New urban area fresh growth impetus for Khanh Hoa province: Deputy PM

A master plan for the Cam Lam urban area will create new space and motivation for Khanh Hoa province to develop quickly and sustainably, said Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha.

Ha was speaking at a Saturday ceremony announcing the Prime Minister’s approval of the master plan for Cam Lam until 2045.

With a unique location and a synchronous inter-regional transportation system including road, rail, air and marine transport, the province presents a convergence of all elements needed to become a large urban area, a logistics hub and a growth axis for the south-central and Central Highlands regions, he elaborated.

Ha noted that the National Assembly has also issued Resolution No. 55 piloting a number of distinct, breakthrough mechanisms and policies in terms of budgeting and planning, and creating land funds to unlock resources for Khanh Hoa to develop.

The Prime Minister has also approved a master plan of Khanh Hoa for the 2021-2030 period, with vision until 2050, which envisions the Van Phong-Nha Trang-Cam Lam-Cam Ranh urban chain as a driving force that will shape a modern central coastal city.

“In the near future, Cam Lam residents will enjoy high quality social services,” he added.

The Deputy PM asked Khanh Hoa to make the most of breakthrough mechanisms and distinct policies stated in Resolution No. 55.

It should increase decentralization in planning and land management, and build urban development projects under the transit-oriented development (TOD) model, he suggested.

Ha said that developing a high-quality workforce was a prerequisite for making Cam Lam a center of innovation, research and application of new technology,

Therefore, the province needs to have a strategy to train and attract talent; improve the quality of urban services, especially education, medical and healthcare services to lure both domestic and foreign workers.

As a coastal urban area directly affected by climate change and sea level rise, development of the Cam Lam new urban needs to fix current shortcomings including surface water and groundwater pollution, traffic jams, erosion and flooding with a synchronous, multi-purpose technical infrastructure system and appropriate non-structural adaptation solutions, Ha noted.

According to the master plan, the Cam Lam new urban area will cover 54,719 hectares, or the whole of Cam Lam district, excluding the Thuy Trieu lagoon. Cam Lam will be developed into an axis of growth for Vietnam's south-central region, helping turn the province into a centrally-managed city.

The plan envisages a modern, world-class ecological urban area; a key hub for marine tourism, logistics and financial services; an international center for education, health, research and application of new technology; and an urban area with a high quality living environment. The new urban area is expected to have a population of about 320,000 by 2030 and 770,000 by 2045.