The impact of the built environment on the location choices of the creative class: Evidence from Thailand

Globalization has forced cities and regions to rely on creative innovations as a source of competitiveness and prosperity. Yet little is known about the physical factors that influence the residential location choices of innovative individuals in Asia. This paper examines the impact of publicly-accessible built environments on the location choices of creative households - those led by creative heads - in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Results show that the location choices of creative households are positively associated with the presence of transit stations, malls and parks, suggesting that publicly-accessible spaces facilitate face-to-face interactions, which in turn promote information exchanges and knowledge spillovers.