Professor Samer Bagaeen has been announced as Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) next Vice President, and the first RTPI President of Arab descent.
Professor Samer Bagaeen, Head of School of Town Planning at the University of the Built Environment, is a seasoned RTPI Trustee and passionate advocate for transformative planning. Samer has outlined his commitment to redefining literacy in planning and providing the consistency and stability needed to amplify the planning profession’s voice and redefine its impact.
Samer will spend one year as Vice President of the RTPI under Jan Bessell – who will be inaugurated as RTPI President in January 2026 – before progressing to the role of President of the RTPI in January 2027. He has stated that he will use his platform at the RTPI to leverage digital innovation through unified, sector-specific competence frameworks that prioritise sustainability and resilience.
Samer was first elected to the RTPI General Assembly in 2012 and served two terms as an RTPI Trustee (2016-17 & 2023-25). Alongside his role at the University of the Built Environment he is Technical Director at Arcadis in London and a Visiting Professor at the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London.
Prof Samer Bagaeen, Vice President of the RTPI in 2026, said: “Town planners shape the world we live in, holding the potential to create more inclusive and resilient communities. But against a backdrop of a rapidly changing, increasingly digital world, the profession is at a crossroads, and it is crucial that we evolve too.
The RTPI has a pivotal role in supporting planners achieve digital competency, putting more efficient and flexible tools at their fingertips and giving them the power to make real change. By inviting planners to think creatively – and giving them the tools to do so effectively – we can ensure this potential is met, and I’m looking forward to championing a bold, balanced and empowering approach to planning in my new position.”
