Extending the urban areas toward the rivers

In the world, many cities have succeeded in riverfront urban development, turning the rivers into central landscape axes and drivers of sustainable economic growth. Dong Nai, with its natural advantages and the aspiration to create quality living spaces, has identified the riverside economic corridor as one of its important strategic orientations for the 2025-2030 period.

Riverside ecological urban area project in Bien Hoa ward, Dong Nai province. Photo: Courtesy of the unit

Expanding the urban boundary towards the rivers not only helps reduce pressure on the inner city area but also creates room for sustainable development in terms of trade and tourism; while shaping a modern urban look for the province.

Opening a new space by the old river

Dong Nai is blessed by nature with a beautiful and poetic river of the same name. This is the longest inland river in the country, with nearly half of its length flowing through the province. Dong Nai River plays an exceptional role in terms of history, culture and economy, closely associated with the formation and development of Bien Hoa - Dong Nai land.

In fact, over the past decades, the province's urban areas have mainly developed along the national highway or expanded into areas with transport-related advantages. Although having about 260km of the Dong Nai River flowing through its territory, the landscape potential on both banks has yet to be fully tapped. Except for some real estate projects, riverside parks, and embankments, most of the river frontage is still abandoned or used as construction material wharves and storage yards.

At present, the province has many reasons to expand the urban area towards the river. That is, the rapid urbanization and the increase in the mechanical population are making the inner city increasingly crowded, the quality of the living environment is very difficult to improve. Meanwhile, the space along the Dong Nai River offers a large, airy land fund and advantages in terms of landscape as well as historical and cultural relics. As the quality of life improves, the need to live in green urban areas, with open spaces and close connections to nature is becoming the choice of many people.

Dr. Tran Du Lich, Member of the National Monetary Policy Advisory Council, member of the Dong Nai Province Socio-Economic Advisory Group, once shared: Not every locality has a large river embracing the urban center like Dong Nai. This is a special advantage that the province needs to take advantage of to form ecological urban areas, promote tourism and create new urban brands. Of course, to realize that goal, it requires methodical planning, strong enough resources and high determination in implementation.

In the Dong Nai Provincial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, the riverside economic corridor is identified as one of the three strategic corridors, playing the role of the most important development axis of the province. This is both an economic corridor, international traffic connection and a landscape axis to shape urban and rural spaces.

Many planning and architectural experts share the view that the Dong Nai River has great potential in terms of ecology, culture, history and riverside urban development. If exploited in the right direction, this area will contribute strongly to the development of the province, especially in terms of economy, tourism and transportation. Beyond that, this development direction helps reduce population pressure in central wards such as Tran Bien, Tam Hiep, Long Binh.

Projects " paving the way" for riverfront urban development

Currently, a number of green, modern urban areas have taken shape along the Dong Nai River. Although not yet seamless, these are the first building blocks of a future riverfront urban axis, serving as the projects that "pave the way" for riverfront urban development. These include: Aqua City urban area (Long Hung ward), Kim Quy island (Bien Hoa ward), SwanBay urban area (Dai Phuoc commune) ...

In addition, many projects are being or are about to be implemented. A typical example is the more than 290-hectare Hiep Hoa Eco-Urban Area, oriented to become an urban space that harmoniously combines traditional and modern values, while restoring the brand of "Cuu Lao Pho" which used to be one of the busiest commercial ports in the South. When the connecting infrastructure is completed, this island will become a new service - cultural center of Tran Bien land.

Another large-scale project is the Commercial and Service Urban Area in Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park that will be formed after the relocation. Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Ha said: Relocating the industrial park will not only solve the pollution problem but also open up hundreds of hectares of land along the river. This is a golden opportunity to develop urban spaces, parks, squares and form a new political and administrative center of the province.

“This is a modern green urban area reborn from an old industrial park. A transformation that no other locality in the country has undertaken up to this point, demonstrating Dong Nai's great determination to pursue green growth and sustainable development goals, exploiting the riverside corridor axis” - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Ha expressed.

Although some projects have already taken shape and others are being implemented, but considering the full length of the entire river, from upstream to downstream, the land fund along the river is still very large. If invested synchronously with the riverside road system, parks and ecological urban areas, the province will have a chain of interconnected urban areas, creating new attraction for tourism, services and attracting real estate investment.

According to Duong Van Bac, General Director of Novaland Group, the advantage of a large water surface and regional connectivity has helped the enterprise shape Aqua City into an ecological mega-urban area along the Dong Nai River. In the 1,000-hectare land fund of the urban area, 70% of the area is reserved for green space, traffic and public utilities. In addition, with the advantage of 32km of surrounding riverbank, all subdivisions are designed to open to the water, creating a fresh living environment that truly embodies the essence of an ecological urban area.

In the province's strategic plans, projects and schemes, Dong Nai River is one of the important economic corridors to create new land funds, develop green areas and reshape urban areas.

To ensure the sustainable development of the riverfront urban chain, the province requires projects to be implemented in accordance with the planning, ensuring construction density according to the approved plan. The implementation and operation process must have solutions to protect water resources, without  encroaching on the river’s flow, and without causing landslides or pollution.

Developing urban areas along the river is a strategic step for Dong Nai to expand its development space, create urban identity, exploit natural values ​​and promote tourism economy. Exploiting this economic corridor is also an opportunity for the province to position Dong Nai on the map of modern, green and livable urban areas, thereby creating an advantage in attracting quality investment projects.

By Hoang Loc – Translated by Quoc Dung, Thu Ha