Ho Chi Minh City 21 Towards a World-Class, Transit-Oriented Metropolis
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Responsibility for contents: Gregor Wessels, Leâ Van ê Than ø h Ho Chi Minh City 21 – Towards a World-Class, Transit-Oriented Metropolis Ho Chi Minh City, March 2011 H
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Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................................................................
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Abbreviations .............................................................................................................................................................................................
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Figures ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.
Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................................................
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2.
Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................................................
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3.
Challenges of an Emerging Mega-City ....................................................................................................................................
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3.1
Today’s Challenges .................................................................................................................................................................
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3.2
Ho Chi Minh City’s Ranking in the City 21 Status-Quo Benchmark ..........................................................................................
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Prospects and Aspirations .......................................................................................................................................................
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4.1
City Plans for Ho Chi Minh City .................................................................................................................................................
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4.2
Long-term Impact of Mega-Trends and Ho Chi Minh City’s 2050 Ranking .............................................................................
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4.3
SWOT Analysis and Best Practices ..........................................................................................................................................
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4.4
Fields of Priority Actions and Measures ....................................................................................................................................
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The Potential: Vision and Action Needs ...................................................................................................................................
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5.1
Optimisation of the Investment Portfolio ...................................................................................................................................
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5.2
Comparison of the 2050 Investment Scenarios .......................................................................................................................
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5.3
Selected Achievements of the Optimized Investment Scenario ...............................................................................................
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5.4
Breakdown of the Optimized Investment Scenario ...................................................................................................................
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Towards a World-Class, Transit-Oriented Metropolis ................................................................................................................
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6.1
Structure Plans for HCMC and HCMC Region .........................................................................................................................
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6.2
Urban Environment ..................................................................................................................................................................
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6.3
Elements of Urban Identity of Ho Chi Minh City .......................................................................................................................
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6.4
Creating a Unique Urban Image of Ho Chi Minh City ...............................................................................................................
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Principles to Build the Transit-Oriented Metropolis ...................................................................................................................
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7.1
Hierarchically Structured Mass Rapid Transit System for HCMC ..............................................................................................
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7.2
Metropolitan Region Planning Unit for Transit-Oriented Development ......................................................................................
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Proposed Priority Measures and Actions .................................................................................................................................
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8.1
Priority Investment Projects ......................................................................................................................................................
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8.2
Priority Study Needs .................................................................................................................................................................
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8.3
Immediate Action Programme ..................................................................................................................................................
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Developing and Implementing the HCMC 21 Programme ......................................................................................................
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9.1
Developing the HCMC 21 Agenda ..........................................................................................................................................
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9.2
Key Factors of Success ...........................................................................................................................................................
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9.3
Steering of Planning and Implementation .................................................................................................................................
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9.4
Options to Finance the HCMC 21 Agenda ...............................................................................................................................
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Works Cited, Sources, References ............................................................................................................................................................
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Acknowledgements Ho Chi Minh City 21 is part of the Programme for Development
Project Team:
Partnerships with the Private Sector “develoPPP.de” of the German
ITS Consultancy
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). ª Partnerships between the private sector and government create sustainable development. This has been shown by over 3,000 partnerships implemented on behalf of the BMZ in more than 70 developing countries and emerging markets. ª
Project Director Dr Gregor Wessels
Team Members: Dr. Trinh Van Chinh (Project Manager)
Sustainable development requires entrepreneurial commitment
– not only in Germany, but also in the partner countries of the BMZ. Companies create jobs, secure incomes, transfer technical knowledge and introduce forward-looking technologies.
Dr. Jakob Kandler (Financial Analyst) Dipl.-Ing. Georg Puttner (Transportation Expert) Dipl.-Ing. Georg Koser (City Planning Expert) Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Frings (Economist) Dipl.-Ing. Torsten Lenck (Data Base Expert)
ª The Development Partnership “HCMC 21” is supported and executed jointly by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Siemens AG in close cooperation
Dipl.-Ing. Gunter Stohr (Optimization Expert) M.A. Roberta Schlichte (Policy Advisor) MBA Kimberly Ledwon (Researcher) HCMC (Institute of Development Study)
with the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the HCMC Institute of Development Studies (HIDS) and Infratrans (ITS) Consultancy Limited, Hong Kong.
Project Director Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Trọng Hòa
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Team Members:
The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City warmly welcomes
the Development Partnership “HCMC 21” and considers its findings as one of the most important references for the city’s long-term and strategic development planning. ª
MA. Hoaøng Thò Kim Chi (Reseacher) ENG. Ñaøo Thò Hoàng Hoa (Researcher)
The project team would like to express their thanks to many indi-
viduals and organizations who have given guidance and assistance wherever it was required. The team is particularly grateful to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City for its continuous and active support. ª
MA. Leâ Vaên Thaønh (Project Manager)
We further wish to thank Deutsche Bahn AG for their assistance
in providing photographs used in this report.
BA. Traàn Thò Leä (Researcher) MA. Traàn Nhaät Nguyeân (Researcher) B.A. Hoaøng Kim Oanh (Researcher) B.A. Khieáu Vaên Coâng (Researcher) B.A. Nguyeãn Thò Leâ Uyeân (Researcher) B.A. Nguyeãn Thò Töôøng Vaân (Researcher) ARC. Phan Dieäu Chi (Researcher) B.A. Phan Nguyeãn Trung Minh (Researcher) B.A. Traàn Vaên Phöông (Researcher) M.A. Leâ Thò Myõ Haø (Researcher) B.A. Nguyeãn Thanh Huøng (Researcher) M.A. Nguyeãn Thò Hoaøng My (Researcher) SIEMENS Dipl.-Ing. Jurgen Post Dipl.-Ing. Andre Rodenbeck Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH: Dipl.-Oec. Bernd Lunkenheimer Those who wish further information on the HCMC 21 Initiative are invited to contact: ITS: Mr. Dr. Gregor Wessels (
[email protected]) or HIDS: Mr. M.A. Leâ Vaên Thaønh (
[email protected]) SIEMENS: Mr. Andre Rodenbeck (
[email protected]) GIZ: Mr. Bernd.Lunkenheimer (
[email protected])
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Abbreviations ADB
Asian Development Bank
AFC
Automatic Fare Collection
BRT
Bus Rapid Transit
BTS
Bangkok Transit System
CBD
Central Business District
CMP
Construction Master Plan of Ho Chi Minh City
CO2
Carbon Dioxide
ERP
Electronic Road Pricing System of Singapore
HCMC
Ho Chi Minh City
HKD
Hong Kong Dollar
ITS
Intelligent Transportation System
GDP
Gross Domestic Product
GIZ
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German International Cooperation), the legal successor of GTZ
GTZ
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (German Technical Cooperation)
IIS
Ideal Investment Scenario
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
LRT
Light Rail Transit
MRT
Mass Rapid Transit (Metro)
OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OIS
Optimised Investment Scenario
PC
People’s Committee
PPP
Public-Private Partnership
QD
Quyet dinh (Decision)
SWOT
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
TCC
Traffic Control Center
TDM
Traffic Demand Management
TIS
Trend-projected Investment Scenario
TOD
Transit Oriented Development
UBND
Uy ban Nhan dan (People’s Committee)
UITP
Union International de Transport Public (International Association of Public Transport)
UMRT
Urban Mass Rapid Transit
UN
United Nations
UNFPA
United Nations Population Fund
USD
US Dollar
VAT
Value Added Tax
VNR
Viet Nam National Railways
WCED
World Commission on Environment and Development
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Figures View Towards Thu Thiem, the Area of the Planned New CBD
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Development Plan for Thu Thiem and Beyond
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The Sustainable Development Context
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Flooding in CBD Area of Ho Chi Minh City in Summer 2009
5.
Transportation System’s Quality is the Touchstone of City Competitiveness
6.
Cities Selected for the Benchmark
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The Six Main Criteria of the City Benchmark
8.
Status-Quo Performance of HCMC in the City Benchmark (2008)
9.
Transit-Oriented Development: Compact Nodes Linked by Mass Transit
10.
Construction Master Plan HCMC 2025 - Proposed Polycentric Development
11.
HCMC Structure Plan 2025, Sub-Centers and Transit Strategy
12.
HCMC Road Network Plan 2025
13.
Mega-Trends and Impacts for Ho Chi Minh City
14.
Logistics’ Performance Index and Infrastructure Index
15.
Impact of One Meter Sea-Level Rise on the Mekong Delta and HCMC
16.
2050 Performance of HCMC in the City Benchmark (Trend-Projected Forecast)
17.
Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of HCMC
18.
The Lotus-Shaped Financial Tower, the new Landmark Building of HCMC
19.
Best Practices and Relative Performance of HCMC (Status-Quo and 2050)
20.
Approach to Identification of Priority Measures
21.
Proposed Fields of Priority Actions
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Transportation Related Priority Actions and Measures for HCMC
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Approach for the Optimization of the Investment Portfolio
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Performance of HCMC in the IIS Scenario (2050, targeted performance: 80%)
25.
Performance of HCMC in the OIS Scenario (2050, optimised portfolio)
26.
Budgeting the HCMC 21 Investment Portfolio
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Key Figures of the three 2050 Investment Scenarios
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Overall Performance of Investment Scenarios (2050)
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Financial Performance of Urban Railways Related to Population and Network Density
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Proposed Investment Scenario
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HCMC Metropolis: From Mono- to Polycentric Spatial Structure
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Approved Transportation Master Plan (2007) of Ho Chi Minh City
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HCM Metropolitan Region – Spatial Structure and Regional Growth Centers
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HCMC Construction Master Plan 2025 – Open Green Spaces
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Proposed Mid-Term Green Belt
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Visionary Sketch of a True Green Belt for HCMC
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Thu Thiem Development Plan
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Skyline in the Making – (from the Roof-Top of the New World Hotel)
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30/4 Park in Front of Notre Dame Cathedral
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Nguyen Hue Boulevard
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Figures 42.
Cruising Motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City
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Shops and Workshops at Ky Con Street in District 1
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Townhouses in Ho Chi Minh City
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Renovated French Villa, Converted into a Restaurant
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View of Community Gardens in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights
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Ho Chi Minh City Town Hall (1906) Seat of the People’s Committee
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Opera House of Ho Chi Minh City (1899)
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Ben Thanh Market (1914)
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Reunification Palace (1966)
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Vision of the Development of the Historical CBD of Ho Chi Minh City
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Waterfronts: Singapore River, Plans for Ho Chi Minh City
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Hierarchical Structure for Metropolitan Transit Systems
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Overall Design Criteria for Layers of the HCMC Metropolitan Transit System
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Alignment of Urban Mass Rapid Transit (UMRT) Line 2
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UMRT Delay Risk Mitigation: Operation and Maintenance
58.
Impact of Advanced ITS Applications in Selected Cities in the World
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Ba Thon Floodgate (2010)
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Key Factors of Success for Implementing the HCMC 21 Agenda
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Proposed Institutional Set-Up for the HCMC 21 Implementation
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Investment Needs for the HCMC 21 Implementation Programme
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Financing the HCMC 21 Implementation Programme
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View of Saigon River
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Introduction
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), one of the two prime urban centers of Viet Nam, is among the most dynamically growing cities in Asia. With a population of around 7.5 million residents, with 1.5 million daily commuters, and with more than 15 million living in the metropolitan area1 ,
it is the commercial, industrial, and cultural center of the South. HCMC is a “world metropolis in the making”. By the middle of this century, its urban population might well reach 15 million. It plans a new central business district (CBD) just across the Saigon River (Figures 1 and 2). A typical green field development will turn paddy fields into a vibrant urban center. In light of such prospects, the HCMC 21 Initiative was started to iden-
Fig. 1: View Towards Thu Thiem, the Area of the Planned New CBD
tify the options to develop HCMC into a role model of urban development and to transform it into one of the leading cities of the world, thus
Fully reaching this goal requires a strong and compelling long-term vi-
making it a candidate to become “the capital of the 21st Century”.
sion, together with a pragmatic framework of metropolitan growth. This
2
report provides a blueprint for achieving this objective. It aims at developing sustainable proposals for the future development of HCMC.
District No 2 Planning Oriented Space Development Diagram till 2020 QUY HOẠCH CHUNG QUẬN 2 SƠ ĐỒ ĐỊNH HƯỚNG PHÁT TRIỂN KHÔNG GIAN ĐẾN NĂM 2020
TRUNG TÂM THÀNH PHỐ TRUNG TÂM KHU VỰC KHU NHÀ Ở CAO TẦNG, THƯƠNG MẠI DỊCH VỤ KHU CÔNG TRÌNH VĂN HÓA KHU DÂN CƯ HIỆN HỮU KHU DÂN CƯ XÂY DỰNG MỚI TRUNG TÂM KHU CÔNG NGHIỆP ĐẤT CÔNG NGHIỆP HIỆN HỮU ĐẤT CÔNG NGHIỆP XÂY DỰNG MỚI KHO TÀNG HIỆN HỮU KHO, CẢNG, BẾN BÃI DỰ KIẾN ĐẤT QUÂN SỰ ĐẤT CÂY XANH + GIẢI TRÍ + TDTT ĐẤT TRUNG TÂM TDTT CẤP THÀNH PHỐ, QUỐC GIA KHU XỬ LÝ NƯỚC THẢI DỰ KIẾN ĐƯỜNG BỘ BÃI ĐẬU XE NÚT GIAO NHAU ĐƯỜNG SẮT, GA SÔNG, RẠCH RANH GIỚI PHƯỜNG RANH GIỚI QUẬN RANH GIỚI TỈNH, THÀNH PHỐ
THAØNH PHOÁ HOÀ CHÍ MINH - QUAÄN 2 QUY HOAÏCH CHUNG QUAÄN 2
SÔ ÑOÀ ÑÒNH HÖÔÙNG PHAÙT TRIEÅN KHOÂNG GIAN ÑEÁN NAÊM 2020 TYÛ LEÄ XONG NGAØY SOÁ BAÛN VEÕ
Fig. 2: Development Plan for Thu Thiem and Beyond
1/
The metropolitan area of HCMC includes the surrounding seven provinces of Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Ba Ria-Ving Tau, Dong Nai, Lang An, Tien Giang, and Tay Ninh.
2/ The phrase “Capital of a Century“ relates to an essay of Walter Benjamin who called „Paris, the Capital of the 19th Century“. Benjamin’s essay was published first in German language in 1935, and the title became a phrase repeated ever since. It was applied to New York later for the 20th century. Speculations about the capital-to-be of the 21st century are also starting to come out, with Beijing and Shanghai being frequently cited, and, most recently, Paris again (by Al-Ahram Weekly, Issue-No. 949). See: Walter Benjamin, Selected Writings, Vol. IV, Harvard University Press, 2002, page 477pp
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It contains a comprehensive analysis of the city’s current strengths
the development of the southern region and the nation as a
and weaknesses, as well as anticipated opportunities and threats of
whole. HCMC will transform itself into a global market place
tomorrow. The report follows through this analysis with a focus on
and a center of industry, services, sciences, and technology
the development of the city’s infrastructure in general and its transit
in South-East Asia.
system in particular.
2/
By 2050, HCMC will be a metropolis with one of the best en-
Sustainable urban growth is focused on improving the long-term so-
vironmental living conditions. It will provide world-class urban
cial and ecological health of cities and towns. This includes compact,
infrastructure in all fields, technical and social alike, including
efficient land use; less reliance on road-based transport, while, at the
health care and recreation, safety and security, and education.
same time, ensuring better access; less pollution and waste, along with the rehabilitation of natural systems; and the preservation of local
3/
The development of HCMC will synchronize and harmonize economic progress with the protection of the environment, the
culture and tradition.
preservation of historic-cultural relics, and cultural uniqueness. This progress will take place with the development of new
The Sustainable Development Context
urban and suburban centers, and the development of urban
Sustainable metropolitan growth is one major touchstone for sustain-
areas with the preservation of open, green spaces.
able development, a key for developing policy frameworks ever since the term was introduced by the World Commission on Environment
Within the framework of this vision, we studied urban planning, trans-
and Development (WCED) of the United Nations (UN) in 1987, in the
portation, infrastructure, environment, and management to underpin
ground-breaking paper Our Common Future.
HCMC with a comprehensive, integrated approach to sustainable
The UN defines development sustainable if it “meets the needs of
metropolitan development.
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
In doing so, we used lessons learned from best practices and bold
meet their own needs” (Figure 3). With regard to metropolitan growth,
strategies. To identify HCMC’s point of departure, we benchmarked
this would seem to be particularly true in the 21st century, which has
the city against a number of top-performing metropolises, not only
been frequently also called the century of urbanization.3
with regard to the status quo of the quality of urban life, but also with
How do we meet the needs of the present
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without compromisung the ability of future generations in meeting their own needs
regard to the development potential up to the middle of this century. The results of our research are presented in this report. It is not to be understood as a master plan for the overall urban development. But it does contain quantitative targets, for example, for the density of transit networks. It also provides qualitative targets, for example, for design criteria of systems and their integration, rather than optimized network designs. A detailed plan on how to implement the findings of the HCMC 21 Initiative is not yet developed. Therefore, no detailed road map for
Fig. 3: The Sustainable Development Context4
The Nature of the HCMC 21 Initiative As the guiding principle for our work, a comprehensive long-term urban vision for HCMC was formulated that incorporates the idea of sustainable growth in a transit-oriented manner: 1/
the implementation of a so-called HCMC 21 Agenda is provided. We consider this to be the responsibility of the national and metropolitan planning bodies in charge. However, suitable next steps and priority actions are proposed. The practical purpose of the HCMC 21 Initiative is simply to assist in guiding major long-range urban and infrastructure development. It also helps focus related investments on areas where they contribute
HCMC is on the move to become a role model for sustain-
the most to the overall development of HCMC and the greater good
able urban development in the 21st century. It will become a
of the country as a whole.
shining modern city, with a steadily increasing contribution to 3/ Sustainable development is a major challenge for German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and Siemens alike. These two global companies are providing systems, processes and services to initiate and to support the development of nations and cities in a sustainable manner. Being beneficiaries from the globalized economy on the one hand, they are also helping to develop concepts and ideas for sustainable growth in many projects around the world out of their commitment to corporate social responsibility. With courtesy of Siemens AG.
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This report has a three-fold purpose: ª
To set out an outline overview of the grand vision for HCMC,
highlighting the principal opportunities for development,
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To set forth an opportunity to obtain the government’s con
sent to, and possible endorsement of, the major recom
mendations of the Initiative, and
ª
To provide a basis to reach consensus with concerned au
thorities on the next steps to take in implementing the recom
mendations. It is the third purpose which will be supported by the proposed priority measures and immediate action plans which have been described in the Annex of this book, This document is contained in a separate folder in order to limit the volume of the core report on the findings of the HCMC 21 Initiative.
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Executive Summary
The purpose of this report is to provide strategic guidelines on de-
This amount is roughly 8.3% of the national Gross Domestic Product
velopment priorities for HCMC and on required performance levels
(GDP), which needs to be spent annually to develop HCMC into a
across a broad array of aspects defining the “quality of urban life” in
world-class, transit-oriented metropolis. But this cost would not be
a city. To do this, we have benchmarked HCMC against world-class
spent for the development of HCMC alone, but also for the devel-
cities, including Paris and New York, labelled the “capitals” of the 19th
opment and the benefit of the Southern Development Zone and the
and 20th centuries.
nation as a whole.
The benchmark provides the background for a SWOT analysis
Maintaining a fair balance of benefits for HCMC and the country is one
(strengths and weaknesses of today and the opportunities and
of the two main guiding principles for the implementation of the initia-
threats of tomorrow), and thus forms the basis for proposing the most
tive. The second principle is to practise moderation by avoiding any
suitable direction for the future development of HCMC. This direction
kind of overspending towards luxury, and beyond what is sufficient.
is expressed by the report’s sub-title: “towards a sustainable worldclass, transit-oriented metropolis.”
Almost half (47%) of the proposed investment would be dedicated to the development of the transportation infrastructure of the entire country,
The initiative identifies priority measures and prepares immediate ac-
including inland waterways, railways, and roads. This would help HCMC
tion plans for selected projects, many of them transit-related. This em-
to live up to the needs of the nation as the central logistics hub of Viet
phasis is because the improvement of the transportation system in
Nam and also to cut the tremendous cost of logistics prevailing today.
general and the public transit system in particular contribute the most * * *
to the greater good of a city like HCMC.
optimization exercise to recommend the most suitable budget allocations to the main areas of infrastructure development in order to identify the minimum investment budget.
If the investment portfolio proposed by the HCMC 21 Initiative were to be implemented, HCMC would equalize with New York and Paris by 2050 in the HCMC 21 city benchmark. It would become a candidate for the honourable title, “capital of the 21st century”. It is not a dream, but an option.
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a top-performing metropolis by 2050. It also runs through a portfolio
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Challenges of an Emerging Mega-City
3.1/ Today’s Challenges - By fast and comfortable urban, suburban, and regional rail. - By Bus Rapid Transit systems and modernization of the bus transport industry.
Viet Nam’s present urbanization rate is comparatively low and stands at around 28%. However, it is expected to rise sharply to 36% by 2020, to almost 50% by 2030, and to possibly well above 60% by 2050. This means that, in the next 20 years and beyond, HCMC is going to face a further high-population influx, for which it will need a sound concept for sustainable growth. Conversely, because of the city’s economic, scientific, and cultural significance for Viet Nam as a whole, the growth of HCMC is also vital to the nation’s overall economic well-being.
2. Flood Prevention ª Improvement of flood prevention to reduce the frequency of flooding (Figure 4). ª Improvement of the sewage system for waste and rain water collection. 3. Environment ª Improvement of the urban landscape to facilitate free flow of
If HCMC succeeds in realizing its full potential, it may easily rank among the truly global mega-cities in the future. Much of this will depend upon successfully developing the type of modern infrastructure and civilized social and cultural society that will make HCMC a worldclass, modern metropolis.
decentralization via a polycentric pattern. Based on axes and satellite cities, this approach involves the dispersal of both population and employment with multiple sub-centres decentralized manufacturing, and the central business districts’ specialization in services.
its surroundings.
ª Reduction of pollution caused by combustion engines. ª Improvement of waste water purification prior to discharge
The HCMC Construction Master Plan aims to promote metropolitan
fresh and cooler air.
ª Extension and inter-connection of green areas in the city and
into rivers and canals.
4. Water supply ª Improvement of the water supply system to households,
businesses and industry.
ª Exploitation of new sources of clean water. ª Development of facilities for purifying river and sea water to
The corresponding need for highly integrated urban and transport planning is reflected in the city’s Construction Master Plan (CMP) by ambitious targets for the transit and transport system development for roads and rail (regional, suburban and urban). The implementation of the planned developments will be the touchstone of the city’s good governance.
satisfy water demand.
5. Urban and regional management ª Establishment of a long-term policy framework for city and
regional development.
ª Establishment of an institutional planning framework for the
greater HCMC region.
ª Improvement of land use planning framework and pre-master
The Problems Posed
planning research.
ª Establishment of a suitable underground land use planning
Besides the progress in the urban infrastructure made in the past,
framework.
plenty of further improvements are needed. To mention some of them, we would cite the following: 1. Urban Traffic ª Improvement of road infrastructure. ª More efficient use of road space by better traffic and
traffic demand management.
ª Improvement of traffic management planning during major con
struction work.
ª Improvement of facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. ª Improvement of the public transport infrastructure: Fig. 4: Flooding in CBD Area of Ho Chi Minh City in Summer 2009
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Out of the needs listed above, it is the improvement of the transporta-
The Need for Integrated Planning and Development
tion system in general and the transit system in particular that contrib-
Today, HCMC, for the first time, is on the verge of committing major
ute most to the greater good of a metropolis (Figure 5).5
investments for the extension of public transport. We view this as a
Transportation Seen as Major Driver of City Competitiveness
Importance for Economic Attractiveness
Leisure / culture Energy supply Education system Communication
City Managenent Safety/Security Transportation
great opportunity. It is the single most powerful vehicle to transform the city into a sustainable, world-class, and transit-oriented metropolis. Seizing this opportunity will require combining imaginative urban
Water 3 Health care 4 Environment 5
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structures with innovative transit systems. Our proposals, therefore, aim to provide this vision in an inter-related set of strategic concepts.
6 6 6 6
They will render metropolitan HCMC fit for future mobility requirements, stressing long-range sustainability beyond merely technical solutions.
6 9 27
Fig. 5: Transportation System’s Quality is the Touchstone of City Competitiveness
If metropolitan decentralization is universal, so is a shift to increased reliance on road-based transport. Priority on road investment and
The time has come for change: Well-integrated planning and subsequent plan implementation are key factor of success. Well-designed transit systems, supported by appropriate town planning, will ultimately make it easier to save the city’s environment and to improve the quality of life for its inhabitants.
road-oriented new residential and employment areas accelerate the
This is the central idea that governs the HCMC 21 initiative. Therefore,
trend, while mass transit lags behind. In that respect, HCMC is no
the main focus with regard to the recommendations developed within
exception. As a result, existing transit services are seldom convenient
this initiative is on transit systems.
and inter-connected. Turning this trend around is, therefore, the foremost challenge policymakers and planners face. Clearly, mobility in a decentralised metropolitan area is heavily dependent upon an efficient transit system. And vice versa: Transit, together with other major infrastructure facilities,
3.2/ Ho Chi Minh City’s Ranking in the City 21 Status-Quo Benchmark The scientific approach we’ve taken is based on a comprehensive benchmark of selected cities, covering the entire field of urban qual-
plays a vital role in rendering a city functional and efficient.
ity. Twelve cities were selected for the benchmarking: four metrop-
Improving transit is a core objective to cut CO2 emissions and to
senting different levels of advancement in development (Figure 6).
provide for sustainable living conditions. It helps to promote com-
olises from America and Europe, and eight cities from Asia, repre-
pact urban development, facilitates high densities of population and employment, contains urban sprawl and land consumption, reduces infrastructure costs, improves land use capacity, and intensifies urban activities of all kinds.
LONDON NEW YORK
BERLIN PARIS
SHANGHAI
The failure to invest over time in urban transit and transport infrastruc-
HONGKONG
ture has created significant traffic and logistics problems. HCMC
BANGKOK
turned into a highly-congested metropolis and is threatened by much
KUALA LUMPER
more severe congestion as soon as growing household income leads
HO CHI MINH CITY MANILA SINGAPORE JAKARTA
to replacements of motorcycles by cars and to an increasing car population. Given the restricted road capacity and the finite road space, which will be difficult to redress physically, the city’s future consequently lies in mass transit.
Transitional Cities
Emerging Cities
Fig. 6: Cities Selected for the Benchmark
Economic Intelligence Unit, MRC McLean Hazel, GlobeScan: Megacity Challenges (2007)
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Potential Best Practices
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The benchmarking was carried out with two distinct data sets: sta-
The point of departure for the planning works within the HCMC 21
tus-quo performance and forecast performance6 (planning horizon,
Initiative is provided by the status-quo benchmark, with the overall
2050). Therefore, this city benchmark is unique in nature and different
performance of the twelve metropolises summarized in (Figure 8).
from the many other city rankings because it looks also into the potential of cities rather than into the actual performance only.
Berlin emerges as the overall best-performing city, followed by London, Paris, and New York. The metropolises from the industrialized
The benchmarking includes a total of six main criteria, divided into
countries still form a group of their own, with a clear distinction from
sub-criteria and indicators, creating a total of 74 aspects which were
the group of second-best performers. The very simple reason is that
studied. The six main criteria are:
these cities enjoyed a longer period of time in comparative wealth in their development.
ª
Environmental Protection (pollution levels, emission preven
tion, energy efficiency, environmental legislation, etc.)
These cities could build upon long-term experience and established
ª
Accessibility/Hub-Function (air-, seaports, inland waterway,
practices in city and land-use planning, with an early recognition of
road and rail grid, etc.)
the need for infrastructure development. It served as the prime driver
ª
Urban Environment (metropolitan structure, population and
for shaping the physical form of the cities, putting facilities and ser-
employment densities, open green space, inner city parks, etc.)
vices in place prior to the development of the urban land.
ª
Urban Infrastructure (transportation, power, water, sewage,
flood prevention, waste management, etc.)
ª
Safety and Security (level of violent crime, crime prevention,
hostility, etc.)
ª
Soft Factors (urban management, administration’s efficiency,
heath services, cultural facilities, facilities for sports and recre
ation, education, etc.)
All aspects were carefully selected following the MECE-principle (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive). Taken together, they facilitate a comprehensive comparison of the cities (Figure 7).
Environmental Protection
The specific reason for Berlin’s good performance is the city’s protection from the sometimes not sufficiently controlled growth during the boom years in the western hemisphere after World War II. The western part of the city was encircled by an artificial boundary, preventing any kind of spatial growth, and the eastern part of the city just did not participate in the boom. Singapore and Hong Kong are quite close followers and secondbest performers. In the overall performance, they have almost closed the gap on the “old western cities”, which developed over a long period of time of 200 years and more to the level that they have achieved today. In the field of safety and security, Singapore even breaks into
Accessibility and Hub-Function
the ranks of best practices.
Safety and Security
The third group of cities is made up of Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta, and Ho Chi Min City (HCMC). Their overall level of performance still falls significantly behind the two other groups. In total, HCMC achieves around 32% of the points Berlin manages to achieve.
Urban Infrastructure
Urban Environment
The main reason for the not-yet-satisfying performance of HCMC is the comparatively weak hinterland connectivity, especially by road
Soft Factors
and rail (criterion accessibility and hub-function). In light of the fact that one third of the nation’s exports are shipped from HCMC, the city needs to improve significantly to reduce the comparatively high cost
Fig. 7: The Six Main Criteria of the City Benchmark
of logistics in Viet Nam. The city’s second worst relative performance is in urban infrastructure. This is most pronounced in the field of the urban and suburban transportation systems, but also in other fields, such as flooding preven-
6/ The base year for the status-quo performance is 2008. This year was selected because of the availability of statistical data from the cities included in the benchmark. Itk is based on our own research carried out by the project team and also makes use of published planning reports, statistical data as published by local and national authorities, and benchmarks of other research institutes, such as the Economic Intelligence Unit of The Economist, UITP (International Association of Public Transport), United Nations, World Bank, etc.
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ITS
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tion, and power supply. But with regard to water supply and sewage
The second best relative performance of HCMC is in the field of soft
systems, HCMC is better than other neighbouring metropolises.
factors. Even though HCMC falls short of cultural facilities and lags
In the urban environment category, the shortfall of HCMC is much less pronounced. Even though the space devoted to city parks is low, the amount of open green space in the periphery is indeed huge. And
behind in the efficiency of a business-friendly administration, it offers a rather concentrated network of health-related facilities and has achieved high school enrolment ratios.
while the population density in some urban districts (4, 5, 10, 11) is
Regarding safety and security, the city has managed to achieve
very high, the employment is quite well decentralized already.
good performance already. The crime rate is very low and HCMC
The city performs relatively well in environmental protection, significantly better than surrounding metropolises. However, this is largely due to the still low level of car motorization, not due to a consistent
HO CHI MINH city
ITS
is known for it’s high-level friendliness to foreigners. In terms of road safety, there is room for improvement. It is proposed to improve the obedience to traffic laws.
policy towards higher environmental standards. These would promote, for instance, the procurement of less-polluting vehicles and the energy efficiency of buildings.
Performance Achievement 1.0
Normal performance
0.9
HCMC
Man
Jak
Sh
BKK
KL
HK
Sg
NYC
Par
Lon
Ber
0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0
Overall Perform.
Environm. Protection
Access. & HubFunction
Urban Environm.
Urban Infrastr.
Safety
Soft Factors
Best Practice
Berlin
Berlin
London
Berlin
Berlin
Singapore
New York
Relative Performance of HCMC
32.6%
40.8%
18.4%
31.7%
21.5%
Criteira
53.1%
42.0%
Fig. 8: Status-Quo Performance of HCMC in the City Benchmark (2008)
H
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Prospects and Aspirations
4.1/ City Plans for Ho Chi Minh City Urban structures tend to follow the axes of transport infrastructure.
ª
Growth axes direct development along desired lines, instead
The main principle of all transit-oriented cities is to concentrate met-
of allowing uncontrolled suburban sprawl; these axes also act
ropolitan growth along public transport axes, thus maximizing the ac-
as principal transit corridors.
cessibility of high-density developments by transit systems, instead
ª
Satellite towns at the end points of metropolitan axes absorb
of highways and roads. Hong Kong and Singapore may be taken as
overspill population and act as new urban centers, thus
good examples.
promoting the emergence of a polycentric pattern of metro
politan growth.
their surroundings rank among the most-accessible areas of a me-
ª
Metropolitan green belts contain physical growth and prevent
tropolis. High density of population and jobs symbolize the centrality of
the over-spilling of the metropolis and its merging with the sat
these locations (Figure 9). On the other hand, highly dense urban areas
ellites to form one huge conglomeration.
guarantee strong and effectual demand for high-capacity transit modes.
ª
Metropolitan sub-centers relieve the Central Business District
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) also includes a decentralized
(CBD) and provide for an efficient organization of urban areas.
concentration of population and employment: A functional mix of liv-
Bangkok 21 proposed this pattern for the Thai capital7, Shanghai fol-
ing, working, learning, and shopping helps to minimize commuter
lows it, as do Hanoi and Moscow and, much earlier, London. But so
traffic and to strengthen non-motorized traffic for daily travel reasons
do smaller cities like Brasilia and Abuja/Nigeria. And Ho Chi Minh City
due to short distances.
is no exemption.
Metropolitan decentralization essentially involves a set of components
According to the Construction Master Plan 2025 (Figure 10), one ma-
almost universally applied in world cities:
jor satellite as well as one regional center are envisaged in the North-
Stops and stations of metropolitan public transportation systems and
