In rapidly growing cities, small urban green spaces – often called “pocket parks” – are emerging as vital spaces for community health and social wellbeing. But how exactly do these compact green spaces benefit local communities, and what types of park designs are most effective in fostering social health?
These are the key questions being investigated by a new British Academy-funded project led by a team of researchers from SEI York at the University of York and SEI Asia. The study focuses on evaluating the impact of Bangkok’s “15-minute pocket parks” initiative, a groundbreaking effort by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to enhance urban livability through accessible, small-scale green spaces.
A busy intersection in Bangkok.
Photo: Steve Cinderby/ SEI.
In October 2024, SEI York researchers Steve Cinderby and Rachel Pateman traveled to Bangkok to collaborate with the local research teams from SEI Asia and the Urban Design and Development Centre (UDDC). Their mission was to explore potential research sites and assess how different types of pocket parks can serve the city’s diverse communities.
During their visit, the team examined a range of park locations at various stages of development, including:
This variety of locations presents a unique opportunity to analyse the diverse roles pocket parks play in promoting community interaction, relaxation, and physical activity. By studying parks in different urban contexts, the project aims to understand how specific park features – selected for their diversity in use, accessibility, and environmental challenges – influence accessibility, usage, and overall impact on local health and wellbeing.
Pocket parks offer a range of social and community health benefits, particularly for residents in densely populated urban areas with limited access to larger green spaces. The research team is particularly interested in understanding the effects on:
One of the team’s first steps was conducting environmental measurements in selected park locations, recording temperature and noise levels. These factors significantly influence how and when people use parks. For instance, densely built-up areas tend to retain more heat, potentially limiting daytime use, while high noise levels from nearby roads can affect the perceived tranquility of a space.
A newly designed pocket park in Bangkok, featuring circular patches of artificial grass, trees, and seating areas, offering a green retreat in a busy urban setting.
Photo: Steve Cinderby/ SEI.
In addition to studying pocket parks, the research team visited Benjakitti Forest Park, a massive 41-hectare green space designed as part of Bangkok’s ambitious plan to become a greener, more livable city by 2030. While vastly larger than the pocket parks under study, Benjakitti serves as an important reference point, demonstrating the profound impact urban greenery can have on health, recreation and biodiversity.
This project builds on the SEI City Health & Wellbeing Initiative (CHeW), where we identified the importance of urban green spaces but couldn’t measure their direct effects. Now, by creating new green spaces in Bangkok, we can study their impact on health and wellbeing while also examining who benefits - and who might still be left out. Ultimately, we hope this research helps cities protect green spaces before they are lost, rather than having to restore them later at greater cost.
Steve Cinderby
Over the next year, the SEI-led research project will systematically evaluate how Bangkok’s pocket parks influence community health, wellbeing and social interactions through surveys, observational studies, and environmental data analysis. Findings from this mixed-methods study will inform future urban planning strategies, both in Bangkok and other rapidly urbanizing cities worldwide.
Project / The project assesses how Bangkok’s pocket parks enhance urban wellbeing, accessibility, and environmental benefits, informing inclusive urban planning policies.
Initiative / This initiative investigates how rapidly growing cities affect residents' wellbeing and how this interacts with the overall health of city systems.
Feature / A novel study by SEI researchers unveils the psychophysiological responses to walking in the cities of Nakuru, Kenya and Udon Thani, Thailand.
Tool / The SEI Urban Toolbox for Liveable Cities is a collection of SEI tools, methods and approaches that can be used widely for urban planning and development.
