Why is it difficult to integrate transportation oriented development into existing urban settings

A street in Hanoi is flooded after heavy rains. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Alongside urbanisation , flooding in cities of Vietnam, a country highly vulnerable to climate change, is getting complicated and needs concerted solutions, according to experts. There are more than 800 cities nationwide, including the two special municipalities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Big and populous cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Vinh of Nghe An province have frequently suffered from heavy losses caused by downpours and flooding. Nguyen Van Tien, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said Vietnamese cities, especially major ones, are centres of economic, social, and cultural activities and also concentrations of infrastructure facilities and residential areas. They are exposed to many disaster risks, including flooding, which requires proactive preventive and timely response measures. … [Read more...] about Urban flooding needs concerted solutions

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the ministries to quickly resolve the relevant issues to keep the ring road project moving forward as planned. Hanoi and the two provinces of Bac Ninh and Hung Yen have made big progress in land clearance for the construction of the Ring Road 4, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on January 27. Prime Minister talks to local people that live in the area of the Ring Road 4 on January 27. Photo: Vietnam News Agency At the moment, Hanoi municipal  authorities have developed a land clearance plan for the whole 58.2-kilometer stretch of the ring road that runs through Hanoi. The capital has relocated almost two fifths of all the graves found along the ring road. Hung Yen Province has cleared land in Van Giang, Khoai Chau, Yen My and Van Lam districts and moved almost 16% of all graves along the ring road. Meanwhile, Bac Ninh Province does not have a plan to relocate graves and cemeteries in the project area, but Bac Ninh … [Read more...] about Prime Minister praises Ring Road 4 project’s land clearance

The Ministry of Construction (MoC) has set a target of raising the urbanisation ratio of the country to 53.9 per cent in 2023. Apartments in Hanoi. In 2022, Vietnam's urbanisation ratio increased by 1.2 per cent to 41.7 per cent. According to head of the MoC Office Đậu Minh Thanh, urban planning, management and development has been defined as one of the three breakthrough stages of the sector. In 2022, the country's urbanisation ratio increased by 1.2 percentage points to 41.7 per cent, he noted, adding that in the year, the ministry recognised five areas as tier-4 urban areas. As of November 2022, the country had 888 urban areas, including two special-type areas, 22 tier-1, 33 tier-2, 47 tier-3 and 94 tier-4 urban areas. Thanh said that in 2023, the ministry will focus on implementing the Government's action plan to realise Resolution No.06-NQ/BCT on sustainable urban planning, construction, management and development until 2030 with a vision to … [Read more...] about Urbanisation ratio expected to reach 53.9 per cent in 2023

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the scale of the Vietnamese retail market is USD 142 billion, which is expected to reach USD 350 billion in 2025, with contribution of 59% to total GDP. Last year, the total revenue from retail sales of goods and services rose 21%, exceeding the target of 8%. A survey by Vietnam Report showed that over 53.8% of total retail firms enjoyed similar and higher business results compared to the pre-pandemic level. Experts held that growth of retail sales is being supported by rise in income and the strong recovery of the tourism sector as well as relevant sectors such as transport and accommodations, as well as the effectiveness of inflation control measures. Particularly, from now to the lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, which falls in late January, consumers are predicted to loosen their wallet dramatically. At the same time, there are signs of vibrant retail activities as many foreign investors have announced their plans to … [Read more...] about Retail market forecast to bustle this year

Between VND150-200 trillion ($6.4-8.5 billion) in bonds are set to mature this year, and if the bond market is left to self-regulate, systemic risks could spread to the banking sector and the entire financial market, Cuong told VnExpress in an interview. Although Vietnam concluded 2022 with a strong post-pandemic recovery, several financial problems plagued the economy last year, among them bond market issues . As there were many high-profile arrests due to alleged misconduct in bond issuance, companies prematurely redeemed VND210.57 trillion worth of their own bonds last year, up 46% from 2021. Although the market could be left to fix its own problems, Cuong said that it is recommended that the government intervenes with policies to ensure post-pandemic recovery, as one problem in the market could shake the market in a major way this year. He added that in the 2008 financial crisis, the U.S. government initially let the market corrects itself, but after Lehman Brothers … [Read more...] about Vietnam government should intervene in bond market: ADB economist