Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính reviews the map of the infrastructure project connecting the Hoà Bình - Hà Nội region and the Sơn La expressway section from Hòa Bình to Mộc Châu. VNA/VNS Photo Duong Giang

 
HOÀ BÌNH — Northern Hòa Bình province is set to embark on an ambitious urban development plan, aiming to upgrade its existing ten urban areas and construct three additional ones, reaching a total of 13 by 2025. The estimated investment capital for this endeavour exceeds VNĐ138 trillion ($5.75 billion).

Outlined in the urban development program for 2025 with a forward-looking vision to 2030, released by the Hoà Bình Provincial People’s Committee, the province envisions a further expansion to 16 urban areas by 2030, including the construction of three new areas post-2025.

The overarching goal is to elevate the urbanisation rate in the province to 38 per cent by 2025 and 43 per cent by 2030. The Provincial People’s Committee has meticulously outlined specific tasks for each urban area, focusing on the implementation of proposed solutions within the urban development program. These solutions centre around capital mobilisation, investment attraction, policy formulation, and the adaptation of urban development to climate change and natural disasters.

The anticipated investment capital is expected to be sourced from diverse channels, including the State budget, Official Development Assistance (ODA), the local budget, and various other legally permissible investment sources.

Hoà Bình City’s urban planning

Previously, the provincial People’s Committee endorsed Decision No. 1826, greenlighting the Urban General Planning task at a 1/10,000 scale for Hòa Bình city until 2045.

The planning encompasses the entire administrative boundary of Hòa Bình city, encompassing 19 administrative units (12 wards and 7 communes), covering a total area of 34,865 km2. The city's population within the administrative boundaries was approximately 141,416 people in 2021.

The overarching aim is to concretise the development direction set by the national urban and rural system, aligning with the national urban classification plan for 2021-2030. Hoà Bình City envisions achieving Class II urban criteria, optimising land use, and fostering economic sectors while ensuring national security and sustainable development. The goal is to build Hoà Bình City into a green, smart, and modern urban area with distinctive cultural characteristics. Serving as the political, economic, cultural, and scientific-technical centre, it plays a pivotal role in the Hà Nội Capital region.

As an ecological urban area, it incorporates cultural, historical, and ethnic elements, securing a vital defence and security position in the west of the Capital Region.

Strategically positioned as the western gateway urban area, Hòa Bình City acts as a key intermediary connecting urban areas in the Northwest region. It holds the potential to evolve into a Class II urban area, shouldering important functions to alleviate the burden on Hà Nội Capital city. The establishment of the Hòa Lạc - Hòa Bình expressway and Hòa Bình - Sơn La expressway, coupled with a regional railway network, is instrumental in propelling urban development and forming a modern transportation hub complex.

Crucial transport routes, such as National Highway (NH) 6, have been upgraded, reducing travel times between Hoà Bình Province, Hà Nội City, and neighbouring provinces. The development of infrastructure, funded by an estimated VNĐ8.3 billion from the Hoa Bình City budget and other legal sources, is projected to take no more than 12 months from the approval of the General Planning Task. VNS