The Bangkok land information system project—past and future

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Abstract
Most cities in the developing world are expanding rapidly and are usually the “engines” of economic development in their respective countries. Yet the quality of life for the inhabitants is deteriorating together with the urban environment. The services and facilities that are essential for the city to operate are not coping with the rapid growth. At the same time the ability to raise sufficient taxes, equitably and efficiently, is severely limited because of lack of basic land information. In these circumstances, cities are turning to land information systems (LIS) as one possibility that may contribute to solving some of these problems. Bangkok, with a population of 10 million, is one such city. This paper reviews a pilot project to develop a LIS for the city. It reviews the major justification for a LIS, looks at the objectives of the project and how those objectives were met. Lessons from the project are described in detail. The paper describes a conceptual model and a strategic framework for a future LIS. Even though the paper is directed at cities in the developing world, the experiences from the project should be of interest to any person involved in designing, building or operating a LIS for a large metropolis.