Learning from UCL East to improve Bangkok’s infrastructure

Governor of Bangkok Chadchart Sittipunt led a delegation from Thailand visiting the Urban Room at UCL East - UCL Urban Room, based at the UCL East campus, welcomed the Governor of Bangkok this week to discuss urbanisation and regeneration in global cities. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, who is also a structural engineer, is keen to adopt policies and innovative approaches from across the world to support Bangkok's development. He led a delegation from Thailand interested in learning more about how UCL East works with communities and partners to tackle local challenges, through the UCL Urban Laboratory and the new Urban Room. The group also saw students being taught on the MASc in Global Urbanism - the first urban Masters degree to radically cut across arts, humanities, social sciences and technology studies - and visited a Connected Environments Lab where students from The Bartlett's Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis's MSc Connected Environments work on smart cities. Governor Chadchart explained his desire to tackle the challenges Bangkok faces, including pollution, flooding, traffic, poverty, urban planning, a lack of green space and preserving Bangkok's heritage while managing redevelopment. During his UK visit, the Governor was keen to explore digital and other innovative approaches to urban policy and planning, the regeneration of cities, transportation and tackling climate change and its impacts. Joining him was Bangkok Deputy Governor and social entrepreneur Sanon Wangsrangboon, who has a particular interest in social development and education, spearheading the Open Bangkok Data Project to identify accident sites and air quality across the city.