Empowering Urban Agriculture Networks for Creative Green Market

About

Bangkok’s urban agricultural land, cultural heritage, and traditional canal-side lifestyles are vanishing due to rapid urban expansion. In response, the "Empowering Urban Agriculture Networks for Creative Green Markets" project developed a 5-rai green network, guided by the principle: "Community as Leader, University as Facilitator." Leveraging a decade of development expertise in Phasi Charoen, Siam University deploys over 250 faculty and students annually to assess community needs and resource assets. Since 2023, these field insights have fostered a robust network that evolved into the Creative Green Market. Currently, 17 entrepreneurs (11 vendors, 6 waterway operators) generate 3,110 – 4,220 USD monthly from market activities and 2,000 – 3,440 USD from canal tourism. This integrated "Agriculture–Tourism–Learning" ecosystem preserves canal-side heritage through trust, strong community bonds, and long-term sustainability driven by voluntary participation.

Top 3 learnings

1. We have learned that trust is built through co-creation, not merely through participation.
2. We have learned that genuine learning happens when learners work on real problems within the community.
3. We have learned that sustainable networks are built on shared purpose, not financial incentives.

What it means to win

This recognition would mark an important step in Siam University's journey toward sustainability through education, innovation, and working alongside communities.

It would strengthen our commitment to helping students become sustainability innovators — people who work with communities to turn local challenges into opportunities using knowledge, creativity, and collaboration.


More than that, it would encourage us to widen our Living Lab approach, linking education, sustainability, and community development to build communities that can stand on their own and a greener future for everyone.

Prof. Emeritus Dr.Chanita Rukspollmuang, Vice President, Siam University

Judges' comments

An outstanding regenerative and holistic project, with clearly documented environmental impact and particularly strong intergenerational and cultural dimensions. The genuine commitment to sharing the approach through an accessible toolkit makes this a highly replicable model. The project demonstrates excellent value for money, delivering meaningful benefits for people, tourism and communities beyond urban areas with relatively limited resources. Its integration of cultural knowledge alongside science, strong community involvement, and multiple outputs and wider benefits demonstrate significant real-world impact. The judges’ questions were answered convincingly, including through the introduction of the Living Lab approach.

Sustainable Development Goals