Creating an ecological urban space in western Hanoi.

Clearly define your position for development.

Quoc Oai is one of the suburban districts located in the western part of Hanoi, approximately 18km from the city center. Furthermore, the district enjoys a favorable location as the center of the western districts of the city. Notably, Quoc Oai also benefits from its position in the transitional zone between mountainous and lowland areas, with its terrain fragmented by rivers. Culturally, Quoc Oai boasts a long and rich history with numerous valuable historical sites, scenic spots, traditional craft villages, and renowned folk festivals.

A view of Quoc Oai district. Photo: Tran Dung

According to statistics, Quoc Oai currently has more than 200 relics of various types, of which more than 69 have been classified (31 relics at the ministerial level and 38 relics at the city level); typical examples include famous architectural and sculptural works from the Le and Ly dynasties such as Thay Pagoda, So Temple, Can Temple, Ngoc Than Temple, Phu My Temple, Can Thuong Pagoda…; traditional craft villages with 14 craft villages on Hanoi's list of craft villages, along with traditional folk festivals with many unique cultural features, notably the Thay Pagoda festival, Do singing festival, Ham Rong folk singing festival, Yen Noi wrestling festival…

According to Ngo Van Hung, Head of the Urban Management Department of Quoc Oai District, to concretize the orientations of the Master Plan for the Construction of the Capital City until 2030, with a vision to 2050, and the Master Plan for Hoa Lac urban area until 2030, along with inheriting and selectively developing the contents of the Master Plan for the Construction of Quoc Oai District, the Master Plan for Quoc Oai Ecological Town, and other related construction planning projects, Quoc Oai District has been identifying development drivers and models, thereby proposing appropriate planning targets and solutions for each stage.

Specifically, the district focuses on developing solutions for land use structure, spatial organization, and regional development to meet the goal of strong economic development oriented towards exploiting services, resort tourism, and sightseeing associated with traditional cultural spaces and ecological landscapes; researching the possibility of developing a logistics center for goods distribution, high-tech agriculture, combined with research and training in high science and technology in Hoa Lac urban area, healthcare, and other sectors.

In addition, the district will also orient the spatial development structure of urban and rural areas. It will determine the scope and scale of functional zones within the district. It will organize the architectural and landscape space throughout the district, creating areas with a modern, beautiful, and civilized architectural appearance, combined with the renovation, upgrading, and modernization of existing residential areas.

Regarding transportation structure and technical infrastructure, research will be conducted to ensure synchronicity and uniformity, and to find effective solutions for utilizing existing land to contribute to local economic and social development, support occupational transformation, create jobs for local workers, and align with the urbanization process of the area. In particular, focus will be placed on preserving and promoting the value of historical and cultural relics, scenic spots, and traditional craft villages, and promoting the development of craft village tourism combined with ecotourism and cultural-historical tourism.

Focus on developing urban areas in a green and ecological direction.

Mr. Dam Van Toan, a resident of the New House Urban Area in Quoc Oai town, shared: “I moved here 6 years ago and feel completely comfortable living in an environment with plenty of green spaces and lakes... In addition, there is the Thang Long Boulevard expressway providing quick access to the city center. Especially, this area has increasingly complete infrastructure with a full range of schools from kindergarten, primary to high school; a system of hospitals invested in by the Government and the Ministry of Health, such as the Central Children's Hospital, Branch II; the Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Branch II; and other major projects such as the Natural History Museum...”

It can be said that urban development in Quoc Oai district, oriented towards green and ecological development, still has significant potential. This is due to its proximity to the Capital Region's Ring Road 4 and its central location connecting the inner city of Hanoi with the Hoa Lac High-Tech Park. All of these factors promise to be crucial foundations and conditions for this area to truly take off in the coming years.

Discussing the district's development orientation, Mr. Ngo Van Hung added that, according to the revised master plan of Hanoi City, the western area is designated for the development of a city within the capital. At that time, the Quoc Oai ecological urban area will play a transit role between the central urban area and the western city. To meet the requirements of urban development, the Quoc Oai District Regional Planning Project until 2030, with a vision to 2050, identifies the expansion of an additional 950 hectares to the south within the Quoc Oai district. Of this, the ecological urban area within the district after expansion will be 225 hectares. The corresponding population size is 157,000 people.

According to Mr. Ngo Van Hung, immediately after the Hanoi People's Committee approved the planning task for the Quoc Oai district area until 2030, with a vision to 2050, in January 2023, the district People's Committee coordinated with the Hanoi Institute of Construction Planning to develop the planning project. The district People's Committee organized a workshop and is continuing to finalize the project documents to report to the district People's Committee and implement the next steps according to regulations.

Regarding the difficulties and obstacles related to planning, Mr. Ngo Van Hung stated that the fact that the Hanoi Capital City Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, and the Revised General Planning of Hanoi Capital City to 2045, with a vision to 2065, have not yet been approved by competent authorities has affected the progress of the Quoc Oai District Regional Construction Planning Project. Specifically, the main indicators of the Project have not been finalized, thus lacking a basis for completing the planning scheme...

"To resolve the issue for the district, the city should consider allowing the district to conduct research and prepare a general layout plan at a scale of 1/500; approve the location for the construction of the working headquarters and the investment project for the construction of the headquarters of the agencies in parallel with the process of preparing, appraising, and approving the overall adjustment plan for the expansion of the political-administrative area and the cultural-sports complex of Quoc Oai district, at a scale of 1/500 (which has been submitted to the Department of Planning and Architecture in Report No. 346/TTr-UBND dated December 30, 2022, of the People's Committee of Quoc Oai district)..." - Mr. Ngo Van Hung suggested.

 

According to representatives from the Hanoi Institute of Construction Planning, the driving force for the future development of Quoc Oai district is the presence of urban railway line No. 5 (Van Cao - Hoa Lac) passing through it. Quoc Oai district has great potential for developing a modern urban area following the TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) model around railway stations. From important transportation hubs, service models and population centers will be formed, developing urban areas, commercial zones, tourism and logistics areas in a modern and smart direction...

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/kien-tao-khong-gian-do-thi-sinh-thai-phia-tay-ha-noi.html