Urban development geared toward a modern public transport system

The Law on Urban Development contains important provisions on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), providing a new legal basis for localities to reorganize urban space in connection with the public transport system, use land efficiently, reduce private vehicle use, and pursue green and sustainable development.

Residents choose public transport as their means of travel at Bien Hoa Bus Station.

For Dong Nai, these regulations provide further opportunities to develop a modern and environmentally friendly TOD system.

New legal basis

Against the backdrop of rapid urbanization, traffic has become one of the major issues facing many urban areas. Population growth, high travel demand, and the rapid development of industrial parks, residential areas, and new urban areas are placing increasing pressure on transport infrastructure systems.

For Dong Nai, this requirement is even more urgent as the locality holds a strategic position in the Southern key economic region, with a high concentration of industrial parks and a large workforce. The urban development process requires closer integration among land-use planning, urban spatial planning, and transport systems.

On August 24, the National Assembly passed the Law on Urban Development, which takes effect on October 1, 2026. Among its provisions, Article 12 regulates TOD-oriented urban development and is expected to provide an additional legal corridor for organizing urban growth in connection with public transport routes.

According to lawyer Tran Cao Dai Ky Quan, Deputy Head of the Dong Nai Bar Association, a key feature of Article 12 is the initial establishment of a relatively specific legal framework for the TOD model. The regulations cover the authority of the City People's Council, the City People's Committee, and the Chairperson of the City People's Committee to issue policies, determine land-use indicators and economic-technical criteria, organize urban space, and formulate and adjust plans for TOD areas.

Greater autonomy for local authorities is significant because each urban area has its own characteristics in terms of population, land resources, infrastructure, and transport demand. Based on legal provisions, localities can proactively select solutions suited to their actual conditions.

Another notable provision of Article 12 is the requirement that TOD development be linked to the load-bearing capacity of infrastructure and the quality of urban space. The integrated use of underground and low-altitude space, limits on overloading technical and social infrastructure, and prioritization of public spaces, greenery, and residents' quality of life demonstrate that TOD is not merely about developing high-density buildings around stations or transit hubs.

If effectively organized and implemented, TOD will aim to create urban areas with appropriate density, mixed uses, pedestrian-friendly environments, and easy access to various modes of public transport.

Article 12 also provides a mechanism to capture the added land value to generate investment resources for TOD. Revenue from increases in land value, infrastructure improvement fees, the exploitation of railway infrastructure assets, TOD connection fees, and additional floor area can provide resources for reinvestment in infrastructure. This is a progressive approach that is consistent with TOD development.

"Article 12 of the Law on Urban Development is an important step forward in establishing a legal basis for TOD-oriented urban development. This regulation gives localities greater autonomy while opening up a mechanism to mobilize resources from land for infrastructure development, emphasizing requirements for infrastructure connectivity, public space, and urban quality of life. For Dong Nai, this is an opportunity to accelerate the transition to a green, smart, and modern urban model," lawyer Tran Cao Dai Ky Quan noted.

Developing a modern TOD network

In practice, public transport development has been a focus for Dong Nai in the process of building green, smart, and sustainable urban areas. According to Pham Hong Quang, Deputy Director in charge of the Public Passenger Transport Management and Operation Center under the Dong Nai Department of Construction, continued investment in public transport routes connecting industrial parks and residential areas is needed, along with improvements in service quality.

TOD development will help residents travel more conveniently and safely, reduce dependence on private vehicles, and contribute to easing traffic congestion during peak hours. In particular, the gradual transition to electric vehicles and vehicles using green energy will help reduce environmental impacts, in line with the orientation toward building modern urban areas and pursuing sustainable development.

According to Pham Hong Quang, Deputy Director in charge of the Public Passenger Transport Management and Operation Center, the transition of vehicles to electricity and green energy will continue to be promoted in the coming period.

The goal is for the proportion of vehicles using electricity or green energy to reach at least 50% by 2030; by 2050, the aim is for 100% of buses to use electricity or green energy. This is an important transition that will contribute to building a modern TOD system that reduces emissions and is more environmentally friendly.

Currently, 22 bus routes operate in Dong Nai, including 12 intra-city routes and 10 inter-city routes. Most of these routes pass through or connect to major industrial parks and residential areas. Public transport by bus serves approximately 6.5 million passenger trips per year.

This demonstrates that buses are playing a certain role in meeting people's travel needs. It also provides one of the foundations for Dong Nai to continue developing its public transport network in the coming period.

According to the Department of Construction, TOD is one of the "backbones" of the urban development process. Transport infrastructure not only serves travel needs but also provides a foundation for expanding urban space, developing industry and logistics, and improving residents' quality of life.

Given Dong Nai's rapid development, growing population, and increasing travel demand, TOD development needs to be implemented in a timely manner. Accordingly, Dong Nai continues to focus on developing transport infrastructure, accelerating the progress of key local projects, and coordinating the implementation of key central-level projects in the locality.

The goal is to strengthen connectivity among intra-city areas and enhance inter-regional links with Ho Chi Minh City and other localities in the region. Another important orientation is to study high-capacity transport modes such as bus rapid transit (BRT), urban rail, and inter-regional rail, while simultaneously reviewing, adjusting, and supplementing the planning of bus routes connecting residential areas with industrial parks, commercial centers, hospitals, and schools.

Under the network development orientation, buses continue to be identified as the primary mode of public transport in the coming period. The bus network will aim to cover the entire city, strengthen inter-regional connectivity, and serve industrial parks, Long Thanh Airport, and new urban areas.

Dong Nai aims to expand bus accessibility to communes and wards, strengthen connections between buses and other modes of transport, and gradually develop a more convenient public transport network for residents.

In the long term, Dong Nai's goal is not merely to maintain bus operations but to build a modern public transport system. To achieve this goal, issues involving routes, frequency, schedules, ticket prices, vehicle quality, and connectivity need to be addressed simultaneously.

By An Nhon – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho