Defining the Distinctiveness of Urban Heritage Identity: Chiang Mai Old City, Thailand

Natthakit Phetsuriya and Tim Heath
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Natthakit Phetsuriya: Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Tim Heath: Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK

Social Sciences, 2021, vol. 10, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: Distinctiveness is a fundamental part of defining place identity. This paper aims to define the identity of place through the distinctiveness of the urban heritage of Chiang Mai Old City, Thailand. Chiang Mai Old City has unprecedented levels of diversity and a cultural dynamics related to its intangible and tangible urban heritage. Moreover, the city is in the important stage of being nominated as a new World Heritage Site of UNESCO, with the city’s distinctiveness being significant in supporting further heritage management strategies. The research presented in this paper mainly focuses on how local people interpret and understand the urban heritage identity of Chiang Mai Old City. This has been achieved through surveys of four hundred participants who live in the Old City and a two-way focus group with five participants in each group. The results provide seven aspects to describe the distinctiveness of Chiang Mai Old City. Moreover, the results can also be used to develop an assessment indicator for defining the distinctiveness of other cities through the engagement of local people.

Keywords: urban heritage identity; distinctiveness; Chiang Mai (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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