General planning for Bien Hoa, Trang Bom, Long Thanh, and Nhon Trach urban areas to be approved in December 2025

On October 9, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, Vo Tan Duc, chaired a working session to review reports from the Department of Construction on the progress of preparing master planning dossiers for urban areas, zoning plans, and general planning on 25% of the communes and wards across the province. Also in attendance was Ho Van Ha, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee.

Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, Vo Tan Duc, delivers concluding remarks at the working session. Photo: Pham Tung

According to the Department of Construction, master planning dossiers for the urban areas of Bien Hoa, Nhon Trach, and Trang Bom have been submitted by the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee to the Ministry of Construction. At the same time, Dong Nai province has incorporated additional content based on reviews and feedback from relevant ministries and agencies. Regarding the master planning dossier for Long Thanh urban area, based on the results of the planning design competition for the Long Thanh International Airport urban area and its surrounding region, the Department of Construction, in collaboration with the consortium of consulting units, has developed and submitted the project cost estimates for approval by the Provincial People’s Committee and is currently in the process of negotiating and signing the consultancy contract.

Currently, following the implementation of the two-tier local government model, the Ministry of Construction has issued guidance to the Provincial People’s Committee on the procedures for developing, appraising, and approving the master planning dossiers for the four above-mentioned urban areas.

Ho Van Ha, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, delivers remarks at the working session. Photo: Pham Tung

Accordingly, if the Provincial People’s Committee continues to follow the previous urban planning regulations (Urban Planning Law of 2009), it must comply with the approved planning tasks and base its actions on the legal procedures already completed to finalize the dossiers, organize appraisal, and approve the plans in accordance with the law.

In case of implementing the new legislation (Urban and Rural Planning Law of 2024), the process must be restarted from the beginning, including the preparation, appraisal, and approval of planning tasks as stipulated.

Nguyen Tuan Anh, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, delivers remarks at the working session. Photo: Pham Tung

Regarding the tasks of preparing zoning plans and the master plans for 25% of the communes and wards across the province, the Department of Construction proposed two implementation options: Option 1 is about following the conclusions outlined in Notice No. 15/TB-UBND dated July 7, 2025, issued by the Provincial People’s Committee, which prioritizes concentrating resources on planning for 25% of the communes and wards within 2025; Option 2 is about implementing the planning process with the goal that by 2030, Dong Nai province meets the basic standards of a centrally governed city.

In his concluding remarks at the working session, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, Vo Tan Duc, assessed that, to date, the preparation and adjustment of master plans for urban areas, as well as the general and functional zoning plans within the province, have been progressing slowly. This has significantly affected the province’s ability to attract investment and promote overall socio-economic development.

Accordingly, based on guidance from the Ministry of Construction, the Provincial People’s Committee has assigned the Department of Construction to coordinate with the Department of Justice, the Provincial Investment Project Management Board, and relevant units to urgently review the entire master planning dossiers of the four urban areas, including Bien Hoa, Trang Bom, Long Thanh, and Nhon Trach. This review should address urban classification, new place names, boundary delineation, land area, and population size to develop plans compatible with the two-tier local government model and in compliance with the Prime Minister’s directives and feedback from ministries and agencies. Following this, the committee will analyze and assess advantages and challenges to propose the most optimal implementation approach, as well as recommend the lead consulting unit responsible for the planning. Specifically, the master plans for Long Thanh and Nhon Trach urban areas must be reported to the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and the Standing members of the Provincial People’s Committee within October 2025. The ultimate goal is to approve the master plans for all four urban areas by December 2025.

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, Vo Tan Duc, also requested the Department of Construction to collaborate with the Department of Finance and local authorities to accelerate the preparation of master plans and zoning plans for communes and wards across the province. This will provide a solid foundation for attracting socio-economic development projects. The Department of Construction is tasked with advising the Provincial People’s Committee on plans that can be implemented simultaneously so that the Provincial People’s Committee may issue a comprehensive implementation plan.

By Pham Tung - Translated by Hong Van, Thu Ha