Takeaways

• Ha Noi’s new master plan adopts a rare 100-year vision to support sustainable development and long-term prosperity.
• The plan shifts focus from preservation alone to value reconstruction, tackling traffic, flooding, pollution, and urban identity.
• Leaders and experts stress people-centred growth, regional integration, and strong implementation discipline.

Ha Noi is taking a decisive step toward long-term prosperity with a new master plan built on a 100-year vision, far longer than the 20- to 30-year horizons of previous schemes. The strategy aims to create a solid foundation for sustainable urban development while addressing long-standing challenges that have limited the success of earlier plans.

Despite ambitious targets in the past, Ha Noi has struggled with implementation. Chronic traffic congestion, frequent flooding, rising environmental pollution, and the gradual loss of urban identity have continued to weigh on the capital. The new Ha Noi master plan represents a fundamental shift in thinking, moving from simple “preservation and renovation” to “value reconstruction.” By reshaping spatial development, the plan seeks to unlock land resources, create new economic value, and remove infrastructure bottlenecks.

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At a working session with the Standing Board of the Ha Noi Party Committee on January 10, 2026, To Lam emphasized that the 100-year master plan must reflect intelligence, responsibility, and development aspirations. He noted that decisions made today will shape the capital over the next 50 to 100 years. He also outlined seven guiding principles, including integrating Ha Noi into national development strategies, putting people at the centre of planning, balancing modernity with tradition, and ensuring a transparent and inclusive planning process.

Echoing this view, Nguyen Duy Ngoc, Secretary of the Ha Noi City Party Committee, called for stable, comprehensive, and sustainable spatial development proposals. He stressed that the capital’s growth must be viewed within its inter-regional and neighboring relationships, reinforcing Ha Noi’s leading and locomotive role in the national economy.

Deputy Permanent Chairman of the Ha Noi People’s Committee Dang Duc Tuan highlighted the need for the plan to directly address urgent issues such as traffic congestion, flooding, environmental pollution, green space management, public spaces, and population distribution. These pressures, experts say, cannot be solved without a clear long-term framework.

International experience supports this approach. Singapore is often cited as a successful example of long-term urban planning. Its system, led by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, combines long-term strategic planning with detailed land-use plans, reviewed regularly to remain flexible while maintaining scientific rigour.

Local experts believe Ha Noi can draw valuable lessons from its own past as well. Dr Architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem, former director of the city’s planning department, noted that Ha Noi has undergone eight general planning exercises, all of which offer important insights for the current effort. Meanwhile, Architect Tran Ngoc Chinh emphasized the need for a modern, synchronized public transport system, particularly a transit-oriented development model linking satellite cities.

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Developing satellite cities, experts say, can ease inner-city population pressure while supporting a large-scale public transport system and creating balanced ecosystems of jobs and services. Still, challenges remain, including funding constraints, implementation discipline, and the risk of short-term thinking.

With a clear 100-year vision, consistent execution, and safeguards against arbitrary adjustments, Ha Noi’s master plan could become a cornerstone for sustainable growth, preserving heritage, improving quality of life, and positioning the capital for long-term prosperity.

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Source: Nhan Dan