Urban planning in Hanoi has always been a priority and is recognized as the foundation for progress, especially the latest major plans reflecting a new approach and growth in the next phase.

 Hanoi from above. Photos: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times

Focusing on three major tasks

Building on the lessons of the past and adapting to new challenges, Hanoi took decisive and flexible steps to realize three key breakthroughs: the amended Capital Law, the Capital Planning for 2021–2030 with a vision to 2050, and the Adjustment of the General Planning for the Capital until 2045 with a vision to 2065.

These strategic plans set the institutional and policy framework for Hanoi’s development, paving the way for a bold transformation as the city steps into a new era.

Since 1954, Hanoi has undergone seven major urban planning revisions, each tailored to Vietnam’s socio-economic development goals. The latest plans preserve the essence of previous ones while incorporating a forward-thinking vision that embraces new opportunities and values. These efforts aim to shape Hanoi into a city that is culturally rich, modern, and sustainable.

With approval from the prime minister, Hanoi’s new planning frameworks will serve as a critical foundation for government agencies to develop policies, action plans, and investment projects that drive economic and social progress. Recognizing the innovative aspects of these plans will be key to ensuring their successful implementation.

Three breakthroughs

The first is the development perspective of the capital, with a high level of consensus on the consciousness to create a fundamental advance in mobilizing comprehensive strength. The plan identifies culture and people as foundational goals, driving forces, and particularly important resources in the overall development perspective. For many years, in Hanoi, culture and people have always been identified as special resources with immense potential. 

The Capital Plan identifies five key tasks, including environmental landscape protection, urban and rural development, economic development, cultural-social development, and scientific-technological development with innovation. These five groups of tasks integrate sectors and fields, inherit from previous plans, and incorporate new content from relevant legal documents, especially the Capital Law and Resolution 15/NQ-TW. At the same time, the National Assembly also specified four breakthrough areas: governance institutions, modern and synchronized infrastructure connectivity, high-quality human resource development, and urban environmental landscapes. A key point of focus is the comprehensive, synchronized, unified, and feasible institutional improvement with special mechanisms.

 Hoa Binh Park in Bac Tu Liem District, Hanoi.

Notably, a new model for organizing cities under the jurisdiction of the capital poses significant challenges in terms of mindset, vision, and institutional frameworks, requiring a strong focus on multi-sectoral coordination and mobilization of comprehensive social resources.

Moving into 2025, the Capital Plan and the Adjustment of Master Plan for the Capital have been approved. Moreover, the Capital Law 2024 has come into effect, serving as a breakthrough and a driving force for Hanoi to enter a new era.