Director of the Department of Construction: The proportion of high-rise buildings in Vinh City is still low.

(Baonghean.vn) - The Director of the Department of Construction believes that the current state of high-rise apartment building development in Vinh City is not as alarming as in other major cities, and that the actual proportion of high-rise buildings in our city is still low.

Director of the Department of Construction, Hoang Trong Kim, explains the relevant issues during the discussion session in the assembly hall on the morning of July 12. Photo: Duc Anh.

In explaining the opinions of voters at the 4th session of the 17th Provincial People's Council, Mr. Hoang Trong Kim - Director of the Department of Construction - said that high-rise apartment buildings planned in the old inner city of Vinh and the expanded development areas are organized according to two methods.

Firstly, high-rise apartment buildings located within housing development projects oriented towards urban areas or new residential zones, according to the Department of Construction's summary and statistics, have well-planned layouts, beautiful and modern architecture, are consistent with urban spatial development orientations, and meet technical infrastructure requirements.

The Kim Thi high-rise apartment complex, social housing, and kindergarten project in Quan Bau ward, Vinh City. (Photo: Archival image)

"Secondly, regarding the high-rise apartment buildings constructed independently and not as a complete housing development project according to current regulations, but interspersed within the inner-city residential areas of Vinh City, the Department has compiled and assessed the basic plans and found them to meet the standards and regulations on construction planning, building density, internal road construction area, parking lots, etc., but only at a minimum level; the connection of surrounding infrastructure with the main urban infrastructure and adjacent areas is not yet fully complete," Mr. Kim stated.

“Before the session, we drove along major roads such as Nguyen Trai, Quang Trung, Tran Phu, Phan Dinh Phung, Le Duan, Le Mao,… On these very long roads, there are currently only a few scattered buildings, not a high density of construction. We agree with voters' concerns about the risks similar to those in large cities, however, the reality in Vinh is not yet like that of large cities such as Hanoi… in fact, the proportion of high-rise buildings in our area is still low,” the head of the Department of Construction affirmed.

Mr. Hoang Trong Kim also believes that developing high-rise apartment buildings is an inevitable trend given the increasing population and housing demand. "The issue is how to organize it to avoid negative consequences. If we say that high-rise apartment buildings shouldn't be developed, then there won't be any space to meet that high demand," he emphasized.

During the plenary session on the morning of July 12th, at the 4th session of the Provincial People's Council, delegate Ngo Thi Thu Hien, representing Vinh City, argued that in recent years, the construction of numerous mini-apartment complexes in the city center has caused many negative consequences: increasing population density, traffic congestion during peak hours; complex security and order issues, and difficulties in managing population and household registration, etc. Furthermore, the technical infrastructure of apartment complexes is not synchronized and lacks sufficient attention to connecting with the surrounding area's infrastructure, often leading to flooding during the rainy season and detracting from urban aesthetics. Some apartment complexes meet the criteria for establishing a block but lack community centers, and the access roads and parking areas are cramped, failing to meet future needs. The construction quality of some apartment buildings and technical infrastructure is not inspected, managed, or supervised, leading to rapid deterioration and causing frustration for apartment buyers. For example, in the Kim Thi apartment complex (Quan Bau), Representative Hien stated that 215 households have moved in nearly a year ago, but there is still no community center, no shady trees, no recreational area, and the parking lot is very cramped…

Responding to the opinion of delegate Ngo Thi Thu Hien that some apartment complexes lack common community spaces and cultural centers, the Director of the Department of Construction explained: All apartment complexes, as new urban areas and housing complexes, have allocated space for cultural centers and common living spaces; depending on the scale, some projects have this as an independent component, while others choose to incorporate space within high-rise buildings on lower floors, connected to outdoor spaces, to address this issue.

In addition, Mr. Hoang Trong Kim also affirmed that all projects ensure a green space density of 10-12% of the project area; the green space is structured into two forms: flower gardens and parks; and green space on the sidewalks of the streets. “Therefore, based on calculations, if we include the green space in the traffic area, we meet and exceed the standards. Although, intuitively, the urban area is being developed first, the trees are newly planted or not yet planted, so they are still small and lack shade, but according to the development timeline, Vinh City will be an urban area with a good vertical projection of tree shade on the ground, meaning a good amount of green space,” he stated.

Regarding the Kim Thi Apartment project (Quan Bau ward), the head of the Department of Construction stated that the project's planning did not reduce common living spaces as some media outlets have reported. Mr. Kim explained: "Through two adjustments, the project's planning has been expanded, with an additional 1269.69 m² of green space."²compared to the original plan. For the terraced house area, the area is 1342.98 m².²The plan initially included 11 residential plots, but the developer has now requested permission to build a kindergarten instead of terraced houses, to serve the local community and surrounding areas. We see this as a good initiative, especially given the trend of many developers wanting to subdivide and sell plots for profit. However, some residents disagree, believing that having residents from neighboring areas send their children to the kindergarten would cause disorder. I believe this is a narrow-minded and parochial way of thinking.”

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the session, delegate Ngo Thi Thu Hien commented: "According to the explanation from the Department of Construction, compared to other provinces, Nghe An has made efforts, but if there were a better future development plan, the urban landscape of Vinh would change significantly, taking on a more civilized appearance."

Representative Hien argued that it is necessary to strengthen integrated social security infrastructure projects, combined with a gradual relocation of residents to suburban areas with already developed technical infrastructure, ensuring that residents' essential needs are fully met so that people are "ready to move to the suburbs."

Reporters' Team