(Hanoi, 17th) Possessing a millennium-old history, Vietnam’s capital Hanoi recently officially approved an ambitious “Centennial Master Plan.” This development blueprint aims to thoroughly address Hanoi’s chronic issues such as aging infrastructure, traffic paralysis, and urban flooding, and pave the way for a possible future population of up to 20 million, with the goal of transforming Hanoi into a green, smart, and internationally competitive regional metropolis.
On Wednesday (May 13), Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, Vu Dai Thang, signed the approval of the “Centennial Vision Master Plan for the Capital.” This grand plan covers a 3,359-square-kilometer administrative area and sets 2035, 2045, 2065, and 2085 as four key strategic transformation milestones.
As a millennial capital, Hanoi faces many growing pains common to historic cities, including traffic congestion, urban flooding after heavy rain, land scarcity, and aging construction.
To break the deadlock, the plan proposes a “multi-center, multi-level” compact green development model. The core urban area’s underground space will be developed in layers, integrating transportation, public pipelines, underground reservoirs, and strategic facilities; it is expected that by 2045, the developed underground space in the core area will reach 20% of the land area, and 40% by 2065. At the same time, 40% of the land will be strictly preserved as green corridors, protected forests, and ecological open spaces.
Transportation is listed as the top priority of this centennial plan. Hanoi will invest heavily to build an integrated multimodal transport system covering highways, railways, aviation, and waterways, implementing a public transport-oriented development model that tightly binds high-density commercial, residential, and underground space development around rail transit hubs, thus alleviating pressure on the old city areas.
In addition, Hanoi plans to build a second airport in the south, aiming to create a hub airport with an annual passenger capacity of 30 million to 50 million, and to develop an “airport city” around the two airports.
Facing increasingly frequent extreme weather, Hanoi’s water control and disaster prevention strategies will also be upgraded. New regulations will strictly protect green corridors, natural waterways, and flood discharge areas, and all new projects along the riverbanks must pass stringent flood control and ecological compliance assessments.
In terms of economic positioning, Hanoi aims to reach a regional GDP (GRDP) of $200 billion and a per capita GDP of $18,800 by 2035. With electronics giants like Foxconn and Quanta having set up in northern Vietnam, Hanoi intends to leverage this advantage and strive to become a leading innovation and logistics hub in the Asia-Pacific region by 2045.
Urban planners and experts point out that this centennial development plan not only opens up new space for Hanoi’s development, but also lays the foundation for long-term growth driven by innovation and climate resilience, while preserving the city’s cultural identity.
As a millennial capital, Hanoi faces many growing pains common to historic cities, including traffic congestion, urban flooding after heavy rain, land scarcity, and aging construction.
To break the deadlock, the plan proposes a “multi-center, multi-level” compact green development model. The core urban area’s underground space will be developed in layers, integrating transportation, public pipelines, underground reservoirs, and strategic facilities; it is expected that by 2045, the developed underground space in the core area will reach 20% of the land area, and 40% by 2065. At the same time, 40% of the land will be strictly preserved as green corridors, protected forests, and ecological open spaces.
Transportation is listed as the top priority of this centennial plan. Hanoi will invest heavily to build an integrated multimodal transport system covering highways, railways, aviation, and waterways, implementing a public transport-oriented development model that tightly binds high-density commercial, residential, and underground space development around rail transit hubs, thus alleviating pressure on the old city areas.
In addition, Hanoi plans to build a second airport in the south, aiming to create a hub airport with an annual passenger capacity of 30 million to 50 million, and to develop an “airport city” around the two airports.
Facing increasingly frequent extreme weather, Hanoi’s water control and disaster prevention strategies will also be upgraded. New regulations will strictly protect green corridors, natural waterways, and flood discharge areas, and all new projects along the riverbanks must pass stringent flood control and ecological compliance assessments.
In terms of economic positioning, Hanoi aims to reach a regional GDP (GRDP) of $200 billion and a per capita GDP of $18,800 by 2035. With electronics giants like Foxconn and Quanta having set up in northern Vietnam, Hanoi intends to leverage this advantage and strive to become a leading innovation and logistics hub in the Asia-Pacific region by 2045.
Urban planners and experts point out that this centennial development plan not only opens up new space for Hanoi’s development, but also lays the foundation for long-term growth driven by innovation and climate resilience, while preserving the city’s cultural identity.