Hanoi in transition: the emergence of a metropolitan region

Hanoi has long remained a ‘sleeping beauty’. Today, to affirm the influence of its capital, the Vietnamese government broadens its regional area and has approved the revision of its regional plan on 6 May 2016. IAU îdF (the Paris Region Development and Urban Planning Institute) provided its expertise to transpose the vision of a polycentric and integrated metropolis into a coherent regional development scheme [...].

Approval of the revised Hanoi Capital Region Plan to 2030 and Vision to 2050:
The city of Hanoi is the center of an emerging metropolitan region spreading over the Red river delta, one of the most intensely populated regions in the world. With its progressive integration into the world’s economy, following the “Doi Moi”, Vietnam has recently integrated the lower-middle income countries. Over this period, HCR has undergone profound social and physical transformations and more radical ones may yet to come if past growth rates are translated into the future. Five years after the approval of the first regional construction plan for Hanoi Capital Region (HCR), the Ministry of Construction (MoC) has undertaken its amendment to incorporate the enlarged administrative boundaries of Hanoi Capital Province, as well 3 other rural provinces. Other reasons have also driven this revision:
-    A slowdown in the economic growth of both Vietnam and HCR, calling for a more sustainable development strategy.
-    Many provinces have revised in the meantime their master plan, among which Hanoi Capital in 2011.
-    The need for a better coordination among government agencies and provinces, to avoid a waste of resources in the realm of land use and transportation.
IAU-IdF partnered with The Vietnam Institute of Urban and rural Planning (VIUP) to assess the current situation of HCR in all realms, produce a SWOT analysis and a benchmark with 3 metropolitan regions. It designed 2 development visions in response to the growth scenarios, with the aim of making HCR a large integrated polycentric region by 2050.  The revised HCR plan is based on a comprehensive transport plan aiming at better integrating urban developments and transport infrastructures, with multimodal hubs.Its recent approval by the Prime Minister of Vietnam is opening up new prospects for a reinforced partnership between IAU-IdF and Vietnamese planning authorities.