At the conference, Mr. Nguyen Trong Ky Anh, Director of the Hanoi Department of Planning and Architecture, clarified several issues that have attracted public attention regarding urban redevelopment and population redistribution under the proposed master plan.
According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Ky Anh, there has recently been information circulating that the 100-year master plan proposes relocating 860,000 residents from the inner city as part of an urban redevelopment program, including areas surrounding Ho Guom and the Old Quarter.
“I would like to clarify that the city’s authorities have never officially announced any relocation figure, and that number is inaccurate,” he stressed. He added that the figure of 860,000 residents had previously been mentioned only as a hypothetical figure used in economic scenario modeling for Hanoi, not as an estimate of people to be relocated.
In the master planning process, the city will review and incorporate elements from previous plans that align with the development orientation. Some areas may be subject to comprehensive site clearance to reorganize spatial planning, define development directions, and create land reserves. However, this does not mean that all residents currently living in those areas will necessarily be relocated.
The Master Plan for Hanoi with a 100-year vision is guided by the goal of building and developing a capital city that is cultured, civilized, modern, and happy. The planning approach places people at the center as the primary stakeholders, objectives, and driving force of development, while promoting rapid and sustainable growth associated with digital transformation, green transition, and a circular economy.
The plan also envisions an open, multi-layered urban development structure with multiple poles and centers. The Red River will serve as the city’s principal ecological and cultural landscape axis, closely connected with the Capital Region and national and international economic corridors.
One of the key breakthrough solutions proposed in the master plan is comprehensive and selective urban redevelopment. Accordingly, the plan calls for studies on renovating and redeveloping the central urban area along a major scenic boulevard axis of the Red River, while preserving and enhancing the cultural and historical value of the Old Quarter, the French Quarter, and other inner-city areas.
