What does urban planning have?
According to the draft report on Ho Chi Minh City 2021 – 2030, vision to 2050, compared to the top 25 cities in Asia, Ho Chi Minh City has a medium scale but low development level; competitiveness is ranked 15th out of 25, with the city’s greatest strength being assessed in the area of social connectivity (especially the HDI index). Two areas with average performance are technology and transportation infrastructure (especially reflected in the relatively good comparison in terms of the index of digital technology application and the average daily travel time of people).
In addition, the two weakest indexes are the economic index (average income per capita) and the international level (indicated by the presence of global corporations).
The role of Ho Chi Minh City in the national and international context (according to the draft report).
The report presents some recommendations for the Ho Chi Minh City plan, including the construction of the Law on special management and development of the city. The recommended contents for the Government’s direction include expediting the progress of investment and construction of the national and regional level infrastructure in the city; creating favorable conditions for Ho Chi Minh City to develop strategic investment projects; investing in the construction of innovation, research and development centers (R&D).
In the field of technology, the recommendations revolve around research investment and transfer support; investment in projects in the field of integrated circuit industry, design technology, component manufacturing, integrated circuits (IC), flexible electronics (PE), new technology chips, new materials, clean energy industry. The investment in the construction and development of a system of specialized centers: the economy, finance, trade, culture and sports, education, science and technology is also proposed in the draft.
Ho Chi Minh City is a special urban area
At the consultation workshop on the Ho Chi Minh City plan on February 28, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City is a unique urban area, an important gateway connecting the Southeast region as well as the Mekong Delta region and the world; the leading economic center of the country in terms of economy, culture, education, training, science and technology; the locomotive with great spreading power for the whole country.
The draft plan for Ho Chi Minh City has been organized for consultation.
Recently, the development of Ho Chi Minh City has faced many difficulties and challenges. The growth model and economic structure change slowly, the quality of growth and labor productivity contribute to the city’s growth lower than the national average. The proportion of industries in the economic structure is gradually decreasing; the structure is outdated and relies heavily on labor-deficient industries. The service sector mainly relies on commerce, transportation, high value-added industries such as finance, healthcare, education, and tourism have not played a leading role.
The organization of space development still has many shortcomings. Urban infrastructure is overloaded compared to the rapid development of the population, slow development of urban infrastructure, especially underground infrastructure, leading to the low living standards of urban residents.
Among them, the issues of traffic congestion , pollution, and flooding are increasingly increasing in the context of the negative impact of climate change. Urban planning and implementation are still limited, urban spatial structure is not suitable for large and mega cities in the future, not fully exploiting the potential and advantages of riverside and seaside urban areas.
“Other provinces and cities are ahead, Ho Chi Minh City is lagging. In the future, the advantage as an international gateway will surely decrease,” Minister Nguyen Chi Dung said.
To complete the planning dossier submitted to relevant authorities in accordance with regulations, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung proposed that Ho Chi Minh City continue to review and improve, including a more specific and clear evaluation of the causes of the existing limitations and constraints; from there, determine the role and mission of the city in the region, the whole country, the region, and the world; identify priorities for development and appropriate solutions; there must be breakthrough solutions to solve three problems: traffic congestion, pollution, and flooding.
Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai said that this planning, Ho Chi Minh City must identify all bottlenecks, limitations, exploit all potential, space, and new driving force. Ho Chi Minh City determines to play a major role in the economy, culture, society of the country, especially in the context of international integration and competition; determine its role and position in national development .
