HCMCity (VNA) - The Ho Chi Minh CityPeople’s Council has passed a resolution to merge HCM City’s easterndistricts of 2, 9 and ThuDuc into one administrative unit to create an innovation hubtentatively called Thu Duc City.
Speaking at a People’s Councilmeeting on October 12, Le Thanh Liem, VIce chairman of the city People’s Committee,said the municipal administration wouldcomplete the proposal for creating the new city within a city for submission tothe Ministry of Home Affairs by October 25.
If approved, the proposal wouldthen be submitted to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly forapproval.
Earlier this month more than 80percent of more than 411,000 residents of the three districts voted “yes” tothe merger plan, according to local authorities.
Besides, people in Thu Duc and District 9 almost unanimously agreedto the name Thu Duc City, while 76 percent did soin District 2.
Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh recently told city authorities to seekadvice from foreign experts and investors in the technology, finance andproperty sectors about plans to create the new city.
The plan should conform to theoverall urban plans for the city and the south-eastern region, hesaid further.
To seek ideas for the new city,city authorities last year launched a planning contest that was won by anentry by US architecture and design firm Sasaki Associates Inc, which proposeddifferent zones, facilities and development plans with allthe elements needed for a smart city and innovation and otherfeatures to support the growth of technology and other key industries.
According to the Ministry ofConstruction, the plan to build a city within a city is “unprecedented” inthe country and would require “extensive study.”
The city has established asteering committee headed by People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong to develop a master plan for it.
The plan would includestrategies for a knowledge-based economy that promotes investment in urbandevelopment and creating a skilled workforce.
The steering committee alsoplans to develop a centralised urban database with data on land use,transportation, canals, and other works in the three districts.
It will consult both the publicand official agencies, and solicit international investment.
Thu Duc City would spread over 211square kilometres and house more than a million people.
The current Thu Duc district,which measures 48sq.km, has a high concentration of educational institutionsand research centres and four large universities with more than 100,000students.
The 50sq.km District2, which includes the Thu Thiem new urban area, willprovide international exhibition and financial centres for the new urbanarea and the city as a whole.
The 114sq.km District9, which includes the Sai Gon Hi-Tech Park, would be a hub forresearch and an incubator for innovative technologies.
The new city isexpected to contribute 30 percent of the city’s economic growth,and 4-5 percent of the country’s.
HCM City currently accounts for23 percent of the nation’s GDP and 30 percent of Government revenues./.
