Public bus in Hanoi city. (Photo: VNA) The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) organised a workshop entilted “Urban – regional plans and development in the European Union and policy suggestions for Vietnam” in Hanoi on September 25, gathering experts from Vietnam, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands.
Foreign experts said it is crucial for Vietnam to choose a suitable urban planning pattern based on those of other countries wisely while learning from experience and carefully implementing them in reality.
The country must learn from both the failures and successes of others, they stressed.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Vu Thi Vinh, former General Secretary of the Association of Cities of Vietnam, traffic congestion in Vietnam stems from poor infrastructure, inadequate public transportation and more importantly, the lack of a link between land use and urban traffic planning.
She suggested metropolises in Vietnam integrate urban transport and land use planning towards green transportation.
Combined use of public transport, walking and cycling to make long journeys shorter has become a green approach in many major cities in Europe and North America, she noted.
Associate Professor Dr. Dinh Cong Tuan from Institute for European Studies said the German system for social change supervision, which monitors regional changes in the demographics, natural environment, politics, economics and culture, is a good option for Vietnam.
As regional development has both positive and negative social impacts, it is vital for Vietnam to build its own monitoring system, he added.-VNA
