I've noticed that foot traffic to Bangkok's sprawling parks, from Suan Lum to Benjakitti, has increased significantly recently. One of Lumpini Park's stubborn charms is its rustic surroundings, the ultimate gathering place for OG runners' clubs, where locals meet and gather around fresh juice stalls that have been around for decades. Progress comes in stages and I feel like the parks' evolution is a real representation of how things happen in Bangkok. Regardless of why corporations invest in small playgrounds in the corner of a public park, they're valuable because Bangkok needs more of them. These outdoor spaces are investing in future citizens and dog-friendly areas of public parks are catering to emerging urban lifestyles and new kinds of economies.
