A view of riverside settlements along the Red River. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội is pressing ahead with plans for the sweeping Red River Landscape Boulevard project, an 11,000-hectare urban development stretching more than 40km along the Red River, which city planners say could redefine the capital’s skyline and green spaces.

The proposal, one of five strategic axes in the city’s master plan, is being finalised by the Department of Construction and will be submitted to the Prime Minister for review in November 2025, officials said this week.

If approved, the project would run through 16 communes and wards inside Ring Road 4, affecting about 40,000 residents and carrying an estimated price tag of more than VNĐ400 trillion (roughly US$15 billion).

Officials describe the project as a multi-layered ‘green spine’ linking the urban core to the river. The design envisions three tiers of development along the banks: housing and service centres on higher ground; parks, promenades and semi-flooded squares in the middle zone; and wetland ecological parks closer to the water, creating a ‘green lung’ to regulate Hà Nội’s air and temperature.

The plan includes eight landscape parks and twelve themed parks, covering around 3,000ha of new green space. Two monorail lines, each about 40km long, would run along both sides of the river and connect with existing and planned metro networks.

The boulevard is part of a broader effort to tackle chronic congestion, pollution and flooding in inner wards while opening new areas for development to the east and south of the city. It also aims to link all bridges crossing the Red River, forming a continuous transport and recreation corridor.

Hà Nội's People’s Committee said the scheme will be implemented in three phases: land clearance, construction of the boulevard, and development of the monorail system. A dedicated task force set up in October has been charged with planning oversight, investment proposals, and resolving issues over land use and resettlement.

Construction is slated to begin in early 2026 and be compled before 2030. — VNS