Abstract:
To study features and structure of various types of "Khuang" and the relationship with ways of living, culture and activities of communities in order to provide the application of "Khuang" in urban open space development which could create the identity of Chiangmai City. According to the study, "Khuang" was created by its usage, belief and ways of living of the people in the past until the period of the agricultural society. These included belief of ancestors spirit, Hinduism and Buddhism, and daily activities in that time. Moreover, the features and structure of "Khuang" were in hierarchy function supporting specific activities as well as public purposes relating to social groups and ranks. Various kinds of activities such as political administration, economics, social and culture, and ecological environments were reflecting the typical urban settlement pattern of the towns and cities in Lanna region. By comparing the structure of "Khuang" in the past with urban open space in Chiangmai nowadays, the lost of the open space was found by various reasons including the change of social activities with different contexts from the past. Urban society was lacking of the continuation of development in terms of aesthetic, culture, architecture and settlement pattern, together with the belief resulting the nonconforunity between the ways of living of the urban people and the physical and ecological elements especially the cultural open space of the city. The application of "Khuang" in urban open space development was therefore suggested in order to create the open space which could support ways of living and activities of the people in the present time, and could be integrated with other physical elements and the system of ecological environments within the historical conservation of Chiangmai City.