Hanoi Plans 11,000-Hectare Red River Landscape Axis with Over $17 Billion Investment

In November 2025, the Hanoi Department of Construction will seek input from various ministries before submitting the Red River Scenic Boulevard planning project to the Prime Minister for review.

According to Mr. Phan Trường Thành, Head of the Finance and Investment Division at the Hanoi Department of Construction, the Red River Scenic Boulevard is one of the five strategic axes explicitly outlined in the Capital’s Master Plan.

The project covers an area of approximately 11,000 hectares, stretching over 40 kilometers along the Red River, passing through 16 wards and communes within the Ring Road 4 area. It will impact 40,000 residents and is estimated to require over 400 trillion VND in investment.

Additionally, the initial planning blueprint, which includes about 8 landscape parks and 12 thematic parks totaling over 3,000 hectares along the boulevard, has been largely finalized by Hanoi authorities.

As directed by the Hanoi People’s Committee, the project will be divided into three components. Component 1 focuses on land clearance; Component 2 involves the Red River Scenic Boulevard itself; and Component 3 includes the construction of two monorail lines running along both riverbanks, each approximately 40 kilometers long, connecting with existing and future metro lines.

With its multi-layered, multi-functional design, the project aims to harmonize urban development with nature. The riverside space will be organized into three tiers: the upper tier for urban structures, housing, and service centers; the middle tier for parks, plazas, walkways, and semi-flooded areas; and the lower tier for waterlogged ecological parks, serving as the city’s “green lungs” to regulate the climate.

The transportation system will be comprehensively planned, including roads, urban railways, waterways, and bridges connecting both riverbanks.

The project will play a crucial role in achieving four major goals for Hanoi: alleviating traffic congestion, reducing environmental pollution, enhancing urban aesthetics, and addressing inner-city flooding. Upon completion, it will also connect all bridges crossing the Red River.

With over 3,000 hectares of parks, the project will create a vast green space, helping to reduce air and water pollution.

The project will also explore the construction of new bridges or river-crossing tunnels, depending on planning locations, to enhance connectivity and reduce inner-city traffic congestion.

On October 24, the Hanoi People’s Committee established a task force to oversee planning, architecture, and research for the Red River Scenic Boulevard project. The task force is responsible for reviewing and assessing the current situation, developing plans, proposing investment policies and component projects, and resolving land-related issues, including clearance and resettlement.

According to the plan, the Hanoi People’s Committee aims to commence the Red River Scenic Boulevard project in early 2026 and complete it before 2030.

If implemented as scheduled, the Red River Scenic Boulevard will not only transform the urban landscape of the eastern and southern parts of the city but also create new development spaces, connecting Hanoi with the northern delta provinces. The project is expected to become a massive “green lung” and a vital transportation, scenic, and economic axis for the capital.