The Steering Committee for Hanoi Capital Metropolitan Planning and Construction Investment is seeking opinions from the Government, localities, ministries and branches to complete the Hanoi Capital Metropolitan Construction Planning to 2030, with a vision to 2050, according to the Vietnam Business Forum.

The Steering Committee recently met with central agencies to assess the draft to the Hanoi Metropolitan Region Construction Planning. Accordingly, Hanoi will be developed into an integrated multi-polar megacity.

The expanded metropolitan construction planning, according to Decision 1758/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister, covers nine provinces and original Hanoi. The inclusion of Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen and Bac Giang provinces expands the capital region by approximately 80 percent, with a natural land area of over 24,314 square kilometres and a population of 17,495 million.

To complete the scheme, the consultant - Urban and Rural Planning Institute - has worked with nine provinces and Hanoi city together with experts in planning, health, industry and commerce and other fields.

Under the draft planning, by 2050, the metropolitan region will be an integrated multi-polar megalopolis with development driving complexes like the high-tech training, research and development centre, the industrial development centre (Thai Nguyen), industrial - service - ICD - logistic development centre (Bac Giang and Bac Ninh), and the human resources training centre.

The new triangle will be formed by Hanoi, Bac Ninh and Vinh Yen. According to the Urban and Rural Planning Institute, the metropolitan region planning will be more feasible, more sustainable and closer. This assessment is based on the perspective that the urban, industrial and logistics development of the metropolitan region will be planned and its investment will be phased based on transport infrastructure development and ensured access to new development areas. Planning orientations for economic and social infrastructure, tourism, education, agriculture, forestry and fishery, environment and other aspects are detailed in the scheme.

Remarking on the consultant’s orientation to Ring Road 5, Transport Deputy Minister Nguyen Hong Truong said that the direction towards the south of Phu Ly is more appropriate as it helps expand the space of the metropolitan region. He added that Ring Road 5 should not go further than Tam Dao Tunnel since it is related to conservation areas, national defence, security and high cost.

Representatives of many localities suggested that the scheme need regular industry and sub-region planning updates to make necessary changes to suit actual situations.

A representative from Vinh Phuc province said that, according to the overall planning of Vinh Phuc province, the area of industrial parks is 7,000 ha but the metropolitan region plans only 6,000 ha. Thus, the consultant necessarily takes a review and points out the area and location of industrial zones to be shrunk.

Nguyen Van Khoi, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee, said the consultant needs to update and assess the current state of socio-economic development of Hanoi and the other 9 provinces and review the coupling of approved specialised plans. He proposed an early regime for coordination of the provinces in the region to carry out the planning.

To this point, the metropolitan region planning has been going for five years. Therefore, it is very essential to assess what has been done to draw experience. With respect to financial and investment resources, the Ministry of Finance asked the consultant to make this matter clearer in order to help localities with a legal basis for implementation and study investment roadmap and phasing because this is a long-term planning.-VNA