The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has approved an urban design plan, proposed by the City’s Department of Planning and Architecture, to beautify the landscape along Vo Van Kiet-Mai Chi Tho Road, once known as the old East-West Highway.
According to Ho Quang Toan, deputy director of the Department of Planning and Architecture, the entire plan is expected to be complete by October 2012.
The beautification plan will cover the entire length of the boulevard Vo Van Kiet-Mai Chi Tho, which stretches 21km and across a width of about 100-150m.
The current Vo Van Kiet-Mai Chi Tho Road, previously called East-West Highway, is located along the Tau Hu-Ben Nghe canal, which runs from east to west of the city through four major areas, namely, new urban area of Thu Thiem, the financial center and oldest administrative area in District 1; the trading hub of the Vietnamese- Chinese people in District 5; the river landscape of ‘wharf and boats’ in the Mekong delta in District 6; and District 8.
With the aim to maintain cultural traditions, the urban architecture along Vo Van Kiet-Mai Chi Tho Road will allow the financial center and the district office to retain a number of typically French style buildings in old Saigon area and modern architecture will be built in harmony with the surrounding space.
District 5 area will keep the characteristics of a bustling commercial hub for Chinese-Vietnamese people; District 6, 8, are expected to form a floating market, serving the business needs of sales people, recreating the early days of former Saigon.
In particular, the Thu Thiem new urban area will have modern architecture for a financial center and a large commercial area that will serve not only HCMC but the whole southern region.
Currently, there is a tourism development project for the Tau Hu-Ben Nghe canal on the river and also a tram project funded by the World Bank on the Vo Van Kiet-Mai Chi Tho Road.
Once the transport system is in place, the area will be a bustling, interesting and most beautiful part of HCMC.
