One of the noteworthy presentations is by Architect Vu Quang Hung, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, Head of the Management Board of Da Nang High-Tech Park and Industrial Parks. Mr. Hung raised the question: "The most important question is not how big Da Nang will grow, but how Da Nang will grow, by what driving force and controlled by what development limits...".
With this approach, Architect Vu Quang Hung believes that Da Nang needs to be seen no longer as a single-centered city, but as a chain of multi-center cities. Da Nang is not only developing according to the ground, but also according to layers of ecological space, infrastructure, economy, data and governance.
It is necessary to clarify the core issues: the special urban position of Da Nang in the future; the dominant spatial structure; the distinct role of the Free Trade Zone; energy planning for strategic industries; compact urban development discipline associated with TOD; the need for sea encroachment; and urban capacity in relation to ecology, water, forests, sea, heritage and social infrastructure.
The General Planning Project of Da Nang City to 2050, with a vision to 2075, is a project of special significance, because this is not only a plan for a city after land boundary adjustment, but also a plan for a new development model of Da Nang in the coming decades" - Architect Vu Quang Hung assessed.
Da Nang must maintain the title of "livable city
Building Da Nang into a special urban area in the future needs to be more clearly defined as a strategic goal in the city planning project. After expanding the development space through mergers, towards becoming a new driving force center of the Central region and the whole country.
With an area of nearly 11,860 km2, a population of more than 3.06 million people and a strategic infrastructure system including two international airports, many seaports, a free trade area of 1,881 ha, a high-tech zone, a Chu Lai open economic zone and a Hoi An - My Son - Cu Lao Cham heritage system, Da Nang has formed a new development foundation of scale and stature.
In addition, Da Nang also owns a large ecological space in the West with a system of forests, mountains, borders and important river basins; and also has a coastal urban, industrial and service strip in the East. These strategic components create a distinct advantage, opening up opportunities for Da Nang to develop according to a modern, multi-functional and internationally competitive urban model.
However, moving towards a special urban area should not be simply understood as expanding the population size or construction area. According to forecasts, by 2050, Da Nang's population may reach about 6 million people, with a capacity of up to 8 million people. This is a very large scale but not the only measure of a special urban area. If only chasing population growth and expanding urban space, the city is at risk of spreading out, increasing infrastructure pressure, reducing identity and losing the values that make up the "livable city" brand.
Therefore, Da Nang's special urban area needs to be positioned according to more distinct criteria. That is special in terms of regional linkage role, especially in terms of quality of life, especially in terms of international competitiveness, especially in terms of smart governance, ecological development and cultural identity preservation. This is the direction suitable for Da Nang's position in the national urban system and in the regional urban network.
Da Nang needs to pursue a balanced and sustainable development model: growth but not trading off the natural environment; industrialization but not in contrast to heritage preservation; urbanization but not disappearing rural values; international integration but still maintaining the cultural identity of the Central region. This will be the foundation for Da Nang to build the image of a special city with its own identity, instead of just becoming a large city in scale.
Clearly positioning the characteristics of each region for planning and development
To realize this goal, the spatial development structure also needs to be more clearly defined. An appropriate approach is to organize the city according to three dynamic spaces including North - Connecting Center - South, based on the ecological foundation of the West and the sea frontage of the East.
In which, the Northern space with the expanded existing Da Nang area will be a technology, financial, logistics and innovation pole. This is where Lien Chieu port, Da Nang International Airport, High-Tech Park, industrial parks, international financial centers and locations belonging to the Free Trade Zone are concentrated.
The Southern space, including Chu Lai, Tam Ky, Nui Thanh and surrounding areas, is positioned as an industrial, logistics, aviation, seaport and urban service polar. This area has great advantages in terms of land fund, infrastructure and existing industrial platforms to develop large-scale production and logistics complexes.
In the middle is the Connecting Center space including Hoi An, My Son, Nam Hoi An, Duy Xuyen, Thang Binh, Que Son and related areas. This is not only a connecting point between the North and South but also a convergence of heritage, cultural, tourism, trade, education and creativity values. This area needs to be developed in the direction of service - heritage - experience, with strictly controlled construction density to protect landscapes and natural ecosystems.
The western region must be identified as the strategic ecosystem of the entire city. The headwater forest system, rivers, reservoirs, midland and mountainous areas and ethnic minority cultural spaces need to be preserved and rationally exploited to develop forest economy, high-tech agriculture, pharmaceuticals, ecotourism and green economic models.
