Hà Nội sets out to transform Red River landscape | Vietnam Today

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0:00In the focus of this hour, we turn our

0:02attention to Hanoi's bold plan to

0:05transform the Red River landscape. This

0:07is a 12-year mega project that was

0:09approved by the Hanoi People's Council

0:12on May 11th and estimated at around 29

0:16billion US dollars. Definitely. And this

0:18very exciting and ambitious plan has

0:22quickly become one of the most talked

0:24about urban development stories and it's

0:26easy to see why.

0:29Covering over 11,400

0:32hectares across 16 communes and wards of

0:34the capital, the Red River Scenic

0:36Boulevard project can easily be

0:39described as a mega project. And in

0:41Hanoi's 100-year vision, the Red River

0:44is identified as the backbone of the

0:46city's urban structure. So, what exactly

0:49is this project set to deliver?

0:53A first, stronger flood prevention

0:55through a modern hydrological management

0:57system.

1:00And second, better connectivity with two

1:03boulevards stretching more than 80

1:05kilometers along both riverbanks,

1:07supported by new bridges, river crossing

1:10tunnels, and notably, waterway transport

1:12will also be promoted through tourism

1:15wharfs along the river.

1:17And this transport network would connect

1:19large-scale urban areas including around

1:223,000 hectares planned for urban renewal

1:25and resettlement, expected to

1:27accommodate up to about 1.2 million

1:30people.

1:32And the residents would benefit from

1:34improved living conditions as the

1:35project also promises more public space

1:38and greener landscapes with 11 connected

1:41parks covering about 3,300 hectares

1:45alongside restored wetlands and native

1:47riverbank ecosystems.

1:49And beyond the infrastructure, the

1:51project also proposes several new

1:54landmarks blending modern development

1:56with traditional values. And notable are

1:59the Long Bien Bridge Museum, a theme

2:02park preserving Nhat Tan's peach growing

2:04area, and Quang Ba's kumquat gardens, or

2:07new residential areas combined with

2:09craft-based parks in Bat Trang pottery

2:11village.

2:12And once completed, the Red River Scenic

2:15Boulevard is expected to become a major

2:18tourism destination, welcoming around 15

2:21to 20 million visitors a year.

2:24And so, the vision is highly ambitious,

2:27but with that ambition also comes

2:29complexity. And a mega project of this

2:32scale will certainly affect communities,

2:34heritage, livelihoods, and the natural

2:37environment. And so, what must Hanoi do

2:40to get it right? And to further discuss

2:43this, we're joined by Dr. Thong Nguyen,

2:45senior planner and manager at A Japan

2:48Engineering Consultants in Tokyo, and a

2:50leading expert on Vietnam's public

2:52spaces. Welcome to Newsline, Doctor. So,

2:55the Red River project could reshape

2:57Hanoi for decades to come. So, what core

3:00principles should guide a mega project

3:03of this scale?

3:09Well, thanks for having me.

3:11The 11,000 hectare Red River corridor is

3:14far more than urban renewal or real

3:16estate mega projects. It is a strategic

3:19restructuring of Hanoi for the 21st

3:21centuries. That means it must follow an

3:23adaptive framework that puts climate

3:26resilience, flood safety, social

3:28well-being above short-term commercial

3:30gains.

3:31I believe the project should rest on

3:33three pillars. First, green ecological

3:37infrastructures,

3:38using sponge city solutions, natural

3:41flood plains, soft embankment instead of

3:44heavy concreting. Second, quality

3:47waterfront public spaces that support

3:49daily life and well-being.

3:51And third, [clears throat] social

3:52equity, ensuring safe housing and

3:54livelihoods from the start.

3:56If any pillar is missing, Hanoi risks

3:59long-term problems that future

4:01generation may struggle to reserve as

4:04quick profits could cost the city its

4:06safety, identity, and future

4:08competitiveness.

4:10And so, from your extensive experience

4:13working in Japan and on Asian

4:15megacities, what lessons are most

4:17relevant for this project?

4:23I think Hanoi should adapt a smart

4:25hybrid model, both development inspired

4:27by Seoul, but grounded in Tokyo's

4:30discipline in managing water. Seoul

4:32showed the power of urban

4:34transformation, turning the Han River

4:37into vibrant center of public life,

4:39economic growth, and modern landscapes.

4:42But it also offers a warning. Relying

4:45too heavily on hard infrastructures and

4:48trying to overpower nature creates a

4:51serious risk, as seen in 2022 floods.

4:55Tokyo follows a different philosophy,

4:57co-living with water. So, through

4:59layers, flood defenses, careful

5:02controls, and long-term planning, it

5:04treats flood risk as a constant reality.

5:08So, the goal is not to copy either

5:11model, but to adapt their best lesson to

5:14the Red River's unique condition.

5:16Hanoi can pursue Seoul's dynamic but it

5:21must protect natural flood zones and

5:23ecological balance with Tokyo's tight

5:26disciplines, I think.

5:29And so, how can Hanoi ensure riverside

5:31communities are shielded from the

5:33negative impacts and are able to benefit

5:36from the project?

5:43Around 200,000 riverside residents and

5:45their homes are certainly not just out

5:47on a map. They are living communities

5:50and livelihood networks built over

5:52generations. Hanoi must move beyond

5:55simply clearance toward inclusive

5:58regeneration, not mass relocation, but a

6:01smart tiered approach. So, high-risk

6:04areas should be relocated based on clear

6:07flood data, while safer zones

6:10can be upgraded and restructured in

6:13place.

6:14Traditional villages like Bat Trang and

6:16Yen Tan should be treated as strategic

6:19cultural and economic assets.

6:21Most importantly, resettlement can't

6:24simply mean moving people into suburban

6:26apartment blocks.

6:28It must protect livelihoods and social

6:30networks as a whole. Residents should

6:33become real partners in planning and

6:36share the benefits of developments.

6:39So, true success is modernizing the Red

6:43River without losing a sort of soul and

6:46cultural identity.

6:50Thank you, doctor, for sharing with us

6:51your insights.

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Hà Nội sets out to transform Red River landscape | Vietnam Today