After inheriting the overall strategy according to Decision No.1259/QD-TTg issued in July 2011, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh authorised the revision of the general plan for Hanoi until 2045, with a vision to 2065, on June 16.

The planning adjustment encompasses the complete administrative boundary of Hanoi, which consists of 12 urban districts, 17 rural districts, and one municipality, with has a total area of 3,359.84 square kilometres. Hanoi, according to Decision 1259, would become a "globally connected city that strives to develop on par with the regional capitals of developed nations."

The revised master plan seeks to transform the nation's capital into a civilised and modern metropolis that will serve as a catalyst for the development of the important northern economic Red River Delta region, and the entire nation.

In the modified Hanoi plan, the government now intends to establish satellite communities with the Red River region as a "green axis" and focal point, while establishing model cities in the north, such as Dong Anh, Me Linh, and Soc Son, and the West, with Hoa Lac and Xian Mai. The construction of a smart city on the foundation of regional growth on both sides of the Vo Nguyen Giap road between Nhat Tan and Noi Bai is also planned.

To achieve these objectives, the PM has demanded that Hanoi strictly oversee the growth of high-rise buildings in the central area, and give priority to the growth of small towns and semi-urban areas to promote rural development via urban-rural linkages.

Decision 1259 authorised a master plan for the construction of Hanoi's capital through 2030, with a vision to 2050. After thirteen years of execution, the city has fallen behind in its objectives, with the city's population being cited as a factor.

The 2011 population projection for the city in 2020 was between 7.3 and 7.9 million. However, by the middle of 2019, Hanoi's population had exceeded 8 million. The population density of the central area stands at 9,570 inhabitants per square kilometre, nearly double the forecast and far beyond the previous plan's estimates.