Developing a smart urban area associated with digital transformation

Dong Nai province aims to become a smart urban area by 2030 to achieve rapid growth and sustainable development. Dong Nai is concretizing this goal by building a smart urban area associated with adopting synchronous and comprehensive digital transformation ranging from planning, infrastructure development, urban embellishment to investing in seamless and continuous information technology infrastructure.

Chon Thanh Ward invests in a synchronized telecommunications and technology infrastructure, meeting the requirements for connecting, using, and sharing data for the government and people. Photo: Ngan Ha

"Electronic shield" of the digital urban area

In the goal of building a smart, modern ward to serve the management, administration, and supervision of all fields in the area, Binh Phuoc Ward (Dong Nai province) is effectively operating the Intelligent Operations Center (IOC) with 9 integrated priority areas such as: education, healthcare, socio-economic monitoring and operating system, public service monitoring, on-site feedback, traffic security cameras, smart urban lights... Therefore, all activities of the ward are digitized, reducing the need for administration through multiple levels of management.

In particular, in building a smart transportation system, the ward has installed many cameras on key routes, including smart AI (artificial intelligence) cameras with high-altitude scanning capabilities that transmit data to the ward's IOC Center.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Duc Thanh, Head of Binh Phuoc Ward Public Security, said: "The security camera system is very helpful in state management of security and order, supporting investigations, resolving cases and incidents of traffic accidents, monitoring areas, and quickly tracing subjects. In the goal of building a smart, modern ward, smart cameras are an important highlight, and we are continuing to expand them to support the police force in ensuring security and order in the area."

Thus, 205 cameras invested by the budget, over 600 socialized cameras, along with 80 cameras managed by the Provincial Public Security are becoming an "electronic shield," helping Binh Phuoc ward leaders manage all activities in the area from detail to overall.

Ngo Hong Khang, Chairman of Binh Phuoc Ward People's Committee, shared: "Developing a security camera system integrated with AI technology is not only an urgent solution in ensuring security and order but also an important foundation for realizing the goal of building a smart urban area. This is a strategic step for the locality to accelerate the digital transformation process in developing digital government, enhancing the effectiveness of state management, and demonstrating a clear spirit of innovation, creativity, and decisiveness in building, managing, and operating smart transportation, moving towards building a smart, modern city."

To replicate the effectiveness of the smart security camera system, the IOC Center of Binh Long Ward, Dong Nai province, is integrating and connecting 96 cameras, including 4 smart AI cameras, to support the ward’s leadership in management and administration.

Every day, thousands of images from security cameras on roads and alleys are transmitted. Traffic law violators or even people littering in the wrong place are also recorded by the cameras. Urban management can then closely monitor.

"If a locality is stable in terms of security, has convenient transportation, and its urban area becomes increasingly civilized and modern, people will feel secure living and working," happily said Nguyen Thi Nhung (Binh Long Ward).

Digital government - the foundation of a smart urban area

With the advantage of being the gateway to the Southeast region, a convergence of key transportation routes, Dong Nai is becoming a national industrial, service, and logistics center. However, for a densely populated locality with many businesses like Dong Nai to develop sustainably, the most important factor must be a modern, transparent, and effective government. To date, the province has invested in developing telecommunications and technology infrastructure to meet the requirements for connecting, using, and sharing data for the government and people, making digital government operate entirely based on data and technology. 100% of state administrative agencies from the provincial to communal levels participate in the province's e-government system. Directing, operating, internal management, and processing work files are all carried out in a digital environment at both levels.

 Nguyen Thi Huong, an official at the Public Administration Service Center of Long Hung Ward, Dong Nai province, shared: "The infrastructure is smooth, people no longer have to come to the public administration service center to submit administrative procedures as before, but submit them through the National Public Service Portal and receive result notifications via text message. The time has been shortened to a maximum from one day to one working hour."

Currently, all of 95 communes and wards in Dong Nai province have completed all 16 essential infrastructure criteria, creating a solid foundation for deploying digital services to serve the people. This is a testament to a digital government - the core infrastructure of a smart urban area.

Ha Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs of Dong Nai province, emphasized: The synchronously invested digital infrastructure from the provincial to communal levels has made record digitalization more convenient. For procedures that people have submitted once, they do not have to re-provide related documents for subsequent procedures, thereby maximally shortening the time for people and businesses.

Building a smart, modern, and livable urban area is a common trend for many urban areas nationwide. Dong Nai is no exception to this trend. The Provincial People's Committee approved the Project on Smart Urban Area Development in Dong Nai province for the period 2022-2025, with an orientation to 2030, through Decision No. 1179/QD-UBND dated May 10, 2022. The Decision clearly states that by 2030, Dong Nai province will become a smart urban hub with fundamental and comprehensive innovations in the management and operation of the Dong Nai provincial government apparatus, operating more effectively, efficiently, and transparently. With economic and social infrastructure, urban areas developed synchronously, modernly, smartly, sustainably, and rich in distinctive identity that communes and wards are developing, Dong Nai is gradually turning aspirations into reality, becoming a smart, green, prosperous, civilized, and modern urban area, and a growth driver of the Southeast region and the entire country.

By Ngan Ha – Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha