Hanoi Party Secretary Vuong Dinh Hue and local officials view the planning. Photo: V. Thanh

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Construction Planning Institute Nguyen Duc Hung said that with the approved planning, Hanoi is determined not to build high-rise buildings in the inner area, and from now to 2030, the population of the four inner districts will fall by 215,000 people (from nearly 900,000 to 672,000 people).

Hung said that the plan to reduce by 215,000 the number of people in the four urban districts in the next 10 years is completely feasible and suitable with reality.

Specifically, 120,000 people will be relocated who are associated with site clearance projects for road construction and those who are related to illegal use of public land. Meanwhile, 100,000 people will be relocated when head offices of state agencies are moved from the inner area.

"In the past six years, the population of Hoan Kiem district has also decreased by 20,000 people," Hung said.

Hanoi Vice Chairman Duong Duc Tuan said that urban districts will develop in the direction of restricting the construction of high-rise buildings and not increasing the population.

According to the plan, construction works built in the old quarter are allowed to have 3-4 floors (12-16m high) while those built in the area around the Hoan Kiem lake and the surrounding area are not to be over 16m high. On the old streets, houses are allowed to have 4-6 floors (16-22m) and those built in the restricted areas may have 5-7 floors (20-25m).

Architectural-landscape structure will be organized with axes and ring road networks, with roads toward the center forming street blocks with the central core. High-rise buildings will be arranged along ring roads, radial roads and urban reconstruction areas to create highlights.

According to the plan, the old quarter is an urban area with historical and cultural value, where construction works with functions of commerce, services, and tourism combined with housing and public works will be built.

The area of Hoan Kiem lake and its vicinity is the scenic area of Hanoi, with the main function of being a cultural, administrative, commercial, service and tourist center, combined with housing.

The area of old streets is the old urban area with many works of historical, literary and architectural value, where historical, cultural, religious works, villas, houses and offices, commercial and financial service buildings are built.

The remaining areas are where the construction of high-rise building will be restricted.

Huong Quynh

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215,000 people, multiple agencies to be moved from Hanoi’s inner area

According to planning for Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Dong Da, Hai Ba Trung districts, the total population in Hoan Kiem district’s old quarter, the area around Hoan Kiem lake and surrounding areas needs to be reduced by over 215,000 people.