Experts call for removing bottlenecks to unlock southern Danang urban corridor

Experts and businesses said Danang needs to remove infrastructure, regulatory and planning bottlenecks to unlock the full potential of its southern urban corridor and create a new growth engine for the region.

The Investor on Wednesday morning held a seminar titled "Danang real estate: Long-term value investment & the southern urban flow” in the central city.

Infrastructure and policy bottlenecks need easing

At the discussion session, Pham Thanh Hung, deputy CEO of BHS Mien Trung Real Estate JSC, said the southern development corridor spanning Danang, Dien Ban and Hoi An held substantial growth potential thanks to its rare combination of riverfront and coastal advantages alongside increasingly developed connectivity infrastructure.

Over recent years, the area has gradually developed coastal urban zones and high-end resorts, creating a continuous development corridor stretching toward Cua Dai Bridge.

The region combines several advantages, with Danang serving as a modern urban center anchored by Danang International Airport, Hoi An functioning as a globally recognized heritage tourism destination, and Dien Ban acting as a buffer zone with extensive land reserves suitable for development space expansion.

However, Hung said the area’s potential remained underdeveloped due to a lack of coordinated planning between Danang and former Quang Nam province before their administrative merger last July.

“That can be clearly seen along the coastal road often described as the ‘billion-dollar corridor’, where many five-star resorts and hotels are concentrated, yet development patterns differ significantly across the former administrative boundary,” Hung said.

According to Hung, the merger presents an opportunity to remove bottlenecks, synchronize infrastructure development and create stronger growth momentum across the southern corridor.

“With its existing advantages, the area could strongly develop tourism, high-tech industries and green urban projects, becoming a desirable place to live, work and travel in central Vietnam,” he added.

Hung proposed establishing a unified coordination mechanism for the Danang-Hoi An corridor to synchronize urban planning, infrastructure investment and development orientation.

Rather than spreading investment across multiple areas, he suggested prioritizing zones where infrastructure is already available and where growth potential remains substantial in order to create spillover effects across the region.

He also called for accelerating key infrastructure projects, including expressways linking to Chu Lai (an open economic zone in former Quang Nam province), urban railways, metro systems and connections to the North-South Expressway network.

Current tourism corridors such as Vo Nguyen Giap, Truong Sa and Lac Long Quan roads are already facing congestion during peak seasons, Hung said.

As a result, the region needs expanded local transport networks as well as additional urban rail and waterway transportation systems. In particular, reopening the Co Co River waterway could create major momentum for riverside and coastal development in the southern corridor.

Hung also said Danang should adopt policies to attract strategic investors and international-standard services. Given the city’s ambition to develop high-end tourism and green urban areas, businesses focused on sustainability, advanced technology and environmentally friendly development should receive preferential treatment, he added.

Faster administrative procedures and quicker resolution of legal obstacles would also help reduce costs and encourage more investment.

In addition, Hung said the region needs iconic projects capable of attracting international attention, such as large-scale entertainment, tourism and resort complexes that could become new destinations in Southeast Asia.

At the same time, he stressed that development should remain sustainable and environmentally friendly rather than sacrificing living standards for short-term growth.

“Danang-Hoi An should continue positioning itself as a highly livable, attractive and investable urban destination where residents, tourists and investors all benefit from harmonious and sustainable development,” Hung said.

‘Eagles’ already present in the market

Nguyen Minh Phung, deputy CEO of Dat Phuong Hoi An JSC, said major investors had already entered the Danang-Hoi An market years ago through projects such as Hoiana Resort & Golf and Vinpearl.

“It is clear that the ‘eagles’ have been here for quite some time,” Phung said, referring to major strategic investors.

“The question now is how these investors can continue playing a leading role and generate broader development momentum for the region,” he added.

According to Phung, while development potential is a necessary condition, infrastructure is the decisive factor. He said many strategic infrastructure projects were already included in urban planning frameworks and development blueprints, although not yet publicly announced.

“If these plans are implemented soon, the area’s potential could become enormous, perhaps even beyond full measurement,” he said.

“The potential is already very clear. The ‘eagles’ have arrived. What remains is for strategic infrastructure and regulatory mechanisms to be unlocked so these investors can soar even higher and generate even stronger development momentum for the region,” Phung added.

He also noted that international investors and tourists are drawn to Danang and Hoi An not only because of business opportunities but also because the area is regarded as one of Vietnam’s most livable destinations.

Potential for entertainment and cultural urban hub

From a strategic perspective, Vo Tri Thanh, president of the Institute for Brand and Competitiveness Strategy, said Danang should adopt a broader vision for the southern corridor.

Thanh said the rapid global expansion of cultural industries linked to tourism showed that international-standard entertainment programs could generate enormous economic value.

Even in Vietnam, large-scale music and entertainment events are increasingly attracting audiences willing to spend heavily, he said.

As a result, the southern corridor should not merely be positioned as a real estate or tourism zone but could evolve into a regional entertainment, cultural and events hub.

Potential projects could include international arts performance complexes, fashion centers, marine sports hubs, green tourism destinations and global-scale cultural or sporting events.

Thanh said that while Quang Ninh province in the north was positioning itself as an international performance and fashion center, Danang could develop its own identity around coastal advantages, green tourism and large-scale cultural and sports events.

The Danang-Hoi An corridor still has substantial land reserves and development potential to realize such ambitions, he added.

In the past, proposals for the area to develop into a financial center combined with large-scale entertainment complexes had raised concerns, but under current conditions such ideas deserved serious consideration for the city’s future development, Thanh said.

Le Van Tuan, deputy director of the Danang Department of Construction, said Danang had already developed key north-south transport corridors including National Highway 1A, the Vo Chi Cong coastal route and links to the North-South Expressway.

Under the city’s planning strategy, Danang will continue expanding transport infrastructure, with roads remaining the top priority. The city is currently studying plans for an inner-city expressway beginning in the Ngu Hanh Son-Le Van Hien area and connecting to Chu Lai Airport.

Tuan also described the North-South high-speed railway project as another critical infrastructure driver. Although implemented by the central government, Danang has been assigned responsibility for land clearance along the section crossing the city.

The railway segment through Danang is expected to stretch around 116 kilometers, with compensation and land clearance costs estimated at roughly VND20 trillion ($759 million) funded by both central and local budgets.

“Once both rail and road systems are developed in parallel, the city’s north-south connectivity network will fundamentally meet the requirements for economic development,” Tuan said.

In addition to roads and railways, Danang also plans to promote transit-oriented development, or TOD, real estate projects.

The city is also prioritizing the reopening of the Co Co River waterway and linking it with the Truong Giang River corridor through Thang Binh to Nui Thanh, helping establish new strategic inland waterway routes in the future, he added.