Building the capital city of Hanoi as a livable city was the top priority in the opinion of US professor Michael Douglass expressed at a seminar entitled, “Global cities and livable cities: Hanoi at the crossroads” held in Hanoi on October 8.
The seminar was co-organised by Phan Chau Trinh Cultural Foundation and Tri Thuc Publishing House.
Michael Douglass, Executive Director of the Globalisation Research Centre and former Chair of the Urban and Regional Planning Department at the University of Hawaii , has a strong attachment to Hanoi as a writer and a guide for many research projects about the city.
According to the professor, ideas for the city’s construction need to include its citizens, who take part in both social activities and commerce of the city.
These citizens need to understand urban life more fully instead of viewing the city only through its infrastructure, environmental and financial services, he said.
Michael Douglass pointed out the spread of advertising boards of grand enterprises at “every corner of the city” as a demonstration of the fact that Hanoi is losing a large amount of public and community space.
Also, traditional markets have been replaced by modern supermarkets, he said, adding that 90 percent of markets in Ho Chi Minh City and 50 percent in Hanoi would be replaced by supermarkets.
Building a livable city also means putting people at the centre and improving their living standards, the US professor said./.
The seminar was co-organised by Phan Chau Trinh Cultural Foundation and Tri Thuc Publishing House.
Michael Douglass, Executive Director of the Globalisation Research Centre and former Chair of the Urban and Regional Planning Department at the University of Hawaii , has a strong attachment to Hanoi as a writer and a guide for many research projects about the city.
According to the professor, ideas for the city’s construction need to include its citizens, who take part in both social activities and commerce of the city.
These citizens need to understand urban life more fully instead of viewing the city only through its infrastructure, environmental and financial services, he said.
Michael Douglass pointed out the spread of advertising boards of grand enterprises at “every corner of the city” as a demonstration of the fact that Hanoi is losing a large amount of public and community space.
Also, traditional markets have been replaced by modern supermarkets, he said, adding that 90 percent of markets in Ho Chi Minh City and 50 percent in Hanoi would be replaced by supermarkets.
Building a livable city also means putting people at the centre and improving their living standards, the US professor said./.
