The area on the north bank of the Red river, in its section through Hanoi, will be planned into a smart city in line with the river's zoning plan, Hanoi Party Committee Secretary Vuong Dinh Hue said in a working session with the municipal Party Committee on November 28.

This is one of Hanoi’s priorities to improve efficiency in master planning to ensure the city’s rapid and sustainable development in the next five years, Mr. Hue said.

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, investing in smart cities is not only a trend but also a new driver and solution for sustainable urbanization. Smart city development along the Red river will play an important role in Hanoi’s future.

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue speaks at the meeting on November 28. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

Since the expansion of Hanoi’s administrative boundaries in 2008 (by merging Ha Tay province and a part of Vinh Phuc province into it), the zoning plan of the spacious riparian areas of the Red river remains unfinished, so if completed, it would help further develop the city’s urban areas and improve living conditions of local people.

Therefore, drastic actions are needed to put the plan into motion, including the plan on both sides of the Red river and making full use of the land resources in the riparian areas along the river banks, the Party chief stressed.

Besides, the city will focus on investing in infrastructure projects, including the construction of more bridges spanning the Red river and road development linking provinces in the capital region, and the Hoa Lac satellite urban area, Mr. Hue added.

He also noted a number of economic indicators did not reach the targets. Among them are the sizable bad debt, insufficient job creation and vocational training, unemployment which is higher than the same period of last year, little improvement in the solution of traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and waste. The municipal Party chief also requested improvements in social security and order.

Concluding the working session, the Hanoi Party Committee set the targets for 2021 as follows:

- Enhancing construction, planning management, urban development.

- Strengthening resource management, environmental protection, disaster prevention, and climate change response.

- Raising capital for investment and development in the city.

- Striving to achieve a GRDP growth rate of 7.5%; increase social investment capital by about 12%, export turnover by 5%; reduce the number of poor households by 20% in accordance with the city’s new standards.

- The city will allocate funding to investment and development, effectively manage public assets, especially land funds.

- Notably, the municipal government will accelerate the auction of land use rights and build up a land use right auction plan for the next five years.