ĐÀ LẠT — Planning experts have urged authorities in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng to preserve the special urban heritage of Đà Lạt City.

Experts at departments, agencies, and universities discussed urban and cultural preservation and development, particularly its French colonial-era architecture, at a seminar held in Đà Lạt on Wednesday.

Planning expert Lê Quang Ninh said that hundreds of special architectural works in the city should be preserved and promoted.

The deputy director of the province’s Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc, spoke about the cultural value of French architecture, saying that it was necessary to preserve, upgrade or remove many buildings constructed in the early or mid 20^th century.

Urban planning expert Ngô Viết Nam Sơn said that planning should include green spaces and bodies of water between and around high-rise projects.

“Đà Lạt City’s streets have the potential to become pedestrianised areas, which would attract tourists,” he added.

Doãn Minh Khôi of the Việt Nam Association of Architects said the city should also promote health tourism, high-quality healthcare products and its agricultural economy.

“When new projects are built, attention must be paid to protecting the environment and forestry resources as well as preserving cultural and historic relics,” he said.

Under Đà Lạt’s development plan by 2030, approved by the Prime Minister in 2014, the city has adjusted its plan from a scale of 393 sq.km to 3,359 sq.km.

Based on a government decision, Đà Lạt plans to become a “modern, environmentally friendly city, a national and international resort city, a scientific research centre, and a national and international trade centre.”

It will offer training and technological transfer in agricultural production and become a biodiversity protection research centre as well.

Following its master plan to 2020, Đà Lạt and its vicinity target becoming a smart city.

Bảo Lộc City is expected to be upgraded to a grade II industrial urban city, while Đức Trọng District would be a grade III urban area and a key economic zone in the southern region.

Đà Lạt became famous over the last 120 years since its founding thanks to its temperate weather, spectacular landscapes and  architecture, including many French villas. — VNS