An aerial view of HCMC – PHOTO: VNA

According to the revised master planning report that the HCMC Department of Planning and Architecture has submitted to the municipal government, by 2040, the old inner districts would be home to 4.5-5 million people, while 2.2-2.9 million people would live in the newly developed inner districts. The outlying districts would have a population of 4.2-5.6 million people.

The newly established Thu Duc City is forecast to accommodate 1.9 million people, while the Can Gio Sea Tourism Urban Area is expected to be home to 230,000 people.

By 2040, the city would have 100,000-110,000 hectares of urban construction land, including 14,000 hectares in the old inner districts, 35,000 hectares in the newly developed inner districts and 50,000-60,000 hectares in the outlying districts.

HCMC will be developed into a high-density city with financial, commercial, service, education and training, healthcare, cultural and research centers. By 2060, HCMC is expected to become an innovative and creative city, a pioneer in the knowledge-driven economy and international trade of the country and a financial and service center of the Asia-Pacific region.

The HCMC Department of Planning and Architecture’s planning report covers an area of 2,095 square kilometers in HCMC and 28.7 square kilometers in the Can Gio Sea Tourism Urban Area.

The revised master planning is aimed at improving infrastructure connectivity between HCMC and the neighboring cities and provinces and developing Thu Duc City into an innovative city and a key driver of HCMC’s development.

After the planning adjustment report is adopted by the HCMC People’s Committee, it will be submitted to the Ministry of Construction for evaluation and then the prime minister for approval.