A section of the Đông Ngàn dyke in Đông Anh District, Hà Nội.— VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Sinh

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội's administration is considering the creation of four cities in Đông Anh, Mê Linh, Sóc Sơn and Hoà Lạc by 2050.

The aim of the proposal is the development of the northern and the western part of the capital, to create growth and a new look for urban development in the capital.

The move came about after the Party Committee of the capital People's Committee submitted a report evaluating the Hà Nội Capital Region Master Plan, which was issued and implemented in 2011. The report proposed some new adjustments to the plan, with the goal of putting local people at the centre.

Under the new orientations, the Hồng (Red) River will be an axis of the city, and the areas on both sides of the river will be developed synchronously. The northern area of the river will be developed into a modern urban area.

The capital has also considered developing urban areas on both sides of Ring Road No 4 to effectively exploit land, helping surrounding areas to develop.

The Ring Road 4 project will have a length of 112.8km, starting at the Nội Bài - Lào Cai Expressway in Thanh Xuân Commune, Sóc Sơn District, and ending at the Nội Bài - Hạ Long Expressway in Quế Võ District, Bắc Ninh Province. 

The capital is also considering the establishment of another airport in the southern area of the capital.

The Hà Nội Capital Area, consisting of Hà Nội, Hải Dương, Hưng Yên, Vĩnh Phúc, Bắc Ninh, Hà Nam, Hòa Bình, Phú Thọ, Bắc Giang and Thái Nguyên, covers 24,314.7 sq.km with a population of about 20 million people.

The area is larger than both the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, which has an area of about 14,000 sq.km and a population of about 38 million and Bangkok Capital Area, which has an area of about 7,762sq.km and a population of 16 million people.

However, the capital currently only has Nội Bài International Airport, which has a capacity of about 25 million passengers per year. This is much lower than other capitals around the world. 

A representative of the Hà Nội’s Planning and Architecture Department told Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that the proposals are under consideration. 

In addition to urban planning, the mechanisms of the new cities near the capital are expected to promote and create momentum for development, he said.

“They are just initial ideas,” he added.

The city will consider the ideas based on the specific analysis and assessment of the socio-economic impact and the contribution of the new model to the capital’s development, he said.

The model of setting up a “city within a city” has been successfully applied in HCM City, he said.

Careful analysis needed

Ngô Trung Hải, Vice President of the Việt Nam Urban Planning and Development Association, said he applauded the model of “city within a city”.

It is a modern and advanced model, he said.

However, Hải said the most important thing is to build a suitable operating mechanism and legal corridor to provide motivation for new developments.

Clear regulations are needed on approving planning, projects, tax policy, budget spending and organisational structure, he said.

That is the shortcoming that Thủ Đức City under HCM City has been faced so far, he said.

“The operating mechanism is extremely important," he said.

It is necessary to carefully assess the legal and scientific basis of the new model, he said.

“Why do we propose to place a new city in the northern or western part of the capital? What will we get from the areas?” he said.

“This is an issue that should be analysed very carefully because it is related to the requirements and criteria for urban development," he said.

Trần Ngọc Chính, former Deputy Minister of Construction, said we should study and adjust the Hà Nội Capital Region Master Plan.

Based on that, there will be a more complete assessment of the model of "city within a city", he said.

“Does Hà Nội need a city like Thủ Đức City in HCM City?” he said.

“In my opinion, it is something we should think very carefully on." — VNS