The Formation and Development of Shopping Areas in Chiang Mai, Thailand from the Foundation of Chiang Mai (1884) to 2000: the Transition of Shopping Streets to Complex Shopping Buildings

抄録

This study of the formation and transformation process of shopping streets in Chiang Mai, Thailand aims to identify relative social factors and urban developments, based on architectural data, in order to examine the spatial transformation of shopping streets into complex shopping buildings; in order to understand the transformation process, the research also makes use of historical data, detailing past events significant to the process. The formation of shopping spaces in 1884 falls into two categories pertaining to urban elements: permanent elements such as the river and streets, and temporary elements such as the public plaza that has convertible functions. The river in Chiang Mai is a significant historical route for long distance transportation that directly affected street formation, trading space along the street, and the development of the shopping street. The process of the formation of the shopping street before the 20th century organically followed from the pattern of the urban configuration. The development of permanent urban elements such as street and transportation routes, especially the 1921 opening of the train in Chiang Mai, affected transportation by river and the shopping street directly related to the river, but promoted the areas surrounding the train station. The establishment of shopping streets from 1920 are the consequence of the development of permanent urban elements such as street and public transportation. Urban expansion also affected the shopping street in Chiang Mai. The shopping street lost its role as a place of trade due to developments in the 1980s, which gave priority to cars over pedestrians. These irreversible changes to the urban environment, and the shaping of the trading area, are not mainly caused by urban developments, but come from economic stimulation from government policies, especially for the promotion of tourism. This study of the formation of shopping streets in Chiang Mai describes the key factors of formation and transformation of shopping streets and identifies key factors that should be focused on, including economic advantage and sustainable urban development.