Theme / ’Tropical’ Urbanism(s)How can we embrace local wisdom and everyday practices to design cities that adapt to a more pluralistic and tropical climate?
In an era of rapid urbanization and climate change, cities in tropical regions must evolve beyond imported design models to embrace the rich local wisdom embedded in everyday practices. However, the very notion of the “tropical” carries a colonial legacy—often framed through an external gaze that exoticizes, simplifies, and homogenizes diverse climates, cultures, and urban conditions. To design cities that truly respond to their contexts, we must critically examine and deconstruct the ways in which “tropical” has been historically used as a reductive category rather than an expansive and pluralistic condition.
Tropical urbanism is not just about managing heat, humidity, and monsoons; it is about resisting imposed paradigms that have historically marginalized local knowledge in favor of Eurocentric or temperate-climate planning models. The so-called “tropical” city has often been portrayed as chaotic, informal, or underdeveloped in contrast to the ordered, modern metropolis. This perspective has shaped urban policies that prioritize control, standardization, and “improvement” over the organic, adaptive, and community-driven solutions that have long existed in these regions
Why Chiang Mai?Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second-largest city with a long history and rich traditional culture, has developed as the central city of the north of the country. Its natural environment is one of its attractions, surrounded by lush forests and beautiful mountains, including Thailand’s highest peak, Doi Inthanon.
