Chiang Mai has an extensive amount of canals and various methods of water drainage to deal with the rainy season and the floods that would occur if these things didn't exist. In the past these areas have been a bit of an eyesore that was dirty, unkempt, and something that most people have just avoided.
In recent years the city has spent some money on keeping these areas clean and most recently they have installed little walkways along the side and attempted to create some sort of features so that people can be encouraged to walk down them. Since there is no more space for parks, this is kind of what that is like.
I encountered one recently where they had put up some lighting and there was artwork that was done by local students along the walls.
I've been here long enough to recall that these canals or "klongs" have a reputation for being really dirty. they would stink and be filled with plastic garbage but the city has put things in line in order to prevent that. A series of nets have been established to collect any floating garbage and there is probably some sort of chemicals that are used to clean it up. Then the walkways were installed so there is more incentive for them to make sure that the waterways are kept clean or at least not horribly stinky. This is a relatively new attraction so while there are a few businesses that open up the back to sell things, not so many are doing it yet. I believe the plan is that eventually this will become some sort of tourist attraction but it hasn't gotten there just yet.
They are taking steps to make that happen though, as I discovered on a recommended walk the other evening.
There was a little sign that explained that such and such elementary school made these bits of artwork that is painted on the retaining wall of the canal and while it certainly isn't anything that belongs in a museum, it isn't horrible either.
The lighting was good and there were trash cans / bins all over the place to discourage people from littering. I didn't see any garbage on the ground or in the water for my short, maybe 1km walk, so this is a vast improvement from what it was like just a few years ago.
I think it is good to encourage kids to get involved with art but I just hope that it was explained to them that while it is just fine to paint here in this area that was designated for them, that it is not ok to just paint anywhere you feel like it. At the moment Chiang Mai has a ton of street art and not all of it is authorized. I hope that the people who are putting graffiti in other places are respectful of this area and don't come along and just cover it with the gang signs or whatever it is called when people just spray paint some sort of letters all over the place.
Chiang Mai is a lovely city. I would say that it is one of the best ones in all of Thailand but in the past they have struggled with keeping the place presentable and clean. This is a step in the right direction though and lately I have noticed that there has been a real drive towards better waste management including punishing litterbugs and people who would dump things into waterways.
I hope they can keep this up because the canals have always been a horrible thing in this city and for the most part in the past the government just did nothing and let the garbage wash downstream to a place where it just became someone else's problem. I love that while I was in there I didn't see any trash. Chiang Mai seems to be seriously trying to improve and this is just wonderful.