Thailand, from Pattani, Krabi and Phang Nga in the south, Lampang, Trat and Mae Hong Sonin the north and Nakhon Phanom and Khon Kaen in the northeast to name a few. Most of these communities however, are rural community development supporting smaller scale, sufficiency economy to promote the welfare and livelihoods of people living in the rural areas. While development in urban communities however, are more geared towards larger project based and infrastructure development schemes. Developing a rurban community therefore requires a different approach. In most rurban areas, it does not take long for such ‘in between’ areas to transform and be completely urbanized. At the onset,
Kenan and ThaiBev recognize that Bang Kuwat encompasses many positive qualities; being a rurban community that is culturally diverse with a long standing history and boasting many opportunities for development. The challenge is therefore, how do we maintain such conditions in a most harmonized way?
Kenan has designed project activities to ensure integration among all stakeholders in the community. The linkage/ approach used are through ‘Youth Leadership Development’, a development tool rested on the belief that “In the sensitive community, the most effective way to develop relationships with community is through youth involvement” (Dr.Bunchon Kaewsong – Director of Community Research-Thailand). A youth-centered development approach will help provide proper linkages between the community, the local government and the private sector towards a harmonized and sustainable development for a rurban community such as Bang Kuwat. Thus paving the way towards achieving ThaiBev’s vision; to foster livable, sustainable and equitable communities in Bang Kuwat by increasing leadership and social participation capacities to address the community needs of today and in the future.
The “Rurban” Community Challenges
Rurban is a term used to describe an area that has a rural setting located in the outskirts of an urban environment. Rural areas normally refer to an area that is located outside cities and towns. A typical rural area has low population density and small settlements as well as having mostly agricultural and forestation lands. Urban areas however, are characterized as having high population density and often constitute a city or a town. By combining the two words together ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ create ‘rurban’ which means an area which is chiefly residential and populated but where some farming is carried on. Such conditions creates an environment that poses different set of challenges for development altogether.
In 2014,Kenan partnered with Thai Beverage public company limited (ThaiBev)to implement a three year project entitled ‘Leadership for Better Quality of Life Project’ with a goal to improve ThaiBev’s relationship with Bang Kuwat sub-district, Pathum Thani Province communities towards maintaining ThaiBev’s social license to operate. Bang Kuwat is home to one of ThaiBev’s largest distilling factory; Sura Bangyikhan Co.,Ltd. Bang Kuwat is located only 40 minutes from Bangkok metropolitan and is strategically located on the Chao Phraya river. It has a total population of 23,564 people in an 18.46 square kilometer area, making the population density 1,275 person per square kilometers. The majority of the population is either contractors (laborers) or farmers. Bang Kuwat is also home to many factories in the area thus housing many migrated factory workers. Bang Kuwat has 21 housing villages (Moo-ban) while almost half of the land is still used for agriculture, mainly rice. With such diversity and disparity, each characteristic makes Bang Kuwat a true rurban area.
One of Kenan’s specialization is in community engagement and community development, with work done in all provinces of Thailand, from Pattani, Krabi and Phang Nga in the south, Lampang, Trat and Mae Hong Sonin the north and Nakhon Phanom and Khon Kaen in the northeast to name a few. Most of these communities however, are rural community development supporting smaller scale, sufficiency economy to promote the welfare and livelihoods of people living in the rural areas. While development in urban communities however, are more geared towards larger project based and infrastructure development schemes. Developing a rurban community therefore requires a different approach. In most rurban areas, it does not take long for such ‘in between’ areas to transform and be completely urbanized. At the onset,
Kenan and ThaiBev recognize that Bang Kuwat encompasses many positive qualities; being a rurban community that is culturally diverse with a long standing history and boasting many opportunities for development. The challenge is therefore, how do we maintain such conditions in a most harmonized way?
Kenan has designed project activities to ensure integration among all stakeholders in the community. The linkage/ approach used are through ‘Youth Leadership Development’, a development tool rested on the belief that “In the sensitive community, the most effective way to develop relationships with community is through youth involvement” (Dr.Bunchon Kaewsong – Director of Community Research-Thailand). A youth-centered development approach will help provide proper linkages between the community, the local government and the private sector towards a harmonized and sustainable development for a rurban community such as Bang Kuwat. Thus paving the way towards achieving ThaiBev’s vision; to foster livable, sustainable and equitable communities in Bang Kuwat by increasing leadership and social participation capacities to address the community needs of today and in the future.
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