Do not continue to develop high-rise apartments in the central area!

1.The above solution of the Prime Minister was stated by the Government Office in Official Dispatch No. 3585/VPCP-CN dated April 18, 2018 on 10 years of implementing Resolution No. 16/2008/NQ-CP.

At Vinh Market intersection (Vinh City), a series of high-rise apartment buildings have been licensed for construction with high construction density; narrow space, lacking essential auxiliary works. Photo by Nhat Lan.

In Resolution No. 16, the Government proposed four sets of solutions. These are: Planning urban traffic infrastructure; Planning and implementing the relocation of headquarters of state administrative agencies, universities, colleges, vocational schools, and large hospitals out of the central area; Disseminating laws, organizing campaigns to build a "traffic culture" and "urban civilization", and strengthening enforcement of laws on traffic safety and urban order.

Up to now, Resolution No. 16 has been implemented for 10 years. However, traffic congestion in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is still a very painful problem. Therefore, the Prime Minister has directed the Ministry of Transport to coordinate with relevant ministries, branches, and the People's Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to develop a new Resolution to replace Resolution No. 16 to suit the practical situation.

In Official Dispatch No. 3585/VPCP-CN, the Prime Minister commented: “…note solutions to not continue to develop high-rise apartment buildings in the central area; develop satellite urban areas to coordinate and rearrange the population and labor force, reduce the burden on cities in terms of employment pressure, housing, social security, traffic safety and order, reduce traffic congestion…”.

2.Vinh City was identified by the Government as the political - cultural - economic center of the North Central region, and was recognized as a type I urban area in 2008. After 10 years, Vinh City has made progress in socio-economic development.

As a result, urban transport infrastructure has received investment attention. Many old roads have been renovated and upgraded, while many new, spacious and aesthetically pleasing roads have been built.

In any residential area in Vinh City where high-rise apartment buildings are built, in addition to hundreds of households, there are also hundreds of cars and motorbikes. Photo: Nhat Lan

However, the population of Vinh City has also increased; the population density in the city center has become dense. Along with that, the transportation needs of the city's residents have changed.

Previously, motorbikes and bicycles were the main means of transportation; but now, many families use cars as their main means of transportation. Therefore, traffic jams have occurred frequently in recent years, especially in central areas.

For city residents, they are currently very worried about traffic congestion on Quang Trung, Tran Phu, Le Hong Phong, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Ho Tung Mau streets... during rush hours (from 6:30 am to 7:30 am; 10:30 am to 12 pm; 4:30 pm to 6 pm).

What to do to reduce traffic congestion in Vinh city center?

Leading to the situation of high population density in the center of Vinh City, the cause is from the apartment area, the authority granting construction permits for high-rise apartment buildings is too dense. Or there are areas, which have approved unreasonable planning for high-rise apartment buildings, allowing construction density up to 80 - 90%; there is no open space, land for gardens, auxiliary works...

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of Vinh City, there is no shortage of land to build satellite towns. To the south are Vinh Tan and Trung Do wards; to the west are Cua Nam wards, and Hung Chinh, Dong Vinh, and Hung Dong communes; to the north are Nghi Kim, Nghi Lien, and Nghi An communes; to the east are Hung Dung, Hung Loc, Hung Hoa, and Nghi Duc communes.

In these communes and wards, land funds are quite abundant, but basically have not been exploited reasonably and effectively. There are also areas that have been planned for urban areas, and assigned to "investors". However, most of the "investors" have divided the land into plots and sold them, not building according to the approved plan; or "suspended", "soaked" waiting for the right time...

A car park at an apartment complex on Quang Trung Street. Photo: Nhat Lan

As mentioned above, in the key solutions to solve traffic congestion in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Prime Minister emphasized the solution of not continuing to develop high-rise apartment buildings in the central area.

Along with that, satellite urban areas are developed to coordinate and redistribute the population. This will reduce the pressure on jobs, housing, social security, traffic safety and order, and reduce traffic congestion.

The Prime Minister's suggestions, although specific to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, are very suitable for the current situation of Vinh City. Therefore, the Vinh City government needs to study and apply them.