who we are

The Urban Futures & Policy Research Unit was officially founded in 2015 which had been established by a group of researchers since 2011. We have been working under the Faculty of Architecture and Planning at Thammasat University for the past 10 years and being promoted in 2020 to become a research unit specialised in urban sustainability and urban development policy and planning working under Thammasat University

“We focus on the multidisciplinary research and capacity building programme to manage changes” that leads to the better change of urban society and empower key actors in the city. We provide expertise related to “future change” whether it is climate or socioeconomic change that influences the development of the city. It is also important for us to foster national and international collaboration to use best practices that have been developed to reduce risks from natural hazards and global changes.

At regional level, UFP is also a START regional affiliate since 2021. The two organizations aim to strengthen knowledge, skills, and communication on critical regional challenges of global environmental change. The two organizations also work with Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities (EPIC). EPIC partnership connects universities with local governments to address global change/sustainability challenges. We identify prospective city-university partnerships in Southeast Asia, including hosting a half-time coordinator position for EPIC-Asia.

With our local and regional commitment, we hope to create a better urban society, empower urban actors, and promote capacity development of urban society to cope with and adapt to future uncertainties and hence build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities.