Renovation of Old Apartments in Hanoi: Overcoming Planning Hurdles to Get Back on Track

At a recent meeting on the implementation of the Project and the Plans for the renovation and reconstruction of old apartment buildings in Hanoi, Mr. Mac Dinh Minh, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Construction, stated that the progress of the renovation and reconstruction of old apartment buildings in the city has been very slow and has not met the deadlines set out in the Project and related Plans.

The delay is attributed to challenges in urban planning. Specifically, according to the Master Plan for Hanoi’s Construction and the Urban Planning for the area, some existing apartment buildings do not conform to the new plans. Many locations of old apartment buildings are designated as green spaces or parks in the new plans, with low architectural standards of 1-5 floors, while the current population density exceeds the planned density.

These restrictions on building height and population density make it difficult to ensure the efficiency of investment and discourage the participation of investors in the renovation and reconstruction of old apartment buildings.

In addition, ongoing projects are progressing slowly due to disagreements between investors and residents over compensation, support, temporary accommodation, and resettlement. Residents are demanding excessively high compensation, making it challenging for investors to balance financial efficiency. Furthermore, the lack of legal documents related to the ownership of the properties makes it difficult to determine the specific area belonging to state ownership in the projects.

At the meeting, the Hanoi Department of Construction proposed that the People’s Committees of the districts and counties (where the old apartment buildings are located) focus on completing the detailed planning work as directed by the City’s People’s Committee. They also suggested providing guidance to the district-level People’s Committees on consistently determining the scope and boundaries of the projects for renovating and rebuilding old apartment buildings, following the principle of including the entire area, specifically the three collective housing areas: Giang Vo, Khuong Thuong, and Trung Tu.

Mr. Duong Duc Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee and Vice Head of the Steering Committee for Old Apartment Building Renovation in Hanoi, instructed the Department of Construction to prepare a comprehensive report evaluating the existing challenges and identifying the districts and counties where such challenges persist. The report should also propose measures to address these issues and improve the delegation process, to be submitted to the City’s People’s Committee.

Emphasizing the importance of this task, Mr. Duong Duc Tuan stated, “Accelerating the renovation of old apartment buildings and constructing resettlement housing is a priority for Hanoi, with the core goal of improving the living conditions and well-being of our residents.”

Mr. Duong Duc Tuan also instructed the Department of Planning and Architecture to develop effective coordination methods with the districts and counties (where the old apartment buildings are located) to provide guidance on urban planning. He set a deadline of the first quarter of 2025 for the completion of the first phase of this process.