Efforts to expedite the completion of the Bien Hoa Urban Master Plan adjustment

The completion and approval of the overall adjustment to the Bien Hoa Urban Master Plan will serve as a foundation for implementing key projects and attracting investment initiatives across the urban area.

The overall adjustment to the Bien Hoa Urban Master Plan is targeted for completion and approval by December 2025. Photo: Pham Tung

Proposal to adjust planning boundaries

In March 2023, the Prime Minister approved a task to comprehensively adjust the master plan for Bien Hoa City through 2045. The scope of the adjustment encompasses the entire administrative boundary of the former Bien Hoa city, comprising 29 wards and one commune, with a total area exceeding 26,000 hectares. The overarching goal of this adjustment is to transition from an industrial urban structure to a service- and industry-oriented model, aiming to develop an innovative and sustainable city.

According to Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Construction, Do Thanh Phuong, after the Prime Minister approved the planning task, provincial agencies coordinated with the consulting unit to prepare the overall adjustment plan. In January 2025, the provincial People’s Committee submitted the planning dossier to the Ministry of Construction for appraisal. Subsequently, Dong Nai province supplemented the dossier to address feedback and recommendations from the Ministry.

However, with the current approach emphasizing non-administrative-boundary urban planning and to remain consistent with the planning task approved by the Prime Minister, the dossier submitted to the Ministry of Construction covered only the study area within the old boundaries of the Bien Hoa urban area.

From July 1, 2025, as the province implements the two-tier local government model and reorganizes commune-level administrative units, the planning scope of Bien Hoa’s general urban plan will expand to include five additional communes: Thien Tan, Tan Binh, Binh Loi, and Thanh Phu (from the former Vinh Cuu district), and Ho Nai 3 (from the former Trang Bom district).

Given this reality, it is necessary to review and re-evaluate the scope and boundaries of the Bien Hoa Urban Master Plan adjustment to ensure alignment. The Department of Construction has proposed that the provincial People’s Committee expand the planning boundaries to include the entire area of the former Bien Hoa city, along with the four communes from the former Vinh Cuu district and one commune from the former Trang Bom district.

Targeting approval by the end of 2025

Under the initial plan, the dossier for the Bien Hoa Urban Master Plan adjustment was scheduled for submission to the Prime Minister for approval in June 2025. However, this target has yet to be met.

The overall adjustment to the Bien Hoa Urban Master Plan is targeted for completion and approval by December 2025. In the photo: A view of the Bien Hoa urban area encompassing Tam Hiep and Long Binh wards. Photo: Pham Tung.

The project now aims for completion and approval by December 2025. Meanwhile, to carry out key provincial projects in the former Bien Hoa city area, Dong Nai has made localized planning adjustments while awaiting approval of the overall master plan. Given Bien Hoa’s central position and the number of significant projects planned for the near future, finalizing and approving the adjusted master plan has become an urgent priority. Moreover, approval of this plan will serve as the foundation for developing detailed zoning plans for each ward.

According to Ho Van Ha, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, in the coming period, many critical provincial projects will be implemented in the area of the nine newly established wards of the former Bien Hoa city. Therefore, if the overall adjustment of the Bien Hoa urban master plan is not approved, the implementation of these projects will face significant difficulties.

According to the Prime Minister’s decision approving the task of comprehensively adjusting the Bien Hoa city master plan through 2045, the population of Bien Hoa is projected to reach 1.5 to 1.6 million by 2030, and 1.9 to 2 million by 2045.

“The planned elevated road along National Highway 51, the extension of the Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien Metro line to Tran Bien ward, and the connection to Long Thanh International Airport will all encounter difficulties in implementation if the Bien Hoa Urban Master Plan adjustment is not approved,” Vice Chairman Ho Van Ha emphasized.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Vo Tan Duc has instructed the Department of Construction to work with relevant agencies to expedite the drafting, evaluation, and approval of the plan. The goal is to have the overall adjustment to the Bien Hoa Urban Master Plan approved by December 2025.

By Pham Tung – Translated by Hong Van, Minho