The Changing Role of Water in the Spatial Construction andDesign of Southeast Asian Polities

Authors

Lily C. Wong

Publication Date

2011-01-01

Abstract

Investigating historical maps and texts, this essay charts the changing role of water in the spatial understanding and city design of three consecutive polities in Southeast Asia: pre-colonial tributarysystem, modern nationhood during the colonial period, and contemporary globalized neoliberal government. The role of water shifts from a heuristic device that is interwoven with political and territorial imaginings to a technocratically engineered commodity that is sacrificed in pursuit of modernization. Using the current urban design of Phnom Penh, Cambodia as an example, water remains the blind spot for urban development, despite the discussion of water sustainability at the regional scale.

First Page

11

Last Page

24

Recommended Citation

Wong, Lily C. (2011) "The Changing Role of Water in the Spatial Construction andDesign of Southeast Asian Polities," NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning): Vol. 7: No. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/nakhara/vol7/iss1/2