HCM City’s suburban district of Nha Be. It is expected to become a full-fledged urban district by 2030. (Photo: VNA/VNS)

HCM City – Ho Chi Minh City plans to speed up urbanisation of the four outlying districts of Can Gio, Cu Chi, Hoc Mon and Binh Chanh, making them cities by 2030 like it did to the erstwhile Thu Duc district.

They will need to solicit investment to develop new urban areas, industrial parks, tourist areas, and commercial zones.

Can Gio with its mangrove eco-system and world biosphere reserve status will develop urban eco-tourism.

Cu Chi will develop smart eco-urban areas, riverside eco-tourism and high-tech centres while also continuing to sustain agriculture.

Hoc Mon will develop trade, services, hi-tech agriculture, eco-tourism, and logistics.

Duong Hong Thang, Chairman of the Hoc Mon People’s Committee, said the road infrastructure remains poor in the outlying district but it is soliciting investment in it.

Binh Chanh will focus on innovation and start-ups development.

On the other hand, the suburban district of Nha Be will become a full-fledged urban district with a focus on traffic infrastructure, digital government and digital economy.

Nha Be aims to increase its average income, improve healthcare and infrastructure, build new urban areas, and develop green tourism.

Prof Dr Vu Tan Hung, Deputy Director of the Institute of Social Sciences in the Southern Region, said the urbanisation of the suburban districts would help attract investment, enhance start-up and innovation activities, and attract high-quality human resources.

Dr Nguyen Ngoc Hieu of Viet Duc University said to develop into cities the suburban districts must focus on developing “green and sustainable” urban areas, and on careful management of lands along rivers, canals and other water bodies.

“Priority must be given to the development of waterways and roads.”

They also need to develop advanced public transport systems while preserving green buffer zones for high-tech agriculture, and address pressing issues such as flooding, pollution, land degradation, and saltwater intrusion.

The five districts have seen rapid urbanisation in recent years, with the creation of new urban areas, construction of expressways and improved lifestyles.

Experts have said urbanisation of suburban districts must meet environmental and ecological criteria.

Whether they live in suburban or urban areas, people are most concerned about what benefits them in terms of living standards.

They have also warned that the information about upgrading the five outlying districts would send land prices, which are already too high, through the roof.

Hoc Mon spreads over more than 109 square kilometres and has a population of nearly 463,000. The corresponding figures are 252sq.km and 711,000 for Binh Chanh, 100sq.km and 208,000 for Nhà Bè, 435sq.km and 468,000 for Cu Chi, and 704sq.km and 73,000 for Can Gio.

Early last year, Thu Duc city was established by merging districts 2, 9 and Thu Duc.