Positioning Dong Nai’s stature through modern urban areas

A working delegation of Central and Dong Nai leaders visits the Aqua City project in early April 2026. Photo: Hoang Loc.

In reality, many urban areas with scales from several hundred to thousands of hectares are taking shape along the Dong Nai River corridor. The projects are planned in a synchronous direction, integrating multiple functions, combining housing, commercial - services, education, healthcare, and public living spaces. The “green” factor and quality of life are placed at the center by maximizing the advantage of water surface landscape to create a healthy living environment.

With a scale of 1,000 hectares, Aqua City is currently the largest riverside urban area in Dong Nai. Duong Van Bac, General Director of Novaland Group, said: The project is positioned according to a modern ecological urban model, with a complete ecosystem of amenities, aiming toward a new standard of living. More than 30km of surrounding waterways together with over 70% of the area dedicated to greenery, infrastructure, and internal utilities have created a distinctive living space, contributing to forming a riverside urban highlight of Dong Nai.

In addition, a series of projects such as Kim Quy Island in Bien Hoa Ward, SwanBay in Dai Phuoc Commune, or Hiep Hoa Urban Area in Tran Bien Ward...are gradually being completed, contributing to shifting the urban structure from inner areas and along national highways toward the river. When implemented in a methodical manner, these mega-urban areas help create architectural and landscape imprints, increase land value, enhance investment attractiveness, and improve urban living quality.

Ho Van Nam, Member of the Standing Board of the City Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People’s Council of Tran Bien Ward, said: The Dong Nai River is an outstanding advantage for the locality to create a new urban development axis. The ward is completing infrastructure projects to synchronously connect landscape - service - commercial spaces. In the coming time, the locality will continue to attract investment along traffic axes and riverside corridors to effectively exploit land resources, and promote socio-economic development, thereby gradually forming a modern urban appearance, improving quality of life, and contributing to shaping the central urban appearance of Dong Nai City.

Integrated urban areas in growth-driving zones

Not only having the riverside axis, Dong Nai is expanding urban space in association with new growth poles, notably the area of Long Thanh International Airport and strategic transport corridors. These are considered “golden coordinates” in the long-term development strategy, as they converge favorable conditions in connectivity, logistics, and services.

A commercial urban project in Long Thanh Ward, Dong Nai City. Photo: Hoang Loc.

New urban areas are oriented to develop according to integrated, multi-functional models, in which housing is associated with service ecosystems such as commerce, education, healthcare, and entertainment. This is also an inevitable trend of modern urban areas, aiming to optimize space, improve land-use efficiency, and enhance residents’ quality of life.

Dr., architect Ngo Viet Nam Son (Chairman of Ngo Viet Architects & Planners) said: Dong Nai is facing a rare opportunity to shape a modern airport urban model, revolving around the national key infrastructure project, Long Thanh International Airport. According to this architect, in many countries around the world, large-scale international airports are both transport gateways and nuclei forming integrated urban areas associated with logistics, commerce - services, and innovation.

When Long Thanh Airport comes into operation, the demand for housing, services, infrastructure, and supply chains increases strongly, which will be a driving force to form urban projects within urban areas, contributing to restructuring development space in a modern and efficient direction.

Along the Dong Nai River, the area surrounding Long Thanh Airport and strategic transport corridors are “growth poles” across both economic and urban dimension, creating momentum to help Dong Nai make breakthroughs and become a dynamic development center of the Southeast region.

In addition, Dong Nai is also studying to develop a resolution on developing urban system associated with Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Director of the Department of Construction Nguyen Anh Tuan said: Urban areas will be formed along expressways, ring roads, and railways, creating a synchronous connectivity network, reducing traffic pressure on national highways, helping to decongest central areas toward sustainable development.

Member of the City Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Ho Van Ha said: Dong Nai is shifting from a sprawling urban development model to integrated mega-urban areas, taking the riverside axis, Long Thanh Airport, and strategic infrastructure as driving forces. Urban areas are planned synchronously, developed in an integrated and unified direction, both ensuring sustainability and maximizing the potential and advantages of each area.

Development of green, sustainable, and regionally connected urban areas

With its new position, along with advantages in strategic location, increasingly completed inter-regional infrastructure, and large development potential, Dong Nai is gathering all conditions to rise to become a growth pole of the region and the country. In planning, the locality identifies developing urban areas in a green, sustainable direction and strengthening regional linkage as a consistent orientation. The requirement is to expand scale but must be associated with improving quality, aiming toward smart urban areas, effectively adapting to climate change.

By the end of the first quarter of 2026, Dong Nai had 443 housing projects under implementation; of which 370 projects are commercial housing and large-scale urban areas.

Modern urban development models,  including TOD and multi-functional development will be applied; forming urban spaces around public transport hubs. Especially, for riverside projects, the requirement is to harmonize urban development with protection of natural ecosystems; preserve landscape and environmental values to create a distinct identity for Dong Nai urban areas. New urban areas are oriented to meet green standards, apply smart technology, save energy, and reduce emissions in line with the net zero spirit.

Besides developing high-end urban areas in strategic locations, Dong Nai also focuses on developing social housing and resettlement areas in a modern, synchronous infrastructure direction. This is to ensure that people from all social classes have opportunities to access quality living spaces, thereby creating a foundation for harmonious and inclusive development.

Becoming a city is a major turning point in Dong Nai’s development journey. In which, mega-urban areas play the role of “nuclei” positioning spatial stature, creating growth momentum and elevating the urban appearance. To make these mega-urban areas promote their value, the solution is to continue to strictly control planning, construction, and operation; ensure synchronous infrastructure, improve governance quality, and maintain a balance between economic development and environmental protection, social security. When implemented in line with the planning, mega-urban areas will contribute to affirming Dong Nai’s position, commensurate with its role as a new development center in the South.

By Hoang Loc - Translated by Diec Quyen, Thu Ha