Hanoi breaks ground on 1,400-hectare urban developments to reshape Red River corridor

Hanoi has begun construction on two large multi-purpose urban developments spanning nearly 1,400 hectares in its northern suburb, as the capital accelerates efforts to restructure urban space and expand housing capacity for a major redevelopment of the Red River corridor.

The projects, located in Dong Anh and Me Linh districts, are the first to break ground under a newly approved planning framework for “multi-purpose urban areas” - a model designed to support large-scale resettlement, social housing, and infrastructure development as Hanoi shifts toward a multi-center growth strategy.

The larger project, Bac Thang Long Urban City, covers nearly 700 hectares across Phuc Thinh and Thien Loc communes in Dong Anh and parts of Me Linh. It is being developed by a consortium of state-owned Handico and private developers Sunshine Group and Thai Nam Group, with construction scheduled to run through 2032.

Situated between Ring Road 3, which connects directly to Thang Long bridge, and the planned Ring Road 3.5 linking to Thuong Cat bridge, the project is positioned as a key northern gateway to the capital.

More than half of the land area will be allocated to green space and transport infrastructure, the developers said, drawing on urban planning concepts used in Singapore.

Housing supply will prioritize resettlement units, social housing, public service housing, and temporary accommodation at affordable prices, according to the consortium. The project will also include schools, an international university cluster, R&D center, hospitals, commercial and office space, exhibition and fairgrounds, sports complexes, and cultural facilities.

The second project, led by Tuong Lai Song Hong (Future of Red River) company, spans about 696 hectares across three sites in Thu Lam and Dong Anh communes, around 18 kilometers from the Bac Thang Long project and close to the Hanoi-Thai Nguyen Expressway.

Construction is expected to take nearly four years, from Q1/2026 to the Q3/2029. Authorities said land clearance and construction would be carried out in parallel to allow for early resettlement of residents.

Once completed, the two projects are expected to accommodate about 440,000 people.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, Hanoi Chairman Vu Dai Thang said the projects would create a large and flexible housing stock for resettlement, social housing and public service use, while enabling the city to deploy transport and technical infrastructure in a more coordinated manner.

The developments come as Hanoi finalizes a long-term master plan with a 100-year vision, which includes relocating more than 860,000 residents from areas inside Ring Road 3. City planners have identified large, integrated urban zones with modern infrastructure as a core solution to sustainable spatial restructuring.

Under the new framework, Hanoi will develop as a network of urban clusters anchored by nine growth poles and nine economic corridors, with multi-purpose urban zones designed to integrate social, resettlement, and commercial housing within the same districts.