Sustainable development in the trend of urbanization

​With rapid urbanization, Dong Nai also faces many challenges in achieving sustainable development goals.

Traffic infrastructure in Bien Hoa city is facing great pressure from rapid urbanization.

The rate of urbanization will be higher

Dong Nai is located in the center of the Southern Key Economic Region. The province is also a locality with a developed industry. Therefore, the speed of urbanization in the province is also taking place very quickly. Currently, with a series of large infrastructure projects that have been and are being built in the province, the speed of urbanization in the province is forecasted to take place even faster.

According to the Provincial People's Committee, Dong Nai is a province with a high urbanization rate. The province's urbanization rate in 2010 reached over 33%, which was about 30% higher than the national average at that time. From 2011 to now, the urbanization rate in the province has continued to increase. Up to now, Dong Nai has 11 urban areas, of which Bien Hoa City is a grade I city directly under the province. The rapid urbanization in the province is most clearly demonstrated in the suburban wards of Bien Hoa City, which was newly upgraded from a commune to ward in 2019.

In fact, due to the impacts of the economic development of industry and services, the urbanization rate in the province is increasing rapidly with a mechanical growth rate of 1.6%. Areas with high urbanization rate are mainly concentrated around Bien Hoa City, Trang Bom town, Long Thanh District and along national road no.1 and no.51. These are areas of large-scale urban development, concentrated in many industrial zones, with favorable conditions in terms of technical infrastructure and construction land.

Assessment of the urban development situation in the province at the Conference summarizing the implementation of Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW dated August 29, 2005 and Conclusion No. 27-KL/TW dated August 2, 2012 of the Political Bureau on socio-economic development and assurance of national defense and security in the Southeast region and the Southern key economic region until 2010, orientation to 2020 was held in mid-July, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong said that through research on provinces in the Southeast region, Dong Nai is the province with the highest urbanization rate.

Meanwhile, Ly Thanh Phuong architect, Chairman of the Provincial Association of Architects, also said that urbanization is an inevitable development trend. For Dong Nai, it can be seen that a large area from Bien Hoa City to Long Thanh, Nhon Trach, Trang Bom and Vinh Cuu districts will be a large urban area.

Establish urban development strategy

Urbanization is an inevitable development trend, however, without a specific urban development strategy, plus the rapid urbanization rate also poses many challenges for the goal of sustainable development. Bien Hoa City, the central city of the province, is also facing many challenges due to the rapid urbanization rate. The overload of the infrastructure system, the shortage of housing funds as well as the pressure on management, land use, planning and construction limitations are revealed.

Mr. Huynh Tan Loc, Vice Chairman of Bien Hoa City People's Committee, said that there have been positive changes in land management and construction in the city over years. However, in fact, there are still constructions that violate the construction order, which are concentrated in a number of localities with high urbanization rate, with much vacant agricultural land in wards: Trang Dai, Long Binh, Tan Phong, Hoa An, Phuoc Tan, An Hoa and Tam Phuoc.

The rapid urbanization rate while the infrastructure system including technical and social infrastructure has not been built to meet the needs also makes the cities in the province face challenges such as increasing traffic jams, flooding, and environmental pollution. Along with that, the urban housing fund is also in short supply due to the great demand of the people. Especially housing for low-income people and workers. Besides, the plans are also at risk of being disrupted by the rapid urbanization speed.

From that fact, before the trend of urbanization is taking place more and more strongly, the development of urban areas needs to have a specific and clear strategy.

Architect Ly Thanh Phuong said that Dong Nai must set out a clear urban development strategy, thereby determining the direction to manage towards the goal of sustainable development. For example, a large area including Bien Hoa City, districts of Long Thanh, Nhon Trach, Trang Bom and a part of Vinh Cuu, we must recognize that it will be an urban development area and urban organization will be discussed later. Such identification and recognition is required to obtain a clear management and development orientation. "If we refuse and don't raise the issue of urban management right now, when the population grows, it will be impossible to develop the city in a sustainable way," said architect Ly Thanh Phuong.

Meanwhile, according to Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong, Dong Nai has a fast urbanization rate, the problem of planning also needs to be analyzed and evaluated appropriately. The plannings on technical and social infrastructure such as housing, kindergartens, traffic... must be synchronous.