Ho Chi Minh City will set up an office responsible for post-planning supervision to ensure the city's sustainable development, according to an official of the municipal Department of Planning and Architecture (DoPA).

Department Director Tran Chi Dung said that urban management is very important work for the local authorities since it would help the country's biggets economic hub ensure its sustainable development not only in the immediate but also in the long term.

"Acknowledging this, the department will focus its efforts on post-zoning management work. To do so, the agency has decided to establish an office which will be responsible for managing zoning projects after they are implemented," Dung told the Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) daily newspaper.

The agency, which is due to make its debut in the first quarter of this year, will cover various duties related to planning work, including architecture, technical design, environmental landscape, and technical infrastructure, he said.

It will also monitor the public announcement of zoning projects after they are approved, and the setting up of landmarks according to planning projects.

"To ensure the efficacy of the post-zoning management office, DoPA will coordinate with other departments and districts to make urban development projects based on the city's socio-economic development in different periods," Dung added.

According to DoPA, the agency has to date assessed and submitted to the municipal People's Committee for approval 22 projects related to adjustments of the planning of urban and rural districts in the city.

The department has also implemented the People's Council's Resolution No. 16/2012/NQ-HDND, according to which it approved 283 urban detailed plans on a total area of 47,266 hectares, including179 new plans with a combined area of 31,657 hectares and 104 adjusted plans with a combined area of 15,609 hectares.

Before the resolution, the city had approved 290 detailed urban plans covering on an area of 35,992 hectares and no adjustments have been required of them to date.
This means that the city government has completed the urban detail planning across the whole city.-VNA