For years, Binh Duong Province has concentrated on urban engineering to create foundation for urban development and effective economic growth. The well implementation of such activities has significantly made Binh Duong Province the center of major economic zone in the South of Vietnam.
Architecture and planning to be conformed with laws and reality
The province has approved all general planning projects for urban construction in Binh Duong Province including Thu Dau Mot, Thuan An, Di An, Ben Cat, Nam Tan Uyen, etc. Currently, 30 such projects have been approved for localities of Thu Dau Mot City, Thuan An Town, and Di An Town; five projects in Ben Cat Town has been planned with sections established under consideration for approvals; 6 projects in Tan Uyen Town are being planned with sections. As for detail planning, the province has gradually made detail coverage, satisfying the planning needs of investors. Besides, all 49 communes in the province have been fulfilled with new rural area engineering while four out of seven regulations on planning management have been approved by provincial People’s Committee.
For years, Binh Duong Province has concentrated on planning and urban architecture to create foundation for urban development. In this photo: My Phuoc-Tan Van Highway is one of the 3 major streets in urban design of Binh Duong Province. Photo: Phuong Le
To carry out step-by-step urban design in line with Law on Urban Planning and orientation of investment call to implement urban development projects, the province has established urban design for 3 major streets including Binh Duong Highway, DT743 Street, and My Phuoc-Tan Van Highway. Under the planning for 2016, urban designs for such streets will be implemented continually. Besides, to service the investment management for urban development, Binh Duong Province has issued urban development program from 2011 to 2015. Up to date, the general targets of the urban development program from 2011 to 2015 have basically been fulfilled. Thanks to this, Binh Duong Province has basically become an economic center of the major economic zone of the South of Vietnam. Binh Duong Province is among the provinces and cities of high industrial growth rate and foreign investments. As for Thu Dau Mot urban area, the type I urban foundation has been established similar to Vung Tau City, Bien Hoa City, and My Tho City as the polar of urban development in urban system of the major economic zone in the South of Vietnam.
Meantime, on reviewing 18 economic and technical criteria of urban areas by the proposed program, up to date, Binh Duong Province has fulfilled 15 criteria while failing 3 criteria of wastewater treatment, urban traffic road surfaces, and funeral house. According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tai, the Director of Department of Construction, comparing to standards of type I urban area, Binh Duong Province has 15 criteria of good gain, 2 of average gain, and 1 failed regarding the wastewater treatment within the urban area. However, the drawback can possibly be resolved at the soonest as the province has basically established the system of wastewater collection and treatment.
According to the officer, the Department in 2016 will set up and approve urban development programs for urban areas in the South of the province and central urban area in 2016-2020 period. The actions are to meet the urban development demands of the whole province in building up a modern and civilized urban area out of Binh Duong Province as a city under central governance before 2020.
The investigation showed that the planning and designing Binh Duong urban areas have been well implemented in accordance with regulations and reality development needs, creating foundation and appearance of Binh Duong Province.
Regional connection troubleshooting
Aside from the achievements gain, the officer of Department of Construction also asserted that regional planning has recently been troublesome, especially the regional connection has not effectively been established. Thus, coordination regulations of provinces and cities in the major economic zone of the South of Vietnam must be established to assure the synchronous connection.
As for landmarks of urban planning, Binh Duong Province is facing problems that the planning borders are not in accordance with the borders ruled by administrative management. Besides, construction elevation management is troubling due to non-agreements of standard elevation in specific urban zones.
Tran Thanh Liem, the Deputy Chair of provincial People’s Committee acknowledged that the planning system of Binh Duong Province has been well operated; however, regional connection has been challenging. Liem affirmed that the province has been determined to develop concentrated urban areas with new urban establishment and resurrection by priority order.
For the time to come, Binh Duong Province will focus on traffic infrastructure by prioritizing the connection of industrial areas to urban areas with efficient use of resources from the State, enterprises, and the people in infrastructure development. The province will effectively and boldly develop State-owned enterprise roles in industrialization and urbanization while staying on with modern urban planning and construction to be in long-term stable operations on the basis of planning for regions and socio-economic scheme.
Reported by Phuong Le – Translated by Vi Bao
