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Hà Nội and the challenge of reorganising urban sidewalks | Vietnam Today
Hà Nội and the challenge of reorganising urban sidewalks | Vietnam Today
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0:00
Now, for decades, Hanoi's pavements have
0:02
served not only as walkways, but also as
0:04
spaces for street vendors and small
0:06
businesses. Now, the city is stepping up
0:08
efforts to reclaim pavements for
0:10
pedestrian. As part of a broader
0:12
campaign to improve urban order and
0:14
civility to help us better understand
0:16
both the importance of this effort and
0:18
the challenges involved, we are now
0:20
joined by Dr. Toqin, a senior planner
0:22
and manager from a Japan engineering
0:24
consultants. First of all, hello and uh
0:27
thank you so much for joining us on
0:28
NewsLine today.
0:30
Now, in your view, what have uh
0:32
sidewalks in Vietnamese cities
0:33
traditionally represented? And why have
0:35
repeated efforts to restore order
0:38
struggled to deliver lasting results?
0:45
Well, for decades, sidewalk in
0:47
Vietnamese city have been far more than
0:49
just transport space. They are unique
0:51
social and economic ecosystems where
0:54
street vendors, small shops, daily
0:56
interactions and lively street life
0:58
creates a distinct energies of an Asian
1:00
cities. This is most cultural identities
1:03
and a major tourist appeal. So the real
1:06
problem is that occupation has gone too
1:08
far. public space have been overly
1:11
privatized by vendors, motorbike
1:13
parking, narrow local interests, often
1:16
taking away pedestrians basic right to
1:18
safe movement, especially for the
1:20
elderly, children, and people with
1:22
disabilities. So many cleanup campaigns
1:26
have failed because they were mostly
1:28
short-term crackdowns, true manuals
1:30
lacking technology, lacking study
1:33
enforcement, and the realistic
1:35
livelihood alternatives. So the true
1:38
challenge is not whether to remove or to
1:40
preserve sidewalk life, but how to
1:43
reorganize it more fairly and
1:45
sustainably.
1:48
>> Really interesting point of view. And so
1:49
Hanoi has recently enforced sidewalk
1:51
order more aggressively under plan 322,
1:54
creating clearer streets, but also
1:57
causing livelihoods laws and spill over
1:59
into alleys and uh reduce street
2:01
character. Uh so in your opinion what
2:03
would be a more balanced way let's say a
2:06
path forward?
2:08
>> Restoring sidewalk order is absolutely
2:10
necessary but since authorities are
2:12
simply removing vendors without
2:14
rebuilding livelihoods informal trades
2:17
are quickly spilling into olives and
2:19
leap over tiny public spaces creating
2:22
new congestion sanitation problems and
2:25
even greater fire evacuation risk. We
2:27
can't solve one group's survival's needs
2:30
by shifting the burden onto others.
2:33
Hanoi should also avoid a
2:35
one-sizefits-all approach because
2:37
different districts serve different
2:39
urban roles. in the old quarters,
2:41
historic areas and tourist zones. Once a
2:44
minimum 1.5 to 2 m pedestrian path is
2:48
secured, some controls street commerce,
2:51
including conditional sidewalk leasing
2:53
can be allowed to preserve local
2:56
correctors. By contrast, non-ourism
2:59
district should focus more on safety,
3:01
mobilities, and convenience. At the same
3:04
time, the city need to expand open or
3:08
semi-sheltered pocket vendor areas that
3:11
can be seen from the street timebased
3:14
vending streets and alternatives
3:16
business clusters such as Singapore
3:18
style hawker centers. So the right
3:21
approach is smart zoning not blanket
3:24
removal I think.
3:27
>> I see. Uh and so how do you assess now
3:29
recently Hanoi's pilot plan uh to lease
3:32
sidewalks in selected qualified areas
3:34
and uh what would you recommend to
3:36
ensure the policy is both effective and
3:38
sustainable?
3:40
>> So experience from Singapore so or Tokyo
3:44
shows that sidewalk business only works
3:46
well when pedestrians rice come first
3:49
while commercial use remains a tightly
3:52
controlled second layer. So, Hanoi is
3:55
moving in the right direction, I think,
3:58
by limiting the leasing policy to wider
4:01
sidewalks, keeping at least 1.5 m for
4:04
pedestrians, and requiring neighborhood
4:06
consensus. However, the current fees are
4:09
still too low, which is undervaluing
4:12
public's assets and simply turning
4:14
informal occupation into cheap paid
4:17
privilege. So the key question is not
4:20
just whether sidewalk can be leased, but
4:23
who gets access and under what rules.
4:26
Hanoi should adopt location-based
4:28
pricing, transparent digital auctions,
4:31
short-term permits with regular review,
4:34
and prioritize smallcale livelihoods
4:37
rather than mainly favoring shopfront
4:39
owners. So if done well, it could mark a
4:42
real shift from short-term crackdowns to
4:45
modern fair urban governance. I think
4:49
>> right. Thank you so much Dr. Tokien for
4:51
joining us on newsine today.
4:52
>> Yes and as Dr. Dian just pointed out
4:55
clearing the sidewalk is not the only
4:57
and simply the solution here. The um
5:00
important part here is to find a balance
5:04
between public order pedestrian rights
5:07
and the livelihoods that have long
5:08
depended on these spaces. Now, across
5:11
the capital, many business owners and
5:13
residents are now adjusting to the
5:15
city's stricter pavement regulations as
5:18
cleaner and more organized streets
5:20
gradually become part of daily life.
5:22
More in the following story.
5:28
Tang and his wife have been running a
5:30
cafe on Latong Street for about 10 years
5:32
now. Until last year, the cafe still
5:35
place tables and chairs on the pavement
5:37
outside for customers to sit and enjoy
5:40
their coffee.
5:42
Customers now have to either order and
5:44
head upstairs or get their drinks to go.
5:49
>> Customers who specifically prefer
5:50
sitting downstairs will simply leave.
5:52
I'm getting older now and there have
5:54
been a lot of changes, so of course at
5:56
first it felt unfamiliar and made
5:58
running the business a bit difficult,
6:00
but things will eventually fall into
6:02
place. Everyone has to adapt.
6:11
If you are on the streets of Hanoi, you
6:13
will see yellow lines like these on the
6:15
pavements. This side is for parking
6:17
motorcycles and this side for
6:19
pedestrians to walk on.
6:25
The pedestrian streets around Juan Gim
6:27
Lake have truly returned to their
6:28
intended purpose for pedestrians. The
6:31
roads are no longer occupied by street
6:33
vendors or any other form of business
6:35
activity.
6:37
Some came to Hanoi with his family for a
6:39
visit and also noticed the change.
6:44
>> It's absolutely wonderful, clean and
6:46
tidy compared to the last time I was
6:48
here more than 30 years ago. Is at least
6:51
30 to 50 times cleaner.
6:57
Urban civility has improved
6:59
significantly and residents have
7:01
proactively adapted to the changes. In
7:03
the long run, people will clearly see a
7:06
cleaner, more beautiful, and more
7:08
civilized city.
7:10
A new habit in the way people use and
7:13
treat pavements is gradually being
7:14
rebuilt. Clearing the pavements is no
7:17
longer just a short-term campaign. It is
7:19
gradually bringing back the truly
7:21
beautiful and peaceful image of the
7:23
capital.
