Accelerating the completion of Long Thanh urban area master planning

Dong Nai Province has identified the Long Thanh International Airport Urban Area as one of two key development zones for the coming period. Therefore, the early completion, appraisal, and approval of the Long Thanh Urban Master Planning to 2045 will serve as a foundation for realising the ambition of building Vietnam's first airport urban area.

Long Thanh Commune is the central area of Long Thanh Urban Area. Photo: Dang Tung

Defining the model for an airport urban area

According to the planning task approved by the Prime Minister, Long Thanh will be developed as an urban area associated with Long Thanh International Airport, becoming the national gateway for international connections. It is also oriented to become a hub for logistics services, warehousing, multi-sector industries, and high-tech industries in the southeastern region. Additionally, Long Thanh urban area will serve as a hub for connectivity and multimodal transportation at the national level, as well as a major growth pole of the southern region and Dong Nai Province, and an area of strategic importance for national defence and security in the Southeast region and the entire country.

The Prime Minister approved the Long Thanh Urban Area Master Planning task to 2045 on February 20, 2024.

Regarding spatial and urban development orientation, Long Thanh urban area will be planned with a development model and structure that effectively capitalizes on the advantages of the national and regional infrastructure framework, particularly Long Thanh International Airport, expressways, and urban railway routes, while strengthening connectivity with other urban centres within Dong Nai Province and the Southeast region.

Recognizing Long Thanh Airport Urban Area as a development nucleus, in 2014, Dong Nai launched a contest for planning ideas for the Long Thanh Airport Urban Area and its surroundings. In January 2025, the provincial People’s Committee issued a decision approving the contest results, naming the consortium of National Institute of Architecture, Nihon Sekkei, Inc. (Japan), and Coninco JSC (the VIAR–NS–Coninco consortium) as the first-prize winner.

According to the winning proposal, the Long Thanh Airport Urban Area will be developed following the Aerotropolis model, a development concept in which the airport urban area serves as the core driver of regional economic growth, extending beyond the traditional boundaries of airport-centered cities. Moreover, Long Thanh Airport Urban Area and Ho Chi Minh City Urban Area will form a twin-city model, cooperating and leveraging their respective strengths to create synergy.

Deputy Director of the Department of Construction Do Thanh Phuong said that, based on the contest results, the department and the consortium of consultancy units had finalised and submitted the cost estimate for approval by the Provincial People’s Committee, held negotiations, and reached an agreement to sign the consultancy contract.

Focusing on expediting the early completion of master planning project

The Long Thanh Urban Area Master Planning will serve as the foundation for developing sub-zone plans to attract investment. In the context of the first phase of Long Thanh International Airport nearing operation, accelerating the formulation of planning schemes to attract investment projects serving the airport’s operation has become highly urgent.

“The preparation, submission, appraisal, and approval of the Long Thanh Urban Area Master Planning are extremely urgent. Therefore, the Department of Construction must review all relevant regulations, issue a document proposing that the Provincial People’s Committee provide guidance to ensure implementation in accordance with the law. At the same time, focus is placed on promptly completing the plan to report to the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and the Standing Committee of the Provincial People’s Committee.”

VO TAN DUC, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Dong Nai People’s Committee

According to the approved planning task, the master planning covers the entire former administrative boundary of Long Thanh District. However, after the implementation of the two-tier local government model, the planning scope has expanded to include Thua Duc and Xuan Duong communes, formerly part of Cam My District. Consequently, the Department of Construction has proposed that the master plan’s scope be adjusted to include these two communes in addition to the former Long Thanh District.

Assessing the progress of the master planning, Ho Van Ha, Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai People’s Committee, noted that progress remains very slow. The province has set a goal for the Department of Construction to submit the plan by September 2025, but it has not been completed yet. Therefore, Vice Chairman Ho Van Ha requested the department to coordinate with relevant agencies to accelerate progress and submit the first draft of the Long Thanh Urban Area Master Planning to the People’s Committee in October 2025.

By Pham Tung – Translated by My Le, Thu Ha