Over 7 hectares of prime land located between Ba Dinh and Dong Da districts have been earmarked for the Dong Da Cultural, Sports, and Entertainment Park project since the early 2000s.
However, after more than 20 years, this prime real estate meant for a park has been swallowed up by residential and commercial developments. Neglected, thousands of square meters of land designated for the Dong Da Cultural Park have been encroached upon and illegally built upon.
Households living deep in the alleys of Thai Ha and Lang Ha streets, which fall within the area of the Dong Da Cultural Park project, have all been assigned official addresses.
With limited space, many families, consisting of up to three generations, live together in a single small house. As a result, they have no choice but to extend their kitchens and bathrooms outdoors in a makeshift manner.
“My family has lived here since 1991, when this area was a garbage dump and very few people resided here,” shared Ms. Phuong, a resident of alley 364 Thai Ha. “Later, we learned that the city had plans to develop the Dong Da Cultural Park. Yet, 20 years have passed without any progress. Personally, I just hope that the project will be implemented soon so that we can receive compensation and relocate to start a new life.”
Ms. Phuong’s family, like many others in the area, has become accustomed to living in dilapidated houses. In fact, they have had to use metal bars to reinforce their homes to prevent them from collapsing during strong winds.
The precarious shanties with makeshift extensions pose significant safety risks.
These cramped, extended homes are where many families reside.
Alleys barely wide enough for one car are a common sight in many parts of Thai Ha Street.
The tangled web of electrical wires poses a serious safety hazard, increasing the risk of fires and explosions.
Thus, despite more than 20 years of planning, the fate of this park project remains uncertain due to numerous unresolved issues. In a densely populated district like Dong Da, where land is scarce and community parks are few, the allocated land for a park remains undeveloped, leaving the residents without much-needed recreational spaces.
