Residual rhythms and sustainable sense of place: lessons learned from a Thai urban neighborhood

Abstract

This study proposes an alternative approach to creating and sustaining a sense of place based on the rhythms of everyday life in Thai urbanism. In Thai urbanism, a sense of place is not always established and maintained through historical landmarks, physical symbols, or environments designed by placemakers, but is cultivated through the recurring practices of locals’ public life. This study considers recurring practices through the concept of residual rhythm, a trace of urban pasts that regularly appears in current urban contexts. Although constructed using temporary elements, residual rhythms evoke memorable images and reinforce a sense of place in people’s perceptions. This concept is examined through two cases in Sino-Thai communities. The fieldwork comprised three methods: walking interviews, place-rhythm analysis, and photo-elicitation interviews, capturing two themes: 1) a displaced sense of place and 2) the progress of time alongside a sustainable sense of place. This study aims to suggest a placemaking principle applicable to Thai cities and other contexts where sense of place is strongly shaped by public life activities and local ways of life.