Hanoi plans 11,400-hectare Red River project, with villages marked for relocation or preservation

Hanoi is preparing a broad revision of the Red River urban zoning plan, covering about 11,418 hectares. The plan would provide the basis for investment in a Red River landscape boulevard and would reorganize the river corridor around parks, water, cultural and historic sites, public facilities, tourism and entertainment.

The project contains 18 component projects: two transport projects for the boulevard on the river’s left and right banks, 11 parks, two projects for river and embankment works, and three projects for residential and mixed-purpose urban areas. Hanoi says the central principle is to avoid narrowing the river’s flood-discharge space.

The plan forecasts a population of 800,000 to 1.2 million. Common building heights would range from 30 to 45 storeys, while a proposed landmark called the Era Tower would rise 109 storeys. Traditional villages would generally remain at three storeys and would be assessed according to criteria for each project.

Two village clusters would be relocated under flood-prevention planning: part of the Võng La-Hải Bối cluster, covering about 27 hectares, and Bắc Cầu village, covering about 35.5 hectares. Two other clusters, Nhật Tân-Tứ Liên and Thống Nhất, would be rebuilt to serve the planned urban gateway area. Eight clusters would undergo selective renovation and upgrading, including villages in Mê Linh, Vĩnh Thanh, Đông Anh, Bát Tràng, Lĩnh Nam, Thanh Trì and Nam Phù. About 4.5 hectares of the Bát Tràng-Giang Cao-Kim Lan cluster would also require relocation under the flood-prevention plan.