Spatial Transformation of Urban Communities in Agricultural Areas of Nakhon Chaisri Basin, Nakhon Pathom Province

Abstract

The Tha Chin River flows through the Nakhon Chaisri Basin where Bang Lane, Nakhon Chaisri and Sam Pran, 3 districts of Nakhon Pathom Province, are located. This fertile plain fosters settlements and cultivation as well as water transport. These settlements have later been transformed into urban communities yet with a fragile ecosystem because they are surrounded by agricultural areas. One distinctive feature of these communities is that they are classified as riverine societies comprising farmers, fruit and vegetable growers and those selling goods in markets and they all depend on one another. This study aims to analyze the spatial transformation of urban communities in the agricultural area of Nakhon Chaisri Basin according to the Theory of Urban Morphology. The travel network and space are drawn up based on secondary data which include old maps, aerial photographs, satellite images, along with interviews, observation and field surveys. All the data has been studied to determine the development of this plain from the past to the present. It has been found that spatial development can be divided into 3 periods – 1) the farm-paddy field-orchard encompassing the waterfront urban communities (1853–1957), 2) the urban communities expanding into the farmpaddy field – orchard (1958–1997) and 3) the sprawling urban communities (1998–present). The urban development can be witnessed by more road construction and dam construction, key factors that cause changes to the ecosystem and spatial foundation. Consequently, agricultural practices have been changed. Bang Lane is an urban community in the context of paddy fields, Sam Pran in the context of ridging orchards and Nakhon Chaisri in the context of mixed agriculture. Of all the three districts, Sam Pran has gone through urbanization most rapidly, thus it runs the highest risk of losing agricultural areas, coupled with the fact that it is highly accessible by road, followed by Nakhon Chaisri and Bang Lane, respectively. It is recommended that spatial planning should take the unique context of an urban community as a priority to preserve its agricultural areas.