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The environmentally friendly wall at Alley 80 on Cao Thang Street (Photo: SGGP) |
Relaxing under his porch lined with all types of vines and ornament plants, Tran Quang Tuan (living in Alley 629 on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street of District 3) comfortably shared that for nearly 10 years, he and his neighbors have tried to grow and care for the green space in front of their houses, greening their whole alley. These plant growing activities have even strengthened the relationship among households in this alley.
A similar story can be seen at Alley 80 on Cao Thang Street of District 3, where tens of ornament and bonsai pots are attached onto the 60-meter exterior wall of houses here. A resident in the alley recalled that at first, families gathered necessary soil and recycled plastic bottles to grow small plants. Seeing that, the ward’s authorities started a movement to create and maintain green space and protect the environment, which was wholeheartedly supported by all dwellers in the alley. Since then, the aesthetic beauty of the place has significantly improved.
Even without a formal report on the number of alleys and neighborhoods being greened thanks to the cooperation between the authorities and community, this figure is obviously not small.
10 years ago, the HCMC Transport Department sent a letter calling upon the contribution of citizens and businesses to grow plants on traffic islands of many roads, receiving enthusiastic responses.
Sadly, the latest statistics reveal that the density of trees/person in HCMC is only 0.55m2/person, much lower than the national goal of 7m2. That is not to mention according to TCVN 9257:2012 on public green space planning in special urban areas like HCMC, the density must reach 15m²/person.
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Alley 468 on Tran Hung Dao Street of District 5 has been greened (Photo: SGGP) |
Therefore, the HCMC Construction Department set a mission to gradually improve the living standards and environment to satisfy the above criteria.
In particular, as stated in the program ‘Developing Parks and Public Trees in HCMC in the 2021-2025 Period’, the city is going to own at least 150ha of parks and 10ha of public green space, which means 10 million newly grown trees of various kinds.
HCMC People’s Committee has just directed that related state agencies and local authorities must establish 10ha of new parks and 2ha of green space, along with nurturing 6,000 existing trees, in 2023 so that the ratio of green space in the city can come to 3-4m²/person.
This Committee has also asked that the HCMC Construction Department cooperate with relevant state agencies to address difficulties in the use and lease of public land lots allocated to be parks and public green space in the 2023-2025 period.
More importantly, the People’s Committees of all districts and Thu Duc City must urge investors of residential area construction projects to strictly observe the rule of creating green space on the surface area of the project.
To complete the above missions, Director Vu Van Diep of the Center for Technical Infrastructure Management (under the HCMC Construction Department) said that his department is preparing a plan to work with relevant state units to develop suitable mechanisms and policies to attract and mobilize social resources in building public parks.
Dr. Dinh Quang Diep, former Head of the Department of Landscape and Floral Engineering (HCMC Nong Lam University), voiced that as the land resources for green space in the downtown districts of 1, 3, 4, 5, 10 has been used up, it is better to develop this aspect in new urban areas and the city’s outskirt. Meanwhile, local authorities should encourage residents in these downtown districts to grow plants around their houses while preparing plans to decorate bus stops and bridges with trees.
Vice Chairman of District 12 People’s Committee informed that with the approval of HCMC People’s Committee, the district is going to hold a design contest for public parks on a surface area of 150ha in Thanh Xuan Ward and Thoi An Ward.
This is the key construction work in accordance with the Resolution of the 6th Congress of District 12 Party’s Committee (in the 2020-2025 term). The to-be multi-function park serves the local needs of non-staying relaxation and recreation in combination with the functions of water regulation and clean water storage, contribution to fighting against urban flooding.
The HCMC Construction Department proposed that District 12 ask for a land clearance mechanism and clearly identify the structure of land use in order to attract investors easily.
