Statistics from the Ministry of Construction show that thanks to the contribution of urban areas, the size of Vietnam's economy in 2023 will reach 430 billion USD. The average income in urban areas is nearly 1.5 times that of rural areas.
However, the current urban development process still has many limitations such as widespread urbanization, low urban density, low quality of urban infrastructure, environmental pollution, urban flooding, lack of housing, green space... The increase in urban land and expansion of urban administrative boundaries in recent times will continue to create challenges in improving and upgrading the quality of urban infrastructure in the coming time.
At the Forum "Sustainable Urban Development in Vietnam 2024" held on November 8, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Viet Hung shared: "The comprehensive orientation for planning, construction and management of urban development in Vietnam to 2030 and vision to 2045 in Resolution No. 06-NQ/TW needs to be strongly implemented.
The six tasks that have been identified are the guiding principles for Vietnam's urban development in the coming period, from perfecting institutions and policies to developing a synchronous, modern, climate change-adaptive urban infrastructure system, improving management efficiency, and developing the urban economy.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Viet Hung said that perfecting policies and institutions related to urban development management is an urgent task that requires the active participation of all parties, from the central to local levels, the business community, experts, urban residents and international friends. In particular, it is necessary to shape a unified and effective legal corridor to help urbanization take place healthily, competitively and sustainably.
Ms. Laura Petrella - Head of Planning, Finance and Economics (United Nations Human Settlements Program UN-Habitat) - assessed that to move towards sustainable urbanization and ensure future urban development, Vietnam needs to strengthen urban institutions and policies. Address issues such as affordable housing, climate change, urban reconstruction, public transport development and infrastructure development, and public spaces.
"Vietnam also needs to promote integrated urban planning with a participatory approach involving all stakeholders, creating a governance model with decentralization and empowerment of local authorities. Applying new and innovative tools for urban planning, development and management" - Ms. Laura Petrella commented.
