Unfinished dreams by the river
In 1994, the Red River riverside urban area project was chosen by Singaporean investors to be built on land outside the dike in the An Duong area. The total estimated investment capital was 240 billion VND. However, problems with water treatment caused the project to stop.
In 2006, Hanoi received help from Korea in planning the city on both sides of the Red River. At that time, Hanoi leaders and the Mayor of Seoul signed a planning cooperation agreement, with a total investment of more than 7.1 billion USD. However, after many seminars and expert opinions, in 2008, the project was suddenly stopped.
In 2011, Prime Minister's Decision 1259 identified the area on both sides of the Red River as the central landscape axis of the Capital. After that, Hanoi issued Decision No. 4770/QD-UBND in 2012 approving the task of planning at a scale of 1/5000 of the Red River Urban Subdivision. In 2013, the Capital Law 2013 mentioned creating landscape space on both sides of the Red River.
By 2015, Hanoi approved the Urban Planning Development Strategy on both banks of the Red River in Hanoi: The section from Thang Long bridge to Long Bien bridge funded by the Korean Government. A year later, Hanoi intended to re-plan the huge land along both banks of the Red River. Specifically, the Hanoi People's Committee requested relevant departments and branches, Tay Ho and Ba Dinh District People's Committees to perform assigned tasks related to the implementation of the Red River Town project (Song Hong City).
In 2017, the Hanoi People's Committee assigned the Department of Planning and Architecture to be the focal point to coordinate with the Hanoi Institute of Construction Planning and relevant departments, branches, and units to gather all relevant information to serve the research and development of planning projects on both banks of the Red River.
The Hanoi Department of Planning and Architecture announced in 2020 that the Red River Planning has also been signed a preliminary project, preparing complete documents to submit to the City People's Committee for consideration and signing to request opinions from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. After that, the Standing Committee of the Hanoi City Party Committee agreed on major orientations for the Red River Sub-area Planning.
The common point of all projects over more than two decades is that they all recognize the Red River as the central axis, with works facing the river, exploiting landscape and spatial values. However, the projects are all just on paper.
From planning on paper to moving towards reality
It will not be until the end of 2025 that the Project to Invest in the Construction of the Red River Landscape Avenue will be officially started.
According to the planning orientation, the project to invest in the construction of the Red River scenic avenue has a preliminary total investment of about 855 trillion VND, implemented in the form of public-private partnership (PPP). The project has a research scale of about 11,000ha, stretching from Hong Ha bridge to Me So bridge, belonging to the administrative boundaries of 19 communes and wards of Hanoi.
The investment scale includes a traffic avenue axis about 80km long; a system of landscape parks, entertainment with an area of about 3,300ha; and a land fund for site clearance of about 2,100ha to serve urban reconstruction and development. The investment project to build the Red River Landscape Avenue axis is divided into 4 independent component projects.
In which, Component Project 1 is the left bank landscape avenue of the Red River, implemented in 7 communes and wards including Me Linh, Thien Loc, Vinh Thanh, Dong Anh, Bo De, Long Bien and Bat Trang. The project includes the Ta Hong avenue with a scale of 4 - 10 lanes, about 35.78km long; the riverside landscape road about 29km long; a system of 4 landscape park clusters with a total area of about 2,250ha and a river embankment system on the left side of the Red River about 29km long.
Component project 2 is the axis of the scenic avenue on the right bank of the Red River, implemented along the Red River from Hong Ha bridge to Me So bridge, passing through the administrative boundaries of 9 communes and wards including O Dien, Thuong Cat, Dong Ngac, Phu Thuong, Hong Ha, Linh Nam, Thanh Tri, Nam Phu and Hong Van. The project includes the Huu Hong avenue with a scale of 8-10 lanes, about 44.82km long; the riverside scenic road about 19km long; a system of 4 riverside scenic park clusters with a total area of about 1,004ha and a riverside embankment system on the Huu Hong side about 30km long.
Component project 3 is the underground metro line on the right bank of the Red River, about 42km long, passing through 9 communes and wards. The establishment of the underground metro line aims to synchronously connect with the city's urban railway system, ensuring the development of modern and long-term transport infrastructure.
Component project 4 is the Resettlement Urban Area, implemented on the spot within the scope of the overall investment project in the form of high-rise apartment buildings.
When the avenue axis is completed, the dream of a riverside city will no longer just be an idea on paper but will be vividly present in every rhythm of life of the Capital.
Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Vu Dai Thang emphasized that the investment in the construction of the Red River Landscape Avenue is an objective and urgent requirement to rebuild the urban space along the river, complete infrastructure, and open up a more sustainable and modern development direction.
When completed, the Red River Landscape Avenue will not only be a traffic project but also form a modern cultural, ecological, and landscape space; ensure flood prevention and safety; contribute to urban reconstruction, improve the quality of life of people, create motivation for socio-economic development, and make important contributions to the 11% growth target in the 2026-2030 period" - Mr. Vu Dai Thang stated.
