Developing public spaces in urban areas.

Dubbed the "most livable city," Da Nang has made its mark with outstanding achievements in urban planning, infrastructure, and quality of life. One of the factors contributing to this urban landscape is its public spaces.

APEC Park has transcended its role as a mere "check-in" spot to become a multi-functional public space, hosting various activities such as exhibitions, seminars, and community gatherings. Photo: DANG MINH

Public spaces are not merely auxiliary areas or leftover spaces between architectural structures; they are core elements that contribute to shaping urban identity and fostering community cohesion.

From commendable efforts...

Da Nang has made significant efforts in investing in and developing public spaces, such as APEC Park, East Sea Park, March 29th Square, Bach Dang pedestrian street, and the coastal sidewalks along Truong Sa and Vo Nguyen Giap roads. These locations are not only tourist destinations or venues for cultural and artistic activities, but also community spaces where people can relax, meet, and connect in their daily lives.

In particular, APEC Park has transcended its role as a mere "check-in" point to become a multi-functional public space, hosting various activities such as exhibitions, seminars, and community gatherings.

The area along the Han River, the "backbone" of the city, has also been systematically developed with a system of walking paths, pedestrian streets, and riverside parks, contributing to improving the quality of life and expanding outdoor living spaces for urban residents.

In 2025, the city continues to affirm its commitment to developing public spaces through large-scale projects. Among these, the renovation project of 29/3 Park, with an investment of nearly 673 billion VND, aims to create a model ecological, cultural, and community space.

At the same time, two important projects, the city center square (covering over 16 hectares) and the Han River waterfront park (with an investment of nearly 1,400 billion VND), have also been approved, expected to create more green spaces and open areas, connecting key urban areas of Da Nang .

...to the "bottlenecks" that are not yet easy to overcome.

The development of public spaces in Da Nang has achieved many successes, but also faces many challenges, especially in the context of rapid urbanization.

According to Dr. Tran Dinh Hieu, a lecturer in the Faculty of Architecture (Da Nang University of Technology), one of the core problems is the lack of initial planning in old residential areas, leading to a haphazard arrangement of public spaces and development in a "natural" manner – utilizing whatever land is available. Under the pressure of urbanization, these areas focus only on upgrading transportation infrastructure and housing, neglecting community facilities such as playgrounds, parks, or small squares.

Traditional public spaces such as village communal houses and community centers have not received adequate attention, leaving residents' needs for social interaction and gathering unmet. Furthermore, current public space designs are often monotonous, lacking amenities, and fail to engage the community and experts from the planning stage.

According to Mr. Tran Dinh Hieu, public space is not just empty space, but must be a living part of the city. Therefore, planning needs to be guided by the practical needs and living culture of residents and tourists.

If these spaces are not properly invested in and utilized effectively, it will not only waste land but also negatively impact the urban landscape and aesthetics. He also warned against the "concretization" phenomenon, where designs use too many industrial materials, lacking harmony with the landscape and local identity.

Despite its natural advantages of rivers, seas, and mountains, Da Nang has not yet effectively exploited these elements in public space planning. "Public spaces should be connected to the coastline and riverbanks, interspersed within residential areas; that's how to create a unique urban identity for Da Nang," Mr. Hieu emphasized.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Cuu Loan, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Da Nang Urban Planning and Development Association, believes that current public space projects are still largely superficial, lacking practical surveys and dialogue with the community. "As a result, many projects are ineffective, and some even disrupt the existing landscape," Mr. Loan stated.

Economic pressures and the need for urban expansion have also led to a shrinking of land allocated for public spaces, giving way to commercial projects. Many areas that once served the community have been repurposed, creating an imbalance between economic benefits and the quality of life for residents.

A strategy for developing public spaces is needed.

Experts suggest that Da Nang needs a people-centered public space development strategy based on "collaboration and co-management." Accordingly, some key solutions include: planning public spaces according to reasonable accessibility radii; prioritizing the reuse of undeveloped public land for public spaces; and integrating cultural, educational, and tourism elements through organizing activities and events in public spaces.

In particular, the "co-management" model, involving the community, businesses, and government, will help public spaces meet practical needs, thereby improving their efficiency and sustainability.

Many experts share the view that the development of public spaces in Da Nang needs to be considered within a modern urban mindset, incorporating lessons learned from international models. Based on this foundation, the city can develop principles for designing multifunctional, creative, and sustainable public spaces, contributing to shaping the city's identity in the new context.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/phat-develop-khong-gian-cong-cong-o-do-thi-3299580.html