Increasing infrastructure pressure
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the city currently has 22 prolonged congestion points. With more than 1 million cars, over 11 million motorbikes and a large number of vehicles from neighboring localities, the pressure on traffic infrastructure is increasing. Meanwhile, land for transportation has only reached about 15% of urban area, lower than the target by 20-25%.
Ho Chi Minh City has identified many strategic development corridors such as beltways, expressways, metro, regional railways, seaports, airports, logistics and digital infrastructure. However, the implementation progress is still slow, making the development poles not yet effective in connecting. According to experts, congestion is not only due to infrastructure overload but also reflects the imbalance between population, employment and public transport.
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City currently has 159 points that are frequently flooded, including 76 points in the old Ho Chi Minh City area, 52 points in the old Binh Duong and 31 points in the old Ba Ria - Vung Tau.
The Department of Construction said that climate change, extreme rain, sea level rise and high tides regularly exceeding 1.8m at Phu An and Nha Be stations are reducing the ability of natural drainage. Along with that, the soil foundation of Ho Chi Minh City is subsided on average about 2cm/year, many places subside from 2 - 5cm/year, even 7 - 8cm/year. The rapid urbanization process and prolonged groundwater exploitation continue to increase the risk of flooding in the city.
Towards highlands for a hundred-year vision
Dr. Sc., Architect Ngo Viet Nam Son said that the 100-year vision of Ho Chi Minh City planning must focus on solving the two biggest challenges: traffic jams and flooding.
According to him, Ho Chi Minh City has been oriented to develop according to the multi-center urban model before the merger. After the merger, this structure continues to expand in a multi-polar direction with new growth drivers being Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau. The development of peripheral areas is considered a vital factor, because if the population density in the center continues to increase, it will exacerbate congestion, pollution and flooding.
Mr. Son said that Ho Chi Minh City needs to expand its development space in many directions, but it must be suitable for the natural conditions of each area. Low-lying areas should prioritize green space and water surface, while high-density urban areas need to be located in high-lying areas.
According to Mr. Son, the inner city area of Ho Chi Minh City currently only has an elevation of about 0.5 - 2m above sea level, posing many long-term risks. Conversely, the Northwest area of Ho Chi Minh City and old Binh Duong have an average elevation of over 10m, favorable for sustainable urban development. "100-year vision is not to design a city for 100 years later, but to leave enough room for future generations to continue to develop" - Mr. Son emphasized.
Mr. Ngo Viet Nam Son proposed focusing on investing in transportation infrastructure and social infrastructure in the Northwest of Ho Chi Minh City. If it attracts about 5 million people and many businesses to move here, the city will reduce pressure on the inner city, and at the same time form a new growth pole that is less affected by flooding and traffic congestion.
Meanwhile, architect Khuong Van Muoi - former Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Architects - analyzed that Ho Chi Minh City is facing the general development rule of megacities as the population increases rapidly, leading to pressure on transport infrastructure and quality of life. According to Mr. Muoi, a large mass public transport network, especially the metro, will play a central role in the urban reconstruction process. The goal of completing about 200km of metro by 2030 and continuing to expand to 2050 will create a foundation for the development of TOD urban areas around the station.
Mr. Muoi proposed building a metro connection network using buses, BRT and shared vehicles to expand the service scope. At the same time, TOD areas at suburban stations and depots need to prioritize the development of social housing, resettlement housing and essential services, thereby contributing to population reduction from the central area and creating resources for reinvestment in the public transport system.
