for Cities Week 2025

In Chiang Mai, Thailand, we conducted field research and studio visits with 13 participants under the theme of “Tropical Urbanism(s).” We also held an exhibition and forum at Kalm Village.

for Cities Week

Project group: for Cities Week

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4 days of research/3 days of exhibition

Studio visits and workshops led by local architects and researchers. Exhibition showcasing the findings of research and presentations by local professionals

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13 urbanists

13 participants from Asia with diverse backgrounds joined

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Chiang Mai

Held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in collaboration with Kalm Village

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Download the exhibition booklet

Theme / "Tropical"urbanism(s)

How can we embrace local wisdom and everyday practices to design cities that adapt to a more pluralistic and tropical climate?

In an era of rapid urbanization and climate change, cities in tropical regions must evolve beyond imported design models to embrace the rich local wisdom embedded in everyday practices. However, the very notion of the “tropical” carries a colonial legacy—often framed through an external gaze that exoticizes, simplifies, and homogenizes diverse climates, cultures, and urban conditions. To design cities that truly respond to their contexts, we must critically examine and deconstruct the ways in which “tropical” has been historically used as a reductive category rather than an expansive and pluralistic condition.

Tropical urbanism is not just about managing heat, humidity, and monsoons; it is about resisting imposed paradigms that have historically marginalized local knowledge in favor of Eurocentric or temperate-climate planning models. The so-called “tropical” city has often been portrayed as chaotic, informal, or underdeveloped in contrast to the ordered, modern metropolis. This perspective has shaped urban policies that prioritize control, standardization, and “improvement” over the organic, adaptive, and community-driven solutions that have long existed in these regions.

Introduction to Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, Thailand's second-largest city with a long history and rich traditional culture, has developed as the central city of the north of the country.

It is a city where diverse ethnic groups coexist, significantly influencing local culture including their lifestyles and traditional crafts. Recently, various architectural firms have been proposing designs that utilize local culture, technology, and the natural environment, as well as art and creative scene hubs like Kalm Village have emerged and are gaining momentum.

Program of for Cities Week 2025

In the first part of the program, we visited local architecture studios and had workshops as part of the field research. In the final two days, the findings were showcased in an exhibition.

Field research

Jaibaan Studio

Jaibaan Studio are a Chiang Mai-based architecture/landscape architecture studio. We visited their studio to learn about their practice and also had a workshop on "Wisdom From Nature" in a forest temple.

For the details of the studio visit and workshop, please check out the reports written by the participants.

Participant's report on "Wisdom from Nature" WS

Website

Sher Maker Studio

Sher Maker are a Chiang Mai-based architect and local construction team. We visited their studio and learn about their approach of using local materials and techniques in designing and constructing buildings. They also helped us set up the exhibition venue at Kalm Village.

For the details of the studio visit, please check out the reports written by the participants.

Participant's report on Shermaker Studio

Website

Moonler Studio

We visited furniture designer and maker, Moonler Studio's showroom and factory.

For the details of the studio visit, please check out the reports written by the participants.

Website

Tropical Cultural Landscape Tour by Phuwa Kitika

Community geographer Phuwa Kitika, gave us a tour of three different craft neighborhoods - MuenSan District (sliverware), Chang moi District (blacksmith), Kutao District (lantern) - to understand the cultural landscape of Chiang Mai.

For the details of the workshop, please check out the reports written by the participants.

Participants report on Tropical Cultural Landscape Tour

Exhibition

As the final output of the programme, we organised an exhibition at Kalm Village. Each of the 13 participants exhibited their own research. For the last two days of the exhibition, we had guest presentations, workshops, and presentations by the participants of the programme.

Along with the main theme of "tropical" urbanism (s), each participant conducted research on individual topics. Here are the different topics exhibited.

#margin space, #caffeinated,but local, #impromptu interventions, #selective coexistence, #wisdom of soil, #silent connectors, #grounded, #invisible comfort, #spirituality brings “yohaku”, #sensory interflow, #sabai, #emotional infrastructure, #plant on plant, #sensory interflow

Forum

Talk sessions and presentations

During the exhibition, we had two days of talk sessions and workshops.

Session topics

Towards urbanisms - Talk by Ko Nakamura on urbanism of Bangkok
Highlighting local practices- Talk by Imhathai Kunjina from CEA on Chiang Mai Design Week
On "tropics" : Cross-talk between Jaibaan Sudio, North Forest and Bangkok Tokyo Architecture

Participants report on Talk Session "Towards Plural Urbanisms"

Participants report on Talks Session "On Tropics"

Workshops & Activities

Kids Workshop

Walking around the neighbourhood of Kalm Village with local children to learn how they experience space. They showed us around the temples, followed by an ice cream break from a local vendor.

Wikipedian Workshop

Facilitated by for Cities team member/Wikipedia editor Narumi, we looked up Wikipedia articles on Chiang Mai and learned about how to create articles on the platform.

Night Walk

The night walk focused on experiencing the city from a different perspective after dark. Participants explored the city through light and sound, divided into three groups following different routes, and shared their experiences at the end.

Venue and collaborator

Kalm Village

Kalm village was the base camp and exhibition venue for for Cities Week 2025.

Located in Chiang Mai's old town, the art, craft and cultural center, Kalm Village, is the main venue for for Cities Week Chiang Mai. It is a space dedicated to passing down traditional wisdom and techniques in culture, crafts, and art to the next generation, while bringing vitality to the community.

More about Kalm village

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More photos from here

Participants

References

What is for Cities Week?

for Cities Week is an annual research program and exhibition hosted by for Cities in cities primarily across Asia. The program is divided into two parts — a research period with participants and a presentation/exhibition period. Additionally, we conduct workshops, talk sessions, and city walks through our the program. Previously held in Tokyo, Kyoto, Cairo, Ho Chi Minh City and Chiang Mai the exhibitions have attracted over 1,000 urbanists.

for Cities Week 2021 Tokyo/Kyoto

for Cities Week 2022 Cairo

for Cities Week 2023 Ho Chi Minh City