The Temple as Public Space Changing Roles of Religious Sites in Contemporary Society

Abstract

This academic article, Temples as Public Space The Changing Roles of Religious Sites in Contemporary Society, proposes a new analytical contribution to understanding Thai Buddhist temples within present-day social conditions. It conceptualizes the temple as a multi-dimensional space in which religious, cultural, and public dimensions are structurally integrated. The article argues that temples should not be understood solely as ritual sites; rather, they function as shared social spaces that support everyday interactions, collective learning, well-being promotion, and the accumulation of community social capital. This framework reframes the temple from a mere place into a form of socio-cultural infrastructure that responds systematically to urbanization, demographic transformation, and the declining availability or accessibility of other types of public space. The article also advances a process-oriented insight: transforming a temple into a public space is not simply a matter of adding activities without direction. Instead, it involves an institutional role transition that requires careful governance of spatial meanings and power relations. Key tensions include balancing sacredness with public accessibility, negotiating religious identity alongside economic and tourism pressures, and coordinating internal temple administration with participation from local communities and external agencies. The analysis highlights that the publicness of temples depends on clear principles of governance and supporting measures to mitigate risks such as inappropriate spatial use, the dilution of religious values, and unequal access.Finally, the article synthesizes an integrated three-dimensional framework for application in both academic analysis and policy development: (1) the dimension of religious–cultural value and meaning, which sustains sacredness and identity; (2) the dimension of use and inclusive access, which enables equitable public functions for diverse groups; and (3) the dimension of governance and participation, which establishes shared decision-making, accountability, and transparent impact management. This framework provides a foundation for developing approaches to temple management in contemporary society that remain relevant without sacrificing core values, and that enable temples to serve as sustainable, creative, and socially responsible public spaces.