The urban subdivision planning in Hanoi’s historic inner-city area including Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Dong Da and Hai Ba Trung districts, determined to reduce about 215,000 population in the period 2020-2030, to only 672,000 people. However, how to deploy the plan to suit reality as well as avoid taking advantage of the plan for self-seeking is a big question.

Map of the subdivision planning in 4 historic inner districts has just been
approved by the People's Committee of Hanoi. Photo: X. Thao

Gradually reduce the area’s population

In general, six historic urban subdivision planning projects have a research scale of over 2,700 hectares with the main requirement of population control, down from 887,000 people (in 2009) to 672,000 people. At the same time, improve social and technical infrastructure.

In terms of its main nature and function, the old quarter is an old urban area with historical and cultural value. The main functions are commerce, services and tourism combined with housing and public works serving the residential community.

The old quarter is an urban area with many works of historical, cultural and architectural value. The main functions are historical, cultural, religious, villas, houses, offices, commercial services, finance, cultural, medical and other public functions.

Regarding the architectural organization, the landscape and structure of the historic inner-city area is organized according to the ring road network, radial, forming the city squares with a central core. Urban space is established mainly with low-rise buildings. High-rise buildings are arranged along the ring roads, radial roads and urban reconstruction areas to create a number of high-rise sections on the routes in accordance with the regulations on the management of the issued planning - architecture of high floors.

According to Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Planning and Architecture Nguyen Trong Ky Anh, the main function of the subdivision planning of the four inner districts is their historical and cultural value. In which, the main function is trade, services and tourism combined with housing and public works serving the residential community.

As for the area of ​​Hoan Kiem Lake and its vicinity, it is determined to be a scenic area of ​​Hanoi. It functions mainly as a cultural, administrative, commercial, service, tourism center combining history - culture, religion and beliefs. For functional old neighborhoods, historical - cultural relics, religious beliefs, villas, houses, offices, commercial services and finance.

“Regarding architectural space, landscape and urban design, the point of view in planning is conservation and development; in which, there are a number of specific areas, the design of landscape architecture, specific designs such as the old town area, Hoan Kiem Lake and the surrounding area. With the old quarter, houses are allowed to be from 4 to 6 floors (16-22m). For the limited development areas, houses can be 5 to 7 floors (20-25m) high. Notably, according to the planning subdivision in four districts, it is determined to reduce about 215,000 people in the 2020-2030 period, to just 672,000 people,” added Nguyen Trong Ky Anh.

Thus, in the next 10 years, Hanoi will reduce its population by about 215,000 people in four urban districts.

According to Director of the Institute of Construction Planning of Hanoi Luu Quang Huy, in addition to the solution of migrating outside the historic inner-city area, when implementing site clearance projects to pave the way, invest in developing public projects, social infrastructure of the city and locality, it is necessary to implement solutions to stretch the population mechanically. Specifically, synchronous implementation of the policy of relocating universities, hospitals, ministry offices, branches out of the historic inner-city area.

As for the solution of moving people from the historic inner-city area, the view of the city is from 2020-2030 when Hanoi is gradually implementing projects: migration, site clearance to pave roads as planned; urban reconstruction; relocation of industrial establishments, universities, hospitals, and head offices of ministries; to develop urban railway in the inner capital area.

Development of urban chains in the North of Red River, East of Ring Road 4 and satellite towns. In the short term, it is necessary to implement a roadmap to reduce population in the region according to the orientation of the Capital Construction Master Plan.

In the long term, when the city implements the above projects, the population will gradually move out; at that time, it is necessary to control the population size in the areas according to the approved planning.

Need consent from people

Assessing the "bottlenecks" in the implementation of the plan, talking to reporters of Customs News, Dr. Dao Ngoc Nghiem, Vice Chairman of Vietnam Association of Urban Planning and Development, said that the issues in implementation are site clearance, funding sources and planning.

Therefore, the relocation of people from inner-city areas is a problem. To effectively deploy the relocation of people from the four inner-city districts according to the historic inner-city subdivision planning project, consensus from the people and efforts of all levels of government is required.

Analyzing more clearly about the difficulties in moving people out of the four urban districts as planned, according to the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Urban Planning and Development, the policy of relocating offices of ministries and sectors, moving out of the historic inner-city area to a new location farther from the residential area has been in place for a long time but has not been implemented due to many reasons.

In particular, the relocation of the headquarters must be accompanied by the adjustment of the moving of employees. In many countries around the world, when moving ministries and offices to suburbs, it is necessary to arrange new urban areas nearby, as well as housing areas for officials and employees. With this planning project, Hanoi has also considered the construction of new headquarters near urban areas, but favorable policy mechanisms for people to relocate according to their workplace are also the needed issues to be considered.

“As for people, in new areas, in order to attract resettled people, the city needs to ensure technical infrastructure, create conditions and move towards a high quality of life. Especially, there must be convenient link between the traffic system and the inner city; cultural, traditional architecture for resettled people. This will help people to move out of the inner city, but they still have close connections with this area,” Dr. Dao Ngoc Nghiem, Vice Chairman of Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, suggested.