HCM CITY — HCM City requires innovative urban planning to make use of lands earmarked for building parks and for educational purposes, a meeting of the standing committee of the city People’s Council heard on Tuesday.

According to the city Department for Planning and Architecture, only 4.3 per cent of the 11,418.5ha allocated for parks and greenery has been used so far.

The related agencies have found it difficult to execute plans because of the meagre budgets for park and greenery projects.

Private sector investment has not been mobilised either.

Delegates at the meeting agreed that State agencies have not issued favourable policies to attract private investment.

Deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, Trần Vĩnh Tuyến, admitted planning activities have not been up to the mark, and have been plagued by infeasibility, suspensions and delays.

To speed up the greenery and park programme, the city would hire a consulting company to designate green spots around the city, he said.

District authorities would be urged to speed up projects that have been started but remain unfinished, he said.

Efforts would be made to seek investments from the private sector, he said.

Chairwoman of city People’s Council, Nguyễn Thị Quyết Tâm, said urban planning and management and execution of plans have been inadequate.

The People’s Committee needed to do further “research” to improve them, she said.

Plans to utilise lands for educational purposes and parks must be sustainable and meet the socio-economic development needs of the city, making it a modern, civilised and smart city and improving the living standards of people, she said.

She called on relevant agencies to improve forecasting to support urban planning, consider the impacts it would have on living conditions and mobilise investment from the private sectors to execute the plans. — VNS