Central Vietnam hub Danang faces infrastructure challenges as high-rise buildings rise along Han river

A wave of new high-rise projects along the Han River is making Danang’s urban planning and management increasingly challenging, forcing the central city to rethink strategies to ease the pressure on its urban core.

In recent years, the riverside area along the Han River has witnessed a surge in real estate projects, transforming it into a modern, high-density urban area. This development not only gives the city a new skyline but also reflects the rapid growth of the local real estate market.

However, the fast-paced expansion brings mounting concerns about the capacity of both technical and social infrastructure once these buildings come into operation.

The bottlenecks are most evident in static traffic infrastructure and circulation capacity within the city’s core areas, especially after the administrative merger of Danang and Quang Nam province, which has led to a sharp rise in the number of people concentrating in the city center.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Nguyen Ha Nam, director of the municipal Department of Construction, stated that many high-rise real estate projects are currently under construction along the Han River.

“This is a positive indicator of urban development, yet it also places greater pressure on management, coordination, and implementation in the construction sector,” he stated.

Nam noted that planning efforts are being carried out across the city’s newly adjusted administrative boundaries. The current planning framework, known as Plan 359, was approved in 2022.

It divides the city into nine subzones, all of which have now been fully approved. Within each subzone, population distribution and limits are assigned to specific planning blocks, regardless of building height.

In developing these subzones, the city thoroughly assessed two groups of infrastructure: social infrastructure such as education, healthcare, parks, and cultural facilities; and technical infrastructure like transportation, water supply, electricity, and wastewater drainage.

“All projects must strictly comply with subzone planning and population limits. Even high-rise buildings cannot increase the maximum population assigned to each planning block. Many high-rise buildings do not mean accommodating more people. This is a constant principle in planning management,” Nam emphasized.

He also acknowledged that after the administrative merger, urban pressures have become more pronounced - crowded streets, frequent congestion at intersections, and increased strain on technical infrastructure, especially transportation.

“After reorganizing administrative boundaries, the pressure on technical infrastructure, particularly transportation, has become very evident. This is a consequence of concentrating residents, public officials, and socio-economic activities in the city center,” he said.

According to Nam, the Department of Construction is currently studying a comprehensive set of legal and technical solutions, as well as plans to redistribute urban space. The city is considering the decentralization of urban functions, workplace adjustments, and other regulatory measures.

He affirmed that Danang will continue reviewing and updating planning, especially in sensitive areas such as the Han River waterfront, to ensure balanced and sustainable development.

Recently, the department responded to voters’ proposals that urban development be expanded southward to reduce pressure on the city center.

According to voters, southern expansion would help ease infrastructure, traffic, and population burdens on the urban core, while also maximizing land resources and fostering new growth zones in the southern area.

The department reported that the municipal People’s Committee has issued a plan to adjust the city master plan for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050, as well as to develop urban and rural plans following the administrative restructuring.

Throughout this process, the city will explore sustainable development solutions, restructure urban space, and clearly define development poles and corridors.

Based on the master plan, Danang will reallocate resources and build synchronized regional connectivity infrastructure to serve socio-economic development goals.