Urbanising religion and health: naga symbolism in northeast Thailand’s urbanscape

In the western part of the world today, religion is often overlooked in the planning of healthy and sustainable cities. Yet even though modern urban planning is assumed to be secular, places of worship can be seen throughout cities, and urban structures are built on existing historical spatial configurations which inevitably include religion. In Southeast Asia, religion is central to city planning, architecture, and building orientation, although the connections with urban health are less known. To stimulate discussion on the nexus of urbanscapes, religions, and urban healths, I analyse photographs taken in towns and cities in northeast Thailand about the naga, a giant serpent-like demi-god in Buddhism, folklore, and mythology. Specifically, by applying Davey and Grant’s [2024. The visual essay and knowledge production: towards a visually informed understanding of urban health. Cities & Health, 8 (1), 1–7] analytic framework for compiling visual essays, I ponder the following question and its implications: How might naga symbolism in the urbanscape of northeast Thailand be connected to urban health? I show that naga symbolism is pervasive in urban fabric and has potential implications for health including its reframing to something human-centred or value-centred or post-human.