Napong Tao Rugkhapan

I’m a lecturer at the School of Global Studies, Thammasat University in Thailand. I received a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan. I’m primarily interested in the technopolitics of urban planning and design, looking in particular at sites of contestation brought about by technocratic planning tools, such as mapmaking, zoning, architectural guidelines, and building codes. My other research interests include comparative urban theory, cross-border circulation of planning ideas, and vernacular urban architecture in Southeast Asia.

My current research investigates the urban transformation of Soi Nana, a small alley in inner Bangkok that has transformed from a warehousing district into a hipster nighttime hangout. I am interested in the politics of gentrification, land control, and the impact on sociospatial justice.