Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, two of the largest cities in Vietnam, are set to become sustainable cities of the future. As part of the government target which aims to make Ho Chi Minh City the first smart city in Vietnam by 2020 and Hanoi by 2030, billion dollar mega projects are currently underway to build smart cities. Our report deep dives into four key topics which will push forward the development of sustainable cities in Vietnam: public transportation, green spaces, green buildings, and smart city initiatives.
Four core components that make up sustainable cities
Public transportation, a solution to mitigate road congestion in Vietnam
Although public bus system is the most popular mode of public transportation in Vietnamese cities, the government is currently in the process of building a dedicated urban rail network around a metro system in an effort to reduce road congestion. Through the Public-Private Partnership model, the government has invited the private sector to invest in large-scale transportation projects. In October 2017, there had been 130 investors wanting to invest in PPP projects with an estimated total of USD 17 billion in investments.
Green urban environment to elevate quality of life
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, especially, are lagging behind many other Asian cities in terms of green space, creating an additional urbanization challenge. To combat this issue, the government has made efforts in developing more green space around residential areas. Ho Chi Minh City, for example, has focused on developing green spaces within residential projects and new urban developments while Hanoi has been increasing the number of trees and water features by 2030 in a plan which will oversee urban development. By 2025, Hanoi plans to have 60 parks, including 18 new parks and 42 upgraded or renovated parks and gardens. In terms of green buildings, there were over 60 internationally certified green building projects in Vietnam as of 2017 and has since increased to 110 total projects.
Billion dollar projects poured into Vietnam to build smart cities
Partnerships between the government and the private industry are making progress to integrate smart city technologies in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Currently, 33 cities and provinces in Vietnam have begun implementing smart city initiatives in order to facilitate easier city management and increase overall quality of life in dense urban areas.
Ho Chi Minh City: Plans to become the first smart city in Vietnam. In 2017, Korean Lotte Group and the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee signed a contract to build an Eco-Smart City in Thu Thiem New Urban Area valued at USD 1.9 billion.
Hanoi: BRG Group of Vietnam and Sumitomo Corporation of Japan aims to build Nhat Tan-Noi Bai area (north of Hanoi) to become one of the most modern smart cities in Southeast Asia. The megaproject, worth more than USD 4 billion, will begin in October 2018.
