Phu My Hung urban area development project from city planning perspective

he project of building Phu My Hung urban area in an overall project of developing the southern area of the city with a plan which was established many years ago in the situation different from the current situation in many aspects . The project has achieved a lot of success and Phu My Hung urban area has become the model urban area of Vietnam . The roles of urban planning schemes are clear , which express the investors’ ideas , vision and determination in implementation. Thereby, it may indicate that the involvement from the beginning of the investors who have prestige and honour will make the planning project feasible

From project concept to a feasible plan :

In early 1990s , there was no legal basis, especially the guideline of the Ministry of Construction about establishing city planning projects was very sketchy. All of this was to set up a planning scheme mainly related to the norms of population, land for constructions of technical and social infrastructure with an impatient desire in city planning without paying much attention to financial viability , feasibility and especially to the social chaos that may occur in the implementation of the planning process .

SOM was invited by the investor, Phu My Hung company, to be the consultant for the project of the new urban area in the southern part of the city . This is one of the professional consulting unit , so the research is favorable and the project has good quality.

Asso. Prof. Nguyễn Trọng Hòa – Director, HCMC R & D Institute

The urban planning project was constructed by SOM with strategic vision , full study on the economic, social and environmental aspects , with new ideas compared to limited standard systems and norms of Vietnam . Moreover, the content of the planning project implied a hidden important factor, an investor having financial viability and management capability to implement the project. Looking back at the beginning when the investor already had certain ideas of investment in the project , i.e. the project had to be feasible.

Therefore, it can be said that the planning project by SOM is a good plan , having good content and meaningful breakthroughs , being studied with international standard , satisfying the interests of the government , the people and the investors . Consequently, it increased the ability to implement in reality , creating favourable conditions to facilitate the management of urban development planning .

Ho Chi Minh City is one of the first cities in the country that carried out research to call for investment in new urban areas in order to create dynamics on city reform and development . The decision to have investment in the development of South Saigon new urban area and the Nguyen Van Linh axis, in which the core area was Phu My Hung urban area, showed the strategic vision of the authorities, people and investors. The expansion of Ho Chi Minh City to the south, overlooking the Chinese Sea , an area of 3600 hectares located in the 4 districts was included in the city planning.

The implementation of the project according to the approved plan was carried out scientifically in parallel with determination and business strategy :

After nearly 20 years of development , along with concerns about land management , project management … Phu My Hung new urban area has been recognized as the “model urban area ” of the country.

Firstly, it is due to the breakthrough of HCMC city planning management, thereby broke the rigid concept about the boundaries of the urban plan which must follow the administrative boundaries, particularly those of district – ward . The planning of Phu My Hung was not limited by these boundaries , creating conditions to promote the current advantages of the region as well as achieving the design standards of modern urban planning .

In terms of transport and infrastructure which is the most important factor in the process of urban development , Nguyen Van Linh Avenue was rebuilt (with 14 lanes for both ways, the middle area was for heavy public transport routes). This was the first step of implementation as planned by PMH . The route demonstrated the strategic vision of the project .

Particularly Phu My Hung new urban area, a joint venture between CT & D from Taiwan (territory of China ) and IPC Tan Thuan, is the new urban center firstly built with the size of about 450 hectares , with the full functionality to become the international center of finance, trade, services , housing , entertainment , culture , science , high technology and tourism not only serves for Ho Chi Minh City but also for the neighboring provinces in the region . The remaining urban areas in the municipality chain is gradually being built.

In more specific scope , the work of implementing the project under planning in the Phu My Hung new urban area can be analyzed through some of the following aspects :

Developing technical and social infrastructure strategically :

Implementing the items of Nguyen Van Linh Avenue , Tan Thuan Processing Zone , Hiep Phuoc power plant , schools , health districts , hospitals … is a good vision for long-term success . Initially there were public works , recreation which attracted the attention of the community.

Fast and simple implementation. Most of the works, projects were implemented or organized or called for investment quickly . Partly due to good financial capacity and management capability of Phu My Hung , partly due to attracting big investors, such as Unilever , Vinamilk, etc. which has financial stability to carry out the project on schedule and ensure the rules and regulations , contributing to the formation of a common face of the urban area .

However, new residential areas is an important component of Phu My Hung new urban area . It can be somewhat coincident with the circumstances , actual condition of the city in the time of forming these areas:

At that time, the design model of a modern residential areas , ensuring the norms of green trees, good traffic, civilized community , synchronous architecture … attracted the attention of a big part of the population which began to feel the living conditions in the old areas outdated , cramped and lack of public utilities. This led to the simultaneous development of the areas planned to be housing , including lowrises and even high-rises .

Setting construction limits in favor of public space at the same time increasing the benefits for the community and contributing to reserve land, especially the areas adjacent to the river . This can be seen as a good view or experience in the urban development of the investor . It is this point that brings the humanity characteristic to the urban area, enhances the community values that most of the other projects could not implement thoroughly as in the case of Phu My Hung

Unique architectural style and quality for most of the construction work . Besides logical urban planning schemes, properly adjusted in accordance with the general situation , there is a consideration , carefully design for each project to search for a specific and modern architecture , which is in harmony with the way of life of the Vietnamese people. The secondary investors themselves are also aware of the high values of the construction , so most of the architectures here are carefully designed by famous designers .

In the process of construction and development , it is not difficult to see the processes and management , planning design , construction technology , building materials selection in Phu My Hung new urban area which apply modern solutions and always have improvement. Besides international standards and design are applied. This reflects the sensitivity and level of the management.

There are still challenges

One of the success of urban development management in HCMC may include the Phu My Hung urban area in the new urban area in the southern part of the city . This is a fairly typical example of a strategic vision for urban development , an urban planning project which was studied quite well by a qualified consulting firm (SOM – U.S.A. ) .

Besides the role of the investors which not only have financial capacity but also have experience in project management and development, along with these successes , Phu My Hung urban area has to cope with the challenges in the future.

20 years ago, HCMC asked the government for planning without following the administrative boundaries of districts (according to the plan established by SOM which was approved ) . Up to now, the Law on Urban Planning has confirmed that planning without following these boundaries is a step forward to do.

With real architectures , construction , community, infrastructure which synchronously spread over many wards, the administrative management later when the project is handed over need to be flexible and implemented whether: each ward participates in the management or there will be an appropriate method for the preservation of order, urban landscape which still exists now.

The Phu My Hung new urban area is an important component in the development of the whole southern area of the city . The implementation of the other components is still ahead. Which role will Phu My Hung urban area play in shaping and developing the rest of the components of the whole southern area of the city in a new situation , including the situation of climate change ; legal system is increasingly perfect , and the more intense competition in many areas?