Building smart cities: Need a methodical roadmap and synchronous implementation solutions

In the context of the 4.0 industrial revolution and the trend of sustainable urbanization, the smart urban model is considered a strategic solution to improve the quality of governance and urban life.

Ho Chi Minh City strives to become a smart city by 2030.

However, to realize the goal of building smart cities, cities in Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, need to develop a methodical roadmap and have synchronous implementation solutions.

Urgent requirement

In the new era of development, with the explosion of the 4.0 industrial revolution, building smart cities is no longer a future idea but has become an urgent requirement, an important driving force to promote the sustainable development of Vietnamese cities.

In Ho Chi Minh City, this locality has set a goal of striving to become a smart city by 2030, a nucleus that creates spreading power and is a locomotive for economic development in the southern region as well as the whole country.

Delegates visit booths displaying digital transformation solutions at the digital transformation festival held in Ho Chi Minh City.

During the 2020-2025 term, Ho Chi Minh City has three breakthrough programs and one key program for city development, of which the first Breakthrough Program is the Breakthrough Program for Innovation in Ho Chi Minh City Management.

With the goal of the city quickly implementing digital transformation, perfecting digital government, and building the city into a smart city, the locality has launched two specific programs: the Project to Build Ho Chi Minh City into a Smart City and the Digital Transformation Program of Ho Chi Minh City.

According to the Project to Build Ho Chi Minh City into a Smart City, the city has a vision: "Ho Chi Minh City will have a relatively high and sustainable economic development, on the basis of best exploiting resources, with people being the center of the city".

In particular, four main service objects are identified: For the city government, smart cities will meet the need for more accurate development forecasting and through the construction of e-government, lay the foundation for connecting and sharing data information to increase operational efficiency in all aspects and fields of operation.

Training high-quality human resources to meet the smart urban goals of Ho Chi Minh City.

For citizens, smart cities help provide utilities to support people in making decisions more optimally, enhancing interaction between the government and citizens so that people can participate in city management as "social sensors".

For businesses, smart cities will create a transparent, simple, and convenient operating environment, providing a lot of information for businesses to make accurate business decisions, thereby creating a competitive advantage for businesses compared to other areas...

To build the city into a smart city, the city has identified four key, pillar solutions: Building a data warehouse; building a forecasting simulation center; building a smart city operations center; and establishing an information security center for the city.

Mr. Vo Minh Thanh, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology

For social organizations, create a feedback channel so that these units can participate more effectively in the process of providing services to the city.

According to Mr. Vo Minh Thanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City, to build the city into a smart city, the city has identified four key and pillar solutions: Building a shared data warehouse and developing the city's open data ecosystem; building a simulation center to forecast and build the city's socio-economic development strategy; building a smart city operations center; and establishing an information security center for the city.

Need a synchronized solution

To build smart cities, urban areas in Vietnam are currently facing many challenges. Specifically, there is a lack of specialized legal corridors; difficulty in building databases; lack of “smart” human resources; limited funding…

Ho Chi Minh City students participate in the contest to build smart schools in Ho Chi Minh City.

Architect Ngo Anh Vu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Urban Planning, said: To plan, construct and operate a smart city, smart technology, smart people and smart interactions are needed.

“Smart” people must master modern technology to develop and operate smart public services, have in-depth knowledge of information and communication technology, and have the ability to manage and analyze data…

In addition, these workers need to be able to adapt to rapid changes in technology and the business environment. However, the labor market in Vietnam is seriously lacking in high-quality workers with university and vocational education degrees and practical skills in “numbers”. Labor productivity is also not high even though they are considered to be creative, intelligent and hardworking.

Displaying 4.0 technology solutions at TMA Company, Quang Trung Software Park, Ho Chi Minh City.

To overcome the above limitations, experts say that Vietnam needs to develop a set of standards for urban planning and development according to "smart" criteria and develop a unit price for smart planning.

Vietnam needs to develop a set of standards for urban planning and development according to "smart" criteria, and develop a unit price for smart planning.

This set of criteria will be a unified national orientation and assessment tool to help localities avoid fragmented and unsynchronized investment; at the same time, build a national shared database platform, divided into fields, open; boldly create an environment for testing urban model laboratories (sand boxes).

To encourage innovation, relevant agencies need to establish controlled experimentation policy frameworks. These are safe legal environments that allow businesses, research institutes and start-ups to test new digital-based products, services and business models without being constrained by existing regulations.

Architect Ngo Anh Vu also believes that “smart” planning is no longer an option but an inevitable requirement for Vietnam in the next stage of development corresponding to the development of the “digital” age.

Smart planning is a strategic lever to help Vietnam address the inherent challenges of urbanization, optimize resources and enhance national competitiveness.

Visitors experience virtual technologies held in Ho Chi Minh City.

CAO TAN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/xay-dung-do-thi-thong-minh-can-lo-trinh-bai-ban-va-giai-phap-thuc-hien-dong-bo-post907062.html