Speaking at the group discussion session at the fourth session of the 17th Hanoi City People's Council, term 2026-2031, on the afternoon of June 12, regarding the renovation of old apartment buildings, Chairman of Hanoi City People's Committee Vu Dai Thang said that the city is particularly interested in urban reconstruction and renovation and reconstruction of old apartment buildings.
Mr. Vu Dai Thang also pointed out a noteworthy new point: "Now with the regulations on reconstruction and new planning of the Capital, we have the right to organize the adjustment of residential land funds, land for old apartment buildings to convert to public land.
Taking the example of an old apartment building with dozens of buildings in Thanh Xuan ward, the Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee said that when rebuilding the area, it is not necessary to build on the entire existing area.
Instead, the majority of the area can be used to develop public works. The remaining area will be used for reconstruction, on-site resettlement for people and creating conditions for businesses participating in investment to still make profits.
In fact, renovating old apartment buildings is one of the most difficult tasks, not only for Hanoi but also for many localities across the country.
In Hanoi, there are currently hundreds of buildings built decades ago that have seriously deteriorated, posing a potential safety risk. People want to live in new, more spacious apartments, while the government also sets a goal to renovate the urban face.
However, reality shows that the renovation progress is still very slow. One of the important reasons is that the issue of benefits between the parties has not found a suitable solution.
For businesses to participate, the project must be economically efficient. To be economically efficient, many places consider increasing floor height, increasing floor area or increasing the number of commercial apartments. But that means increasing population in areas that are already overloaded with infrastructure.
The figures given by representatives of the Hanoi Institute of Construction Planning at the City People's Council meeting show that the pressure is not small. While the standard is about 12,000 people/km2, many inner-city areas currently have population densities two, even three times higher than this level.
If the renovation mindset is not changed, it is very likely that old apartment buildings after being replaced will still face old problems such as lack of schools, lack of parking lots, lack of green space, traffic congestion and social infrastructure overload.
The idea of adjusting the land fund, allocating a significant part to public works, green trees, community living spaces and utilities serving people instead of maximizing each square meter of land to build houses is a suitable approach to the trend of modern urban development in the world.
In fact, many old residential areas of Hanoi today lack such spaces. Children do not have playgrounds, the elderly lack community activity places, residents lack green spaces to rest and relax. These are the gaps that the reconstruction process needs to fill.
Of course, realizing this goal is not simple. When the housing construction area decreases, investors' profits are also affected. The city will have to study mechanisms that are attractive enough for businesses to participate, while ensuring the resettlement rights of people.
Renovating old apartment buildings is not only replacing old buildings with new buildings but also creating better living spaces with full public works, green trees, schools, parking lots and synchronous infrastructure to improve the quality of life of people.
That is also the long-term value that the urban reconstruction process across the country needs to aim for, not just Hanoi.
