Ha Noi is entering a decisive phase of urban redevelopment, shifting from the mindset of “preservation-renovation” to “value reconstruction” with the aim to unlock land resources and address traffic congestion, flooding, and the lack of green spaces. In reality, the biggest “bottleneck” affecting the progress of large-scale projects is the lack of a sufficiently large, high-quality and synchronised resettlement housing fund. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate clear strategies and plans for this issue.
A key lever to accelerate project progress
According to the Ha Noi Capital Master Plan with a 100-year vision, as approved by the Ha Noi People’s Council at the end of March 2026, the plan defines several clear phases: short term to 2035, medium term to 2045, long term to 2065, and a longer vision to 2100. The city plans to restructure urban space from Ring Road 3 inwards, focusing on the Red River area, West Lake, and several old streets, with the aim of reducing population density and easing infrastructure pressure in the inner city.
Research data serving the planning refers to large-scale population adjustments in the period 2026-2045. Specifically, during the 2026-2035 period, around 440,000 people are expected to be involved, mainly in areas along the Red River, West Lake and certain streets within Ring Road 3. This is not a plan for mass relocation, but rather economic-spatial orientation data aimed at redistributing the population more reasonably while ensuring people’s rights and sustainable development.
According to Nguyen Trong Ky Anh, Director of the Ha Noi Department of Planning and Architecture, a very important orientation of the Ha Noi Capital Master Plan’s 100-year vision is urban restructuring. The city will carry out major transformations in housing as well as population restructuring. The biggest “bottleneck” in urban redevelopment is the need for a sufficiently large resettlement housing fund, with synchronised technical and social infrastructure. Many key transport projects, old apartment renovation projects, and urban upgrading projects have faced obstacles and delays, largely because residents are concerned that their new homes may have fewer amenities, be far from the centre, or lack infrastructure and connectivity.
Establishing a housing fund not only helps to ensure social welfare and the legitimate rights of residents but also serves as a key lever to accelerate project progress. When residents are assured of better new housing, site clearance will proceed more quickly. This will help to utilise land value more effectively, create resources for socio-economic development, achieve the city’s high GRDP growth targets and significantly contribute to its journey towards becoming a liveable city. At the same time, urban redevelopment will help Ha Noi address complex challenges, both in preserving and promoting cultural heritage and identity as well as in creating a modern, smart, globally connected urban environment. This is a strategic goal requiring strong political determination and breakthrough mechanisms. Authorities at all levels need to accelerate implementation, listen to public opinions, and ensure openness, transparency, and fairness.
Dr, Architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, has consistently emphasised the role of residents, communities and experts in the planning process. Planning can only succeed with social consensus. Only when residents benefit can urban redevelopment truly succeed. In this regard, multi-purpose urban areas are a suitable direction for Ha Noi’s current development requirements. Integrating various types of housing within a single project enables the city to better balance its housing supply, particularly for resettlement and social welfare purposes.
Improving the quality of life for residents
According to Nguyen Duc Hung, Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Institute for Urban Planning, alongside the master planning research, the city has instructed agencies and departments to establish resettlement spaces. The city has planned to develop 5-7 large resettlement areas. Instead of fragmented development as in the past, these areas will have a scale of around 50 hectares or more. Regarding redevelopment, Mr Hung stated: “Previously, we referred to renovation and relocation, but now it is redevelopment, which fundamentally means on-site resettlement. The implementation approach involves constructing higher-rise buildings with lower construction density. Under the new mechanisms and regulations, old apartment blocks will be rebuilt as high-rise buildings, with a general principle of prioritising on-site resettlement.”
Thus, Ha Noi’s housing fund is being oriented through various approaches. Among them, the Multi-purpose Urban Area Project approved by the Ha Noi People’s Council at the final session of the 2021-2025 term is considered a positive direction. These multi-purpose urban areas are to be developed and evenly distributed across eight areas of the city, associated with nine development corridors identified within the Capital Master Plan with a 100-year vision. Notably, each urban area is planned to have a minimum size of 150 hectares. The city’s People’s Committee will develop mechanisms to control profit thresholds to ensure a balance of interests between the state and enterprises, reduce housing costs and create conditions for people to access housing more easily.
However, according to the submission of the city’s People’s Committee when the Capital Master Plan with a 100-year vision was presented to the People’s Council for approval, although the list and sequence of priority investment projects and investment phases were set based on the principle of addressing core “bottlenecks”, there has not yet been a clear roadmap for housing development to meet the needs of major projects and urban redevelopment, nor a comprehensive forecast of demand for each stage. Meanwhile, through public consultations on the master plan, residents have raised many issues related to urban redevelopment and resettlement.
Regarding the development orientation of the Red River landscape boulevard axis, residents have expressed concerns about the large-scale clearance plans (expected to cover about 2,100 hectares), noting that relocating high-density populations could cause social instability and affect the livelihoods of the local residents. In terms of compensation and support policies, residents have proposed that compensation prices for site clearance should be close to market rates and prioritise on-site resettlement. They also suggested conducting social impact assessments for large-scale redevelopment projects to forecast and prevent risks such as social inequality, job loss, and disruptions to children’s education in affected areas.
To prepare for urban redevelopment, Ha Noi needs thorough preparation, long-term strategic planning, and clearly defined development phases for its housing fund. At the same time, relevant information should be promptly disclosed and made transparent so that residents can understand the plans correctly because this issue is closely linked to people’s quality of life, future, and happiness.
