Diverse neighborhood design principle for Arrival city of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015: a case study of Chiang Mai, Thailand

The year 2015 will be another step toward diversity in Thailand due to the initiation for ASEAN Economic Community. Unfortunately, the urban neighborhoods who will be facing this population dynamic were left out of policy planning table. This is going against many literatures as scholars have been suggesting for more focuses on local community level where native and migrant will meet. These encounters could result in both social cohesion community or tension, separation that lead to social segregation. Various studies support that good-quality physical environments are significant stimulator for diversity, including space for interaction, amenities, cultural spaces, public infrastructure. Henceforward, this research is trying to address the neighborhood diversity. Through the cultivation of diverse neighborhood design principle (DNDP) factors from comparative case studies. We found 20 key factors essential for DNDP. In final part of the research we attempted to implement the DNDP in real neighborhood of Chiang Mai along with gaming simulation tools. Eventually, we learned that DNDP with the GS have the ability to promote mutual understanding among local stakeholders and prompt the acceptance of diversity concept that stimulate a powerful dialogue and leads to new local initiation for diverse neighborhood planning. And this is proved to be the fabric that can hold local society together by pushing the boundary of more active communication and breakdown stigma walls for good.