After expanding its administrative boundaries, Hanoi has taken actions to build a smart city and adapt to the trend of globalization and climate change, said expert on urban management Dinh Quoc Thai.

Criteria for building a green and smart urban area for Hanoi include smart economy (competitive economy), smart mobilization (convenient transportation system - good technical infrastructure), smart residents (city with abundant and high-qualified human resources), smart environment (good living environment, natural resources reasonably used and preserved), smart urban management (e-government), good quality of life (all needs are met appropriately and conveniently), Thai listed.

Hanoi is developing five satellite urban areas that are components of its master plan with synchronous and modern infrastructure and will be a leverage for newly-developed urban areas to solve the problems of population growth and overload of infrastructure. 

Satellite cities are arranged in key areas connected to the main center, including Lang - Hoa Lac, Son Tay, Xuan Mai, Phu Xuyen - Phu Minh and Soc Son.

Besides, the plan embraces three ecological cities which are Phuc Tho, Quoc Oai, Chuc Son with the main functions of ecological cities - agriculture - training - traditional villages, and 10 towns with the main function of administrative centers, supporting production and providing public utilities for rural areas and green corridors. These are areas for Hanoi's construction and development to become a green city.

Smart residents

Thai stressed that Hanoi has implemented and approved 57/68 projects, fulfilling 83% of the approved projects. 

The urban development spaces are defined, the green spaces are shaped, the functional areas and specific functional areas are established to facilitate the mobilization of all socio-economic resources, domestic and foreign economic ones for investment and construction.

The completed projects help to change the urban landscape, provide utilities, and improve life quality of Hanoi’s residents. 

Besides, the spaces contribute to the economic development of the capital in particular and the country in general, Thai said.

In addition to Hanoi authorities’ efforts, in order to realize the goal of building Hanoi as a green and smart city, the participation of all strata of the people both at home and abroad is particularly important. 

Because every development plan is aimed at the highest purpose of taking people as the center for service, developing green and smart city, and bringing the best utilities to the people, Thai noted.

He emphasized that a smart city must also meet the criteria of "smart residents". Therefore, in the time ahead, in parallel with the process of deploying technology applications in the capital’s management and construction planning, the city will universalize programs of education, training, communication to all levels so that they can really understand, use and agree to join hands with the authorities, managers and policy makers to build Hanoi as a green and smart city in the near future.

Hanoitimes