Decision No. 10/1998/QĐ-TTg Approving the Orientation for the Overall Urban Development Planning of Vietnam until 2020

Pursuant to …;

Approving the orientation for the overall urban development planning of Vietnam until 2020

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Government Organization Law dated September 30, 1992;

Pursuant to the Urban Planning Management Charter issued together with Decree No. 91/CP dated August 17, 1997 of the Government;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Construction (Circular No. 42/BXD-KTQH dated August 16, 1996),

DECISION:

Article 1. Approves the orientation for the overall urban development planning of Vietnam until 2020 with the main contents as follows:

I. REGARDING THE VIEWPOINT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES:

1. Regarding the viewpoint:

In order to serve the goal of accelerating industrialization and modernization of the country, maintaining economic, social, cultural development, ensuring national defense and security, and protecting the ecological environment, the formation and development of cities nationwide until 2020 must:

- Be consistent with the distribution and level of development of productive forces throughout the country, focusing on building a solid economic and technical foundation as a driving force for each city's development.

- Reasonably arrange large, medium, and small cities, creating balanced development between regions, combining the promotion of rural urbanization and the construction of new countryside.

- Have a synchronized infrastructure at appropriate or advanced levels depending on the requirements for exploitation and utilization of areas within the city.

- Develop steadily, sustainably, and enduringly based on a reasonable organization of the living environment and protection of the environment.

- Combine renovation with new construction; attach importance to preserving cultural identity and national traditions while applying new scientific and technological advancements to advance towards modernity.

- Consolidate national defense, security, and social safety.

- Mobilize all sources of capital for urban renovation and construction but must prioritize maintaining order and discipline, strengthening control over urban development according to planning and laws.

2. Regarding the objectives.

Gradually complete the system of cities nationwide, having modern economic and social infrastructure and technology, clean urban environments distributed and developed reasonably across the country, ensuring that each city, according to its position and function, fully leverages its strengths to effectively implement the two strategic tasks of building socialism and defending the nation.

II. REGARDING THE ORIENTATION FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT UNTIL 2020:

1. Functions of cities in the national urban system:

- Large cities play the role of central economic, political, cultural, economic-technical, educational centers, and transportation and communication hubs within regions, nationwide, and internationally;

- Medium and small cities have the functions of economic, cultural, and service centers for regions.

- Market towns serve as economic, cultural, and service centers for each commune or cluster of communes, promoting rural urbanization and the construction of new countryside.

2. Population growth rate forecast:

- Current status: The urban population of the whole country is over 15 million people, accounting for about 20% of the total national population;

- Year 2000: The urban population will be 19 million people, accounting for 22% of the total national population;

- Year 2010: The urban population will be 30.4 million people, accounting for 33% of the total national population;

- Year 2020: The urban population will be 46 million people, accounting for 45% of the total national population.

3. Land use needs for urban areas:

- Current status: The area of urban land nationwide is 63,300 hectares, accounting for 0.2% of the total national area, averaging 45 square meters per person;

- Year 2000: The area of urban land will be 114,000 hectares, accounting for 0.35% of the total natural area of the country, averaging 60 square meters per person;

- Year 2010: The area of urban land will be 243,200 hectares, accounting for 0.74% of the total natural area of the country, averaging 80 square meters per person;

- Year 2020: The area of urban land will be 460,000 hectares, accounting for 1.4% of the total natural area of the country, averaging 100 square meters per person.

4. Regarding selection of land for urban development:

Develop depth-based on utilizing unused land or land used inefficiently within the city; gradually expand the city to the suburban areas and according to the conditions of each region, build satellite cities or counterweight cities in the influence zones of major cities; promote the construction of new cities in underdeveloped areas, while simultaneously urbanizing rural residential areas.

5. Regarding the organization of urban space in the national urban system:

a) Building and distributing reasonably the central cities in territorial regions:

- The network of cities nationwide is formed and developed based on central cities, including national-level central cities such as: Hanoi Capital City, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong City, Da Nang City, and Hue City; regional-level central cities such as: Can Tho City, Bien Hoa City, Vung Tau City, Nha Trang City, Buon Ma Thuot City, Vinh City, Nam Dinh City, Ha Long City, Viet Tri City, Thai Nguyen City, and Hoa Binh City; provincial-level central cities, including five national-level central cities, eleven regional central cities mentioned above, and other provincial capital cities and towns; district-level central cities, including district townships and towns serving as specialized centers of provinces, and sub-regional central cities, including market towns serving as centers of clusters of rural communities or satellite cities in the influence zones of major cities.

- Central cities at various levels are reasonably distributed in ten distinctive urbanized regions of the country: the Northern Delta Economic Zone and Red River Delta; the Southern Delta Economic Zone and Southeast Region; the Central Economic Zone and North Central Coast Region; the Mekong Delta; South Central Region (Binh Dinh - Phu Yen, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan); the Central Highlands; the North Central Region (Thanh Hoa - Nghe An - Ha Tinh); the Cao Bang - Lang Son - Bac Giang - Bac Thai Region; the Lao Cai - Yen Bai - Ha Giang - Tuyen Quang - Vinh Phuc Region, and the Northwest Region.

- Major central cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong City, Hue City, Da Nang City, etc., must be organized into clusters of cities, with green belts to limit the maximum concentration of population, economic bases, and disruption of ecological balance, avoiding the formation of mega-cities.

b. Regarding land use planning.

Urban planning must ensure that functional zones and infrastructure are interrelated, meeting the increasingly high material and spiritual needs of the people.

c. Regarding urban architecture.

Forming the architectural face, contributing to creating a modern, civilized urban image commensurate with the stature of the country during the period of industrialization and modernization; on this basis, simultaneously implement two key tasks: inheriting, protecting, restoring and preserving historical, cultural heritage and valuable architectural works, while developing a new, modern urban architectural culture deeply imbued with national characteristics.

6. On infrastructure development:

a. Prioritize the development and modernization of technical infrastructure linking cities and rural residential areas across the country and key economic regions, laying the groundwork for the formation and development of cities and urbanization in rural areas, ensuring close ties with neighboring countries and the world, and smooth circulation under all weather conditions on major traffic arteries, backbone routes, and branch lines connecting cities with regions and mountainous central areas.

In each territorial area, balance the provision of electricity, water, transportation, and communication facilities according to the requirements and level of urban development.

b. Renovate and construct technical infrastructure in cities such as transportation, power supply, water supply, sewage treatment, and communication systems in a coordinated manner, at appropriate or modern levels depending on the requirements and degree of development of each urban area, meeting the maximum needs of production and social life.

7. On environmental protection, natural scenery preservation, and maintaining urban ecological balance:

- Establish and maintain a framework for natural protection including natural forests, national park systems, green spaces, etc., throughout the country, in each region, and within each city;

- Rationally exploit and utilize natural resources such as land, water, minerals, forests, etc., for urban renovation and construction purposes;

- Reasonably plan functional zoning to ensure the fulfillment of individual and societal needs for housing, workspaces, travel, and leisure;

- Implement measures to treat and reuse household and production waste using suitable technologies and techniques.

III. ON THE CONTENT OF INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF CITIES FROM THE INITIAL STAGE TO 2005:

1. The initial investment programs and projects aimed at urban renovation and construction focus primarily on the following areas:

a. Investment in the development of production infrastructure, expansion of industrial zones, and labor attraction centers to ensure urban economic growth, stability, and create a foundation for restructuring the economy towards industrialization and modernization, increasing state revenue, and generating employment.

b. Investment in the development and modernization of technical and social infrastructure to create an attractive environment for investment, improve living conditions for residents, and promote the integration of urban and rural areas;

c. Investment to improve sanitation, preserve the cultural and historical value of each city, protect the environment, maintain urban ecological balance, and build green, clean, and beautiful cities;

d. Invest in cities in accordance with planning, plans, and laws established.

Based on a thorough understanding of the policy of developing a multi-sector economy operating under a market mechanism with state management, in the short term, focus on implementing urban development policies, mechanisms, and measures as follows:

a. Strengthen the effectiveness of urban management machinery, innovate mechanisms and policies for urban development in administrative management fields, planning management, real estate management, investment and construction management, and urban facility operation and utilization management, bringing about fundamental changes to the urban system nationwide;

b. Develop policies and solutions to generate capital, based on effectively utilizing state funds, domestic and foreign sources for urban infrastructure development. Study mechanisms to create revenue sources and the establishment of an urban infrastructure development fund;

c. Continue to perfect and innovate urban real estate policies to stabilize living conditions and create resources for urban development;

d. Complete policies on urban planning and architecture gradually forming a modern urban architectural culture deeply imbued with national characteristics, while strengthening urban renovation and construction efforts to ensure orderly and regulated urban development in accordance with planning and laws;

e. Strengthen urban environmental management policies to ensure stable, sustainable, and enduring urban development under conditions of accelerated industrialization and modernization. Implement measures to promote and maintain campaigns for green, clean, and beautiful cities.

Article 2. Based on the overall orientation of urban development planning approved, the Ministry of Construction and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall review the general planning of cities, establish detailed planning for construction areas from phase 1 to 2005 to submit to competent authorities for approval according to current regulations; organize the implementation of project development to comprehensively develop cities in line with the overall socio-economic development planning, overall industrial development planning, and infrastructure structure for the period 1996-2010, and sectoral planning approved by the Prime Minister.

Article 3. The Minister of Construction is responsible for directing the Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities to manage urban construction according to approved planning, ensuring maintenance of order and discipline and bringing urban construction management into a regular pattern.

Article 4. THIS DECISION SHALL TAKE EFFECT 15 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF SIGNATURE.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees under central cities are responsible for implementing this Decision./.