Micro-island platforms and land optimisation in Bangkok

In recent decades, innovation districts have emerged as experimental urban forms that concentrate stakeholders, institutions and infrastructure within spatially designated micro zones to promote innovation and economic growth. Building on recent conceptualisations of territory as a platform, this paper examines how such districts function as micro-island platforms: bounded yet permeable territories that facilitate experimentation while remaining embedded within wider urban systems. We analyse the case of Samyan Smart City in central Bangkok, where administration by Chulalongkorn University provides a degree of autonomy that enables rapid experimentation and coordination among stakeholders. We trace two mobility service platforms – Viabus and Muvmi – which were test-bedded within the district before city-wide expansion. We argue that, like digital platforms, these island territories create value by leveraging strong network effects for investment, coordination and co-location, generating not only economic gains but also narratives that position property-led development as serving a broader public benefit. Samyan’s case demonstrates how this governance model, combined with the spatial boundedness of innovation districts, supports the testing of smart solutions and highlights the path-dependent nature of successful smart city implementation.