Flipping through Resolution No. 02 of the Politburo on "Building and Developing Hanoi in the New Era," issued on March 17, 2026, one is surprised to find that these lines of text are not at all dry, but carry the breath of life and the fervent dreams of a cultured, civilized, modern, and happy capital city.
Hanoians possess a unique character: an underlying pride in their historical depth, yet a constant yearning for innovation to reach new heights, befitting their position as the heart of the nation. This Hanoi spirit is not only reflected in their elegant appearance but also in their ability to confront chronic bottlenecks and create a more vibrant and transparent new image. Resolution No. 2 affirms that we will no longer see a suffocating, densely packed city of soulless concrete blocks, but instead a multi-polar, multi-centered structure where people and nature rediscover a strong connection.
For generations, the Red River has silently deposited its alluvial soil, nourishing the lush green mulberry fields, the vibrant peach orchards of Nhat Tan, and the radiant kumquat gardens of Tu Lien every spring. However, a sad paradox is that we have turned our backs on our Mother River for far too long. The new resolution has established a historical vision, making the Red River the central ecological and cultural landscape axis. The river will no longer be a dividing line between city and countryside, but will become the facade of development. Imagine a soft, green ribbon running through the heart of the city, where world-class cultural parks spring up alongside preserved natural ecosystems on the alluvial plains. This is a revolution in spatial thinking, transforming Hanoi into a green city, where the cultural essence of villages within the city is celebrated as part of its heritage, yet operates within a smart and modern governance system.
I suddenly remembered the tinkling of tram bells along Kham Thien Street or Hoan Kiem Lake. Those bells represented the rhythm of life and the transportation culture of old Hanoi. Now, that tinkling will be replaced by the smooth running of modern underground trains. With the goal of completing the first 100km of urban railway by 2030, Hanoi is reshaping a new civilized lifestyle based on the TOD model – urban development integrated with public transportation. This is not simply a story of rails and train carriages, but the creation of a 15-minute urban model. Imagine, with just a 15-minute walk or bike ride from Metro stations, residents can access all essential services from schools and hospitals to parks and convenience stores. This model not only frees people from smog and traffic jams but also returns to Hanoians their most precious asset: time to live and to love.
At these transit points, a novel concept called the low-level economy will also flourish. Low-level space – from the ground up to an altitude of about 300m – will become the runway for drone delivery services, flying taxis, or unmanned devices, making Hanoi a pioneering city in civil aviation infrastructure. The fast-paced life of high technology will intertwine with community cultural spaces, where people can still stop to share a fragrant cup of lotus tea, preserving the tradition of camaraderie amidst the relentless flow of digitalization. When the sun sets, Hanoi will don the vibrant cloak of the night economy. No longer just a few isolated pedestrian streets, the night economy will be a vibrant ecosystem from underground entertainment complexes to floating markets on the Red River, where the lights never go out and the flow of money never stops, transforming the capital into the region's sleepless city.
The brightest and most humane aspect of the future roadmap is caring for all generations of residents, especially through a silver economy strategy. Hanoi is aging, but it is a dynamic aging. Resolution 02 aims to develop specialized services, healthcare, and living spaces for the elderly, transforming the experience and knowledge of the "elderly of Thang An" into a valuable resource for society. These elderly people will no longer be confined within four walls, but will become cultural leaders in TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) areas, and beneficiaries of the highest-tech healthcare services.
The target of GRDP growth exceeding 11% annually is essentially a guarantee of a happier and more prosperous life for every resident. The capital city will not only be an administrative center, but also a hub for the convergence and dissemination of national intellectual excellence. Technology valleys in Hoa Lac and concentrated university urban areas will be where young people continue to pursue their intellectual dreams, closely linked to the preservation of traditional crafts that are undergoing rapid modernization. There, culture will no longer be something to be displayed in museum cases, but will become a living asset, an intrinsic driving force for the cultural and tourism industries to achieve international breakthroughs.
The brilliance of the future design outlined in Resolution No. 02 lies in the establishment of unique and superior institutions. Hanoi will be a sandbox for big ideas, a testing ground for innovative policy mechanisms, from low-level economies to the digital economy. We will attract leading global experts to contribute, and multinational corporations to establish their headquarters, while still maintaining our elegant, civilized, and compassionate character. The true spirit of Hanoians in this new era lies in the harmonious balance between using digital data for urban management and preserving warmth in interpersonal relationships.
Looking ahead to 2045, or even a century into the future, we envision a happy global city. It's a place where quality of life is measured by the smiles of elderly people strolling leisurely through riverside parks, and by the radiant confidence in the eyes of children studying in internationally accredited schools right in their hometown. Hanoi will no longer have its suffocating bottlenecks, but will be a globally connected city, proud yet retaining the tranquility of autumn afternoons fragrant with the scent of milk flowers.
This great journey is not a distant dream drawn on paper, but is beginning right now, stemming from the consensus and passionate love that every Hanoian has for this land. Resolution No. 2 is the guiding lighthouse, but we are the ones directly steering that ship. When faith is strengthened, when mechanisms are streamlined, and love is strong enough, Hanoi will surely rise, not only to become more beautiful in the eyes of international friends, but to become the most peaceful and happy haven for all future generations.
Late in the afternoon, as the lights began to twinkle on the modern Nhat Tan Bridge, casting their reflections onto the swirling Red River, I secretly believed that the symphony of Hanoi in this new era had truly begun. It is a symphony of boundless creativity, of state-of-the-art infrastructure, yet still brimming with rich cultural notes. A happy Hanoi is within our reach.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tam-nhin-kien-tao-thu-do-hanh-phuc-741870.html
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