Just City: What Makes A City Just? | Full Documentary

"A just city" is not just a city but also about the people who inhabit it. UN chief António Guterres said in 2019 that “cities are where the climate battle will be largely won or lost.” And without a people-centred city, we may make some technological progress but we will never win the war of achieving net-zero targets and mitigate the impact of global warming.

As Bangkok and other Asian cities swell and face climate crises, the need for a dynamic growth model that is socially just, inclusive, resilient and green has never been higher. But before politicians and other stakeholders jump to conclusions about what type of model is a perfect fit for both the city and its inhabitants, we should take a step back and look at all the realities and actualities on the ground; what exactly are the urban developments and the conditions facing the people who live, work and commute within the city.

This documentary film, produced by FES Asia Regional Climate and Energy project and directed by Phatsurang Dechabuddharungsi, explores and unveils a shared journey of what social-ecological transformation could or will look like to make Bangkok ‘just’, through the eyes of three urban dwellers, one housing developer and a waste hero.

From a woman and an elder who travel alone utilizing all kinds of urban transportation, they are living proof that connectivity in urban mobility can actually exist. A motorcycle taxi driver whose fight for the equality of rights of the working class to access clean energy always stuns the crowd. Through the support of a community organization development institute, Bangkok’s canal communities have been redeveloped to accommodate the urban poor population and address the problems of unchecked urbanization, especially the way canals are connected to flooding and waste mismanagement. And lastly, in order to build a sustainable climate-resilient city, a group of university students has been creating a ‘zero waste culture’, which has already been replicated by adjacent communities.

How can these Bangkokians help socio-ecologically transform Bangkok, turn it into an inclusive and climate-resilient city?

#JustCity #ClimateChange #SocioEcologicalTransformation
#Resilience #PeopleCentric #CityTransformation