According to Architect Vu Quang Hung, the central area of Da Nang (old) has long been planned and built in the direction of a compact urban area. However, after the merger, the administrative boundaries were expanded and the space was many times larger, so it is necessary to change the planning direction, building a multi-layered green urban area.
Mr. Hung said that currently, in the center of Da Nang, there are 392 large public land plots, with a total area of over 3.4 million m2, that have not been auctioned. This is a very significant resource, but if we only look at the value of short-term budget revenue, it will be easy to lose the opportunity to create a worthy center in the new period after the merger.
The "compressed urban" model once helped Da Nang develop rapidly, but now has revealed its limitations: Overloaded infrastructure, lack of public space, serious static traffic, and declining quality of life. Meanwhile, the new orientation of the city is multi-center, developing urban clusters to the south, directly connecting with Hoi An, Thang Binh, Tam Ky. Therefore, the old center needs to be repositioned, becoming a green heart - heritage - high-end services instead of continuing to suppress administrative and commercial functions.
International experience shows: New York has turned Central Park into a "land value increase machine"; Seoul revives Cheonggyecheon stream from a concrete expressway; Singapore is covered with green from the roof to the street; Barcelona is "superblock" to return the road to pedestrians; Paris develops La Defense, keeping the old center of heritage. The common point is: greening - dispersing functions - exploiting multi-layered.
Da Nang can apply the model of "upper park - commercial park, below parking lot" for many public land plots. The ground floor is a park, square, public space; the ground floor is arranged with parking lots, commercial services, and even community space. Enterprises invest in underground areas and exploit them for a limited period of time; The State manages the above park. Thanks to that, the city has breathing space for residents, solving the static traffic shortage, and having resources to maintain the landscape. The short-term target is 6m2 of trees/person, towards 10m2/person. When each public land contributes a part of the green area, combined with riverside - coastal parks and "pocket parks" in residential areas, the center of Da Nang will truly reborn. Green space does not reduce land value, but on the contrary, it will enhance the value of the remaining land plots, while strengthening the city's international image.
This is a suggestive proposal for studying Da Nang's general planning in the new period, instead of only considering public land as a source of short-term revenue, the city needs to orient the use of this land fund to improve the quality of life, form multi-layered green space and create sustainable development momentum. The old center should become a green urban area - heritage - high-end services, while the new urban clusters to the South take on the role of growth driver. This approach not only brings breathing space to the people but also helps the State manage effectively, businesses have investment opportunities, and Da Nang is elevated to international status.
