Editor's Note

Introduction

Public parks play a key role in the quality of urban communities, with benefits affecting climate impact regulation, branding, economic development, tourism, and the character and culture of a city. Not only do parks improve a city, they also are associated with an individual’s wellbeing— physically, socially, emotionally, and mentally. The prevalence of public parks has been growing in cities all around the world.

In Yangon City, public parks were included in city planning during the colonial era; however, as the city’s population and industry grew, public parks were disregarded. Yangon’s public parks have become targets for a number of economic activities, with land converted for infrastructure and commercial purposes. The area allocated for parks in Yangon City has been reduced, and the parks have become more difficult to access due to economic challenges. 

In this paper, the term “parks” is used to refer to public parks in Yangon City under the administration of the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC). The paper aims to analyze the accessibility of public parks based on the data available. Through a literature review, we found that a number of papers used network or spatial analysis to examine park accessibility. However, this paper uses a subjective approach on time and GIS technology limitation. The term “accessibility” refers to the distribution of public parks and how they are accessible to urban residents. 

Table of Contents

This paper is organized in nine parts as follows:

1. Introduction

2. Context

3. Perceptions of the Conditions and Management of Parks

4. Resident Use of Parks

5. Conclusion

6. Policy Implications

Author

Another Development (AD) is a local Myanmar think-tank and a non-profit organization. The motto of the organization is “DIGNITY, PROSPERITY and COOPERATION” and the programs we anticipate rolling out in the coming five years reflect these principles. There are five themes that AD is focusing on: Human Rights, Multiculturalism, Decentralization and Federalism, Rural Economic Development and Social Enterprises, and E-government and E-citizen. AD was set up to be part of the solution to the problems and conflicts prevailing in Myanmar by advocating effective public policy change.