Hanoi plans century-long urban overhaul centred on transport, Red River expansion

Hanoi has unveiled a sweeping new master plan with a 100-year vision that aims to transform the Vietnamese capital from a densely concentrated urban core into a multi-center metropolis driven by strategic infrastructure corridors, riverfront urbanization and regional transport connectivity.

The plan, recently approved by the Hanoi People’s Committee, outlines one of the city’s most ambitious urban restructuring strategies to date as authorities seek to address mounting pressure from population growth, congestion, and aging infrastructure.

Under the new framework, Hanoi will no longer develop primarily around its historic inner districts. Instead, the city will expand westward, southward and along the Red River through a polycentric urban model supported by large-scale transport infrastructure and new growth hubs.

Transport infrastructure has been identified as the backbone of the new urban structure.

The master plan envisions nine major growth poles, nine regional centers and nine strategic development corridors linking Hanoi with surrounding provinces. Ring roads, radial expressways and mass public transit systems are expected to drive population redistribution, economic decentralization, and urban expansion.

The 2026-2030 period has been designated as a priority phase for resolving major infrastructure bottlenecks.

Hanoi plans to complete key sections of Ring Road 4, Ring Road 4.5 and Ring Road 5, alongside upgrades to major radial routes including National Highways 1A, 5, 6 and 32, as well as the Xuan Mai-Ha Dong-Ton That Tung corridor.

The city also plans to build additional bridges spanning the Red River, Duong River and Da River to improve connectivity between the urban core, satellite cities and emerging development zones.

Unlike Hanoi’s previous expansion model, which largely relied on horizontal urban growth concentrated around the historic center, the new strategy focuses on transit-oriented development (TOD), integrating urban expansion with mass public transportation.

New urban areas are expected to emerge around metro lines, railway stations and major transport hubs in an effort to reduce dependence on private vehicles.

The city plans to prioritize construction of Metro Line No.1 linking Ngoc Hoi and Yen Vien, along with the proposed Line 1A connecting Ngoc Hoi Station to Hanoi’s planned second airport in the south.

The Red River has emerged as one of the most significant pillars of Hanoi’s long-term development strategy.

Under the revised plan, areas along both banks of the river will no longer serve solely as flood-control corridors but will be redeveloped into large-scale cultural, ecological and urban spaces.

Land between the left and right Red River flood dikes within the central urban zone is projected to cover between 11,425 and 15,488 hectares. The population in the area is expected to reach around 800,000 by 2045 and potentially rise to 1.2 million by 2065.

Authorities said development would follow a “nature-adaptive” approach aimed at balancing urban expansion with flood prevention and dike safety requirements.

The riverfront is expected to become a new cultural and landscape axis for the capital, featuring public art projects, exhibition spaces, riverside parks and heritage-linked transport corridors.

The plan also envisions a cultural corridor connecting Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Long Bien Bridge, West Lake and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, alongside the development of eco-tourism, sports and community recreation complexes along the riverbanks.

Beyond the Red River corridor, southern Hanoi has been designated as another major growth pole tied to a planned second airport and a chain of eco-tourism urban areas.

A southern tourism-service urban zone covering nearly 9,706 hectares is projected to accommodate around 400,000 residents by 2065. The area is expected to connect with tourism destinations including Huong Son, Tam Chuc Pagoda, Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang An Landscape Complex.

To the west and northwest, Hanoi plans to strengthen regional integration with Ba Vi, Viet Tri and Vinh Yen while establishing a 130,000-140,000 hectare ecological buffer zone aimed at controlling urban sprawl and protecting the environment.

Environmental resilience and climate adaptation also feature prominently in the master plan.

The city intends to launch projects to separate wastewater systems, build underground flood-control reservoirs, rehabilitate urban rivers, and develop smart environmental monitoring networks.

Rivers including the Nhue River, Day River and Cau Bay River are expected to undergo comprehensive restoration alongside riverside landscape redevelopment.

Authorities are also reviewing dike systems and flood-control standards to address increasingly severe climate-related risks.

At the same time, Hanoi aims to position itself as Vietnam’s leading hub for innovation, high technology and the digital economy.

The master plan prioritizes the development of research and innovation centers linked to Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, northern Red River districts, and future education-research clusters.

The city also plans to develop shared AI infrastructure, big data platforms, and large-scale digital systems to support future economic growth.