"Slum, semi-slum, and superslum... to this has come the evolution of cities."

Patrick Geddes

After researching and exploring the city as a virtual flaneur throughout the semester, my journey has come to an end. I have learnt about the complex relationships between the locals and the international elites, and how they compete to shape the city. I have realized how unbalanced the power relationships can be within the city, with the government constantly siding with the international elites and neglecting the locals. I also became aware of the effects of the neoliberal economy and globalization on the city, understanding in the process why Bangkok deserves the title of ‘Global City’.

To walk through the streets of Bangkok is to experience contrast. Immediately noticeable in the city is the footprint of the international elites and global and capitalist flows, in the form of massive skyscrapers covering every inch of the business center, a modern public transportation system like the Sky Train, luxurious shopping sites and private gated communities. All these are, at the same time, beautiful and grandiloquent expressions of transnational architecture, driven by the international elites in order to achieve the ‘global city’ status. Meanwhile, the city locals, with their regular day-to-day concerns, leave their footprint in a less apparent, although equally impactful, way. While trying to adapt and succeed in the city of Bangkok, local populations, as well as immigrant workers, end up transforming the city. Traditional – or vernacular – architecture can be found throughout the city, in the form of informal settlements, vendors, markets and so on. This is the local expression of architecture, with a pragmatic and chaotic character that highly opposes the neat and aesthetic approach of transnational architecture.

The city seems then to be polarized into two well defined groups, one local, one international. Each group has their own agenda and interests, and given the limited amount of space and resources available in a mega-city like Bangkok, they have to fight for the possibility to materialize them. In this battle for the right to the city, however, the scale is highly inclined to one side. International elites, with the capital and influence to back them up, have a tight grip over the city government. This gives them the ability to manipulate legislation and resources in their favor, effectively neglecting and marginalizing the locals. This uneven dynamic manifest itself in the land-grab constantly performed by the government in order to ‘develop’ the city. Locals see their available space shrink as every day go by, and resort to tactics such as squatting in order to be able to live and survive in the city. International elites are motivated by the neoliberal world economy and globalization, whose goal is the never-ending expansion of the city in order to become a key player in the global arena. Moreover, international elites exclude the locals from their evil paradises, completely isolating themselves from the poor and further compressing them into their already small available spaces. This way, it is the locals who pay for the price of the ‘development’ of the city, while being the ones unable to enjoy its benefits. 

However, the most important thing that I have learn about Bangkok during my experience as an international flaneur, is that this city is no exception. All around the globe, in every major city of every continent, this situation seems to repeat itself. There is an evident global tendency towards the segregation of the cities, where international players exclude and compress locals from the benefits of the city at a worldwide scale.

Take a look at Bangkok's streets and experience the city's contrasts firsthand!

In order to understand the experiences and perspectives of an international (and virtual) flaneur, I first had to become a flaneur in my own city, Phoenix. Click on the buttons below to navigate my two Phoenix flaneur diaries, where I relate my experiences as a city flaneur exploring a high-end mall, a swap meet and a master planned community in the Phoenix metro area.