Topics to explore on a downtown Yangon walking tour
Transportation
Moving humans and products through Yangon suddenly became challenging with the deregulation of auto imports in 2012. The number of cars grew quickly while transportation infrastructure remained largely unchanged.
Traffic congestion highlights inequality in Yangon as the 80% of citizens who travel by bus are negatively impacted by the minority who travel in cars.
Initiatives with various levels of progress and success include the building of road flyovers, the creation of a public/private Yangon Bus System, ongoing discussions about the future of the train circle line, proposed regulation of taxis, and the recent arrival of river ferries. Controversial downtown projects have focused on removing sidewalks and relocating street vendors to increase car parking.
This is a big topic of frustration and conversation for Yangon's citizens and visitors. The needs are substantial, everyone has an opinion, and big civic and international agencies are involved.
Heritage Buildings
Heritage for whom? The complicated question of preserving buildings that simultaneously represent both the grandeur and oppression of colonialism, as well as the suppression of freedom by Myanmar's military government.
How do we weigh the value of a crumbling built environment: Historical value? Architectural value? Contribution to downtown quality of life? Impact on tourism?
The rehabilitation of colonial-era structures is complicated by issues of building/flat ownership, land ownership, private claims on government property, not to mention cost. If the majority of sites become 5-star hotels or banks their visual appeal is enhanced but the contribution to citizens quality of live is questionable.
Livability
What does it mean to be at home in a liveable city? Liveability is a new idea in urban studies, and includes themes such as income opportunity, services provided by the municipality, possibilities for formal and informal community interaction, neighborhood identy, safety, and the influence of the built environment on psychological well-being.
Certainly downtown Yangon bustles with human activity. While open spaces are minimal and cars are given priority, in the areas where there has yet to be forced relocation sidewalk food shops and vendors fill the pedestrian areas. While street hygiene does not approach global standards, markets and shops providing access to goods make 'buying local' ubiquitous. While most of the residential construction of the last 50 years is of poor quality, legacy buildings in various states of repair allow Yangonites to live in a unique environment.
Scholars and urban planners are slowly unpacking how downtown residents interact with the informal human networks that govern city life as much as municipal rules and regulations. Accentuating the positive contribution of these networks while allowing responsible city government to provide hygiene, safety and social equity presents an interesting challenge and opportunity.
