“With the urbanization ratio of 42.6 percent as of September 2023, there is still much space for urban development,” said Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi at Vietnam’s Urban Sustainability Summit 2023 held in Hanoi last week.

On November 24, 2022, the Politburo issued Resolution 06 on urban sustainable planning, building, management and development.

As of September 2023, Vietnam had 902 urban areas, including two special cities, and 22 first-class and 35 second-class urban areas. 

The resolution pointed out problems in urban area development that need to be solved, which are the lower than expected urbanization ratio and the big gap between the rates of Vietnam and other countries in the region and the world.

Meanwhile, urbanization quality remains low, and urban development is extensive, which causes waste of land.

The structure and quality of urban infrastructure cannot meet requirements in population and economic development; and cannot adapt to climate change and respond to large-scale epidemics. 

The environmental pollution in large cities has increased, while access to public services and social welfare of poor and migrant workers remains low with many shortcomings.

Also, urban management and administration capability is weak, slow to recover.

Architect Truong Van Quang commented that the quality of city planning is not high, and  overdevelopment has occurred, but there is no financial tool, which has resulted in many problems. The hot development doesn’t serve housing needs, but rather, speculation of a small group of people in society.

The multi-sectoral coordination in the urban planning cannot be organized well, which explains the lack of integration, making it difficult to effectively intervene in sector development plans.

Nghi cited reports as saying that two thirds of the world’s population will live in cities in the future and urbanization is inevitable in Vietnam. Vietnam needs to prepare for effective urban development in the time to come.

Hong Khanh