On October 25, Vietnam's National Assembly discussed revisions to the draft Law on Urban and Rural Planning, including issues related to urban classifications, city limits, and suburban areas.  

Nguyen Quang Huan, a National Assembly deputy from Binh Duong, highlighted confusion caused by the current terminology. He noted that previously there were only cities within provinces, but now there are cities within larger cities, which he believes can lead to misunderstanding.  

Huan suggested the introduction of a new term, such as "super city," into the law to avoid confusion in cases like Thu Duc City within Ho Chi Minh City, or potential future cities like Thuy Nguyen under Hai Phong and Me Linh within Hanoi.

"The term 'metropolis' is used in English, meaning 'super city,' and we should consider adopting similar terminology," said Huan. He proposed that the designation might be reserved for "special" cities, which already exist within the current classification system.  

Nguyen Van Canh, a National Assembly deputy from Binh Dinh, added to the conversation by noting that in English, urban planning typically divides areas into "urban, suburbs, and rural."

He suggested that urban plans should cover both inner and outer city areas, while rural areas remain distinct. Canh defined inner-city areas as densely populated with high-rise buildings, extensive infrastructure, and well-developed transport systems.  

Outer-city, or suburban, areas are typically less densely populated with more green spaces, while rural areas remain focused on agriculture with sparse populations.

Canh emphasized that maintaining this distinction could help prevent urban encroachment into rural regions, where sometimes less developed urban areas may lag behind even their rural counterparts.  

Addressing these points, Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi clarified that terms like "inner city" and "inner urban areas" are part of urban development classification and administrative unit standards. He

noted that these terms fall outside the scope of the current urban and rural planning law but are well defined in the administrative classification resolutions of the National Assembly Standing Committee. These issues will be further elaborated on in the upcoming Urban Development Management Law.  

Regarding the scope of urban and rural planning, Minister Nghi explained that planning would be based on territorial boundaries to ensure consistency, connection, and efficiency between urban and rural areas. He pointed out that in practice, cities often include surrounding rural districts and communes, while towns may have outlying townships. This intermingling of urban and rural elements reflects the reality of Vietnam’s diverse regional landscapes.  

The minister also assured that feedback from MPs will be considered, and relevant authorities will continue to refine and adjust the draft legislation to clarify the scope of planning more accurately.  

Tran Thuong