Is Bangkok a Livable City? We Compare it to 6 Urban Planning Benchmarks [S6.E37]

In a unique episode, the guys take six characteristics of a ‘livable city’ (established by renowned urban planner Alex Garvin) and give their own opinions on how Bangkok fares. Neither guy knows what the other is gonna say, so part of the fun is seeing where they agree and disagree.

The first characteristic is that a city must be open to people with different backgrounds and goals. The guys roughly agree on this issue, with Greg giving Bangkok a score of 7 and Ed a score of 6. The second characteristic is having something for everyone, especially people of different economic classes. Here Ed gives Bangkok a very high score of 9, but Greg thinks it’s not that good with a 6. The third quality of a liveable city is that it can attract people and maintain demand. Once again, both guys give Bangkok high scores. 

However, the fourth and fifth qualities cause some disagreement. Greg gives Bangkok a lower score for development than Ed does, and when it comes to providing a sustainable, livable environment, Ed’s score is average, but Greg’s is much lower. Last, the guys come back to a state of agreement on civil society in Bangkok, arguing it isn’t great but could also be a lot worse. 

Who needs some science-y survey when you got two experts right here to tell you all how Bangkok ranks up?

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