Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Good urban management is motivation for national development and contributes to transferring regional and local economic structures, said delegates to a seminar on the role of leaders in city management in Hanoi on October 9.
Speaking at the event, jointly held by the World Bank in Vietnam and the Construction Ministry’s Academy of Managers for Construction and Cities, Head of the Urban Development Agency Do Viet Chien said that since Vietnam has shifted to a market economy, urbanisation has grown at its fastest-ever speed.
It is estimated that a half of the Vietnamese population will live in urban areas and around 70 percent of the economy’s output will be generated in cities in 2025.
During the industrialisation and modernisation process, a number of new urban areas have been established, infrastructure has been upgraded and services have been diversified, meeting the increasing demand.
However, illegal construction continues to negatively affect the face of cities.
To foster the efficiency of urban management, localities were asked to improve the capacity of officials working in this field through training.
Sharing experience in urban development and management, Professor Jaiyoung Ryu, a former researcher of the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, stressed the need for Vietnam to deal with urban transportation.
Good leadership and governance are decisive factors for the successful development of cities, he added.
Achim Fock, Operations and Portfolio Manager of the World Bank Office in Vietnam, said that developing a mechanism for urban management should be a key task as Vietnam continues its urbanisation over the next decade.
The WB will maintain its financial and technical assistance for Vietnam during this process, he affirmed.-VNA
