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Developing spatial recommendations for enhancing Khon Kaen as a city of music |
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| รหัสดีโอไอ | |
| Title | Developing spatial recommendations for enhancing Khon Kaen as a city of music |
| Creator | Pin Tosetthee |
| Contributor | Nij Tontisirin, Advisor |
| Publisher | Thammasat University |
| Publication Year | 2568 |
| Keyword | Music city, Creative industry, Morlam, Traditional performance, Music venue, Placemaking, เมืองดนตรี, อุตสาหกรรมสร้างสรรค์, หมอลำ, การแสดงพื้นบ้าน, พื้นที่จัดแสดงดนตรี, การสร้างสรรค์พื้นที่ |
| Abstract | Music in cities is more than entertain. It drives cultural life, supports local economies, and helps hold communities together. The spread of “Music Cities” under UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network shows why musical heritage belongs in city planning. For example, music can regenerate urban areas, strengthen local identity, and make cities more liveable. While music venues are not simply buildings, they are cultural spaces for performance, for bringing people together, and for keeping local traditions alive. However, many venues, especially in the city centre, face growing pressure from urbanisation, a shortage of dedicated spaces, and younger audiences moving towards digital media. To investigate the used pattern can reveal the role music plays in urban renewal.The study investigates how Khon Kaen, a cultural and administrative centre in northeastern Thailand, can revive its music heritage and strengthen its potential to be a city of music through urban design. Centring on the traditional Morlam genre, it examines the infrastructure, user perceptions, and spatial dynamics of three venues in the Old Town, including Sithan Lakeside, Khon Kaen Provincial Space, and Srichan Creative Space. Two questions guide the study: (1) What is the current state of Khon Kaen’s musical infrastructure, and how does it help or hinder the city to become a recognised city of music? and (2) What are the spatial planning and urban design challenges and opportunities in weaving music venues and activities into the fabric of the city?The research uses mixed methods: interviews, a visitor survey of 111 respondents conducted during the April 2025 Songkran festival, geospatial mapping, and a Project for Public Spaces placemaking framework covering sociability, uses and activities, access and linkages, and comfort and image. In summary, the findings point to three problems: venues that feel disconnected, public spaces that go underused, and a fading sense of familiarity and ownership. Pearson correlation analysis shows that each venue relies on a different strength: Comfort and Image at Sithan Lakeside, Sociability at Khon Kaen Provincial Space, and Uses and Activities at Srichan Creative Space. The recommendations that follow include community-managed performance zones, clearer event-management policies, and adaptive reuse of existing venues, carried out jointly by artists, cultural organisations, and local authorities. The study has limitations related to the need for stakeholder cooperation and the disruption of digital media, but it still offers a replicable model for music-led urban change that optimises heritage preservation with inclusive, place-based design. |
