Thu Dau Mot City University, Center for Urban Research and Development of Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and Center for Urban Prediction and Research just coordinated a workshop of “20 years of urbanization in Southern Region – theories and reality” which was considered as an important forum for scientists to announce their Southern region; thereon, the Party, the State, provinces and cities in Southern region would have more scientific fundamentals for socio-economic planning and development; especially the matters of planning and sustainable-, civilized-, modern-oriented urban management.
Urbanization and sustainable development of Binh Duong Province
In development process of any nation, urbanization is considered as locomotive force for economic growth, social development, and awareness improvements for individuals and the whole society. Binh Duong Province is considered as a locality of rapid urbanization in the stage of globalization and international integration (urbanization speed in Binh Duong Province is 81.86% by August 2014), contributing to multi-aspect changes including economic growth and transition, labor structure, income improvement for working people, and positive living condition transformation for the whole population. Urbanization in Binh Duong Province, under perspective of scientists and specialists at the workshop, is analyzed by both factors of scale and depth. Urbanization by scale is attached to expansion of urban space and establishment of urban system by national regions. Urbanization by depth is attached to urban space planning to elevate facility quality, economic level and effectiveness, and living quality and environment of the population in each urban area.
A bird view on a corner of Thu Dau Mot City. Photo: Quoc Chien
Theoretically, to develop an urban area sustainably, factors creating and threatening the sustainability of such urban area should be identified. Those are the two aspects of a matter holding the same significance in theory and reality researches. Binh Duong Province is one of the localities of high economic growth and active industrial development in the nation. By developmental policies and investment luring, soco-economic development of the province has been boosted and local economic structure has been transited from agriculture to industry and services. Located in favorable position, Binh Duong Province has economic and cultural exchanging opportunities, investment luring advantages, and information and advance technology acceptance to establish major industrial and urban zones which are of high potentials and advantages for connecting, cooperating, and developing together with domestic localities and the world. Upholding the available advantages, Binh Duong Province has attracted plenty projects of great scale and value. Urban areas in Binh Duong Province have small and medium areas, mainly allocated to administrative zones, industrial parks and clusters. Those urban areas have been planned and oriented generally to urban development until 2020 and vision to 2030. This facilitates urbanization and sustainable development policy.
At the workshop, scientists pointed out distinctive aspects from general tendency of urbanization in Southern region of Vietnam in general and particularly in Binh Duong Province. Accordingly, Binh Duong Province should focus on urban development in combination with development of scientific fields, services, and environment protection. Of the trend, the maintenance of effective economic activities and development of science and new technology to minimize energy and resources use should be focused. Pressure on the environment should be minimized for every use instance of energy and resources. The experts also stress on preservation of cultural heritage in the urbanization, modern urban management procedures, biological diversity, naturally harmonized life.
Doctor and Architecture Ngo Viet Nam Son, a 20-year experienced in architecture and planning, being successful with many major projects in USA, Canada, China, and so on, stressed: “In recent two decades, under the perspective of urban researchers and planners, I realize that Binh Duong Province has very fast growth rate, of the fastest nationwide. In the face of global financial and economic crisis, the world is coming to a new development era: mutual dependence, integration, competition, and cooperation of nations and regions have been more and more popular and strong development of knowledge-based economy; thus, human and knowledge have become the decisive factors for development of every nation. This actually is the good opportunity for leaders in Binh Duong Province – the pioneers of reforms, to look back and seek out sustainable pathway for the province. Binh Duong Province has a lot of good infra-structures; however, we, now, need strategies of creating jobs and attracting talent people not factory workers alone but others from other localities working and living in Binh Duong Province. Those are for future development, putting Binh Duong Province in a higher position.”
Regional challenges and opportunities for sustainable development
The scientists stressed on social and cultural issues which need urgent resolution during the stage of urbanization, including too fast industrial development which has brought up issues of environment pollution, high physical demographic growth, high speed urbanization, annually increasing needs for social security, unbalanced urban infra-construction, inadequate accommodation, urban services, problematic preservation of cultural identity, integration and development attached to industrialization and modernization, etc.
On such basis, we should determine planning policies with reasonable adjustment of socio-cultural development to make Binh Duong Province develop in more sustainable manner, making good use of available advantages of active and ready-for-reforms management system of Binh Duong Province. As a locality of un-constructed areas, Binh Duong Province is not facing the challenges of preserving historical sites like in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Ngo Viet Son asserted that Binh Duong Province would need right strategies including development on the preliminary track with directed demographic development and encouragement of public traffic use. Then, developmental strategies of environment protection and green belt, agricultural belt, etc. towards sustainable development.
Development policy of creating jobs and talent attraction shall make up a fast developing Binh Duong Province. Meantime, local identities of pottery, garden villages, wooden slipper villages, etc. should be encouraged for preservation for tourism. Let alone the prestige universities are operating.
Winning such point, we could imagine of a Binh Duong Province of particular identity as a urban area, drawing more attention of tourists for best economic effects and identity development.
Currently, as the domestic and foreign investment flows are fluent to Binh Duong Province for stronger industrialization and urbanization. Binh Duong New City is the highlight of fully equipped urban area. We can trust for outstanding development in one or two next decades to be positioned as the best in the region and the world.
Doctor Nguyen Van Hiep, President of Thu Dau Mot City, affirmed the continual sponsor of the workshop to be held by the end of 2015.
Reported by Tieu My – Translated by Vi Bao
