Dreaming of a livable city in Hai Duong.

Việt Nam•30/01/2025

Unique identity

From the bustling and noisy capital city of Hanoi , anyone who sets foot in Hai Duong City will immediately feel that it is a green and peaceful city. From the Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway, entering Hai Duong City via the southern gateway, the wide, clean dual carriageway, lined with bauhinia flowers along the median strip, leads to a city that is not overly large but truly tranquil.

The Sat River and Thai Binh River flow through the city, while Binh Minh Lake and Bach Dang Lake are nestled within its heart, bringing freshness to the living space and easing the hustle and bustle of a rapidly developing metropolis.

Looking at the city as a Class I urban area today, Dr. Nguyen Tien Hoa, Chairman of the Hai Duong Provincial Construction Association, said: "If Hai Duong City continues to maintain the three criteria that have shaped the identity of Thanh Dong urban area in recent years—green, clean, and peaceful—then it will be the right and very valuable direction."

Mr. Hoa believes that Hai Duong city has retained its "rural" charm over the years, with a remarkably peaceful lifestyle, unlike larger cities. He argues that this is the very essence that defines Hai Duong's unique identity and is the criterion for providing a high quality of life for its residents.

“Living in Hai Duong is very pleasant. Hai Duong city is peaceful, with lots of greenery, and the people are friendly. Moreover, the cost of living here is very reasonable, the roads are not congested, the food and beverage services are quite developed, and it doesn't feel chaotic or stressful like other big cities,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, who left Hanoi to return to her hometown of Hai Duong a few years ago and is very satisfied.

Many architecture and construction experts at the consultation and feedback workshop on the draft "Adjustment of the Hai Duong Provincial Urban Development Program to 2030" in October 2024 suggested that Hai Duong urban areas need a distinct character in the future. Experts argued that more methods are needed to assess the current state of Hai Duong urban areas; the current urban status is inseparable from the rural areas, and this relationship will create a unique identity for the province. Furthermore, an assessment of the relationship between Hai Duong urban areas and surrounding urban areas is necessary to help envision the future urban system...

Smart, modern city

Urban areas have always been centers of politics , economics, and culture with strong influence, making important contributions to the comprehensive development of the region. Hai Duong City, from a vaguely defined capital in the years before the reforms when the two provinces of Hai Duong and Hung Yen shared the same name, has developed very rapidly after the reforms.

Since the separation of Hai Duong and Hung Yen provinces (in 1997), Hai Duong City has gradually taken shape with all the basic "elements" of an urban center. Construction projects have flourished, from the city stadium, theater, and cinema, to the establishment and upgrading of businesses. The healthcare system includes the Provincial General Hospital and the Traditional Medicine Hospital. Colleges have been upgraded to universities; industrial clusters have been formed; and services include shopping centers… The streets and neighborhoods have taken on a more modern appearance.

Particularly since the 2000s, with the opening of the market mechanism, the 10 programs and 32 projects of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee have brought about significant changes in the province across many fields. And as Hai Duong is identified as the central region of the Red River Delta, part of the key economic triangle of the North comprising Hanoi-Hai Phong-Quang Ninh, the socio-economic development of the province and the city of Hai Duong in general have expanded significantly.

Currently, some orientations and development goals for major cities, which are driving forces of the province, have been basically completed or completed ahead of schedule, such as upgrading Hai Duong City to a type I urban area, establishing Chi Linh City, and upgrading Kinh Mon town to a type III urban area...

Hai Duong currently has 16 urban areas. The urbanization rate has reached approximately 42%, nearly meeting the target of 45% set by the Provincial Party Committee's Resolution for 2025.

Notably, Hai Duong City, the only Class I urban area, has undergone a significant transformation with the expansion of its urban space and the synchronized development of technical and socio-economic infrastructure. Initially, several new urban areas have been formed, linked to the investment in public spaces and landmark architectural projects, such as the Ecorivers riverside ecological urban area, the Phu Quy urban area, and the new urban area south of Hai Duong City. These projects have contributed to changing the urban landscape of Hai Duong and have also become tourist and recreational destinations for people from within and outside the province.

The basic technical infrastructure system in urban areas is given attention, especially the transportation infrastructure system, which is invested in to ensure connectivity within and outside the region, meeting the requirements of socio-economic development.

In the newly approved Hai Duong Provincial Master Plan, urban development is identified as one of the province's five key strategic pillars, aiming to promote the construction and development of green, modern, and smart urban areas to improve the quality of life for residents. The economic development axis runs along the rivers, with a focus on the Thai Binh River, along with the development of urban spaces integrated with river spaces and harmonized with nature.

The potential of the dense network of rivers such as the Luc Dau River, Thai Binh River, Kinh Thay River, Luoc River, Sat River, Cuu An River, Huong River, Dinh Dao River, etc., will also be unlocked.

Currently, there are several riverside residential and urban areas such as Ecorivers, the new urban area north of Han Bridge bordering the Thai Binh River… and other planned ecological urban areas. These rivers not only possess great cultural and historical values but also play an important role in socio-economic development and create unique landscape values.

"Urban development orientation has been synchronized and visionary. However, in addition to preserving the identity of a green, clean, and peaceful city, a smart, modern city is not just about having cameras installed everywhere, widespread internet access, or skyscrapers springing up everywhere, but also about being a livable place, suitable for all people in Hai Duong, meeting the needs of everyone from young to old, all demographics," shared Dr. Nguyen Tien Hoa.

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Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/mo-ve-do-thi-hai-duong-dang-song-400969.html