Ho Chi Minh City Pilots New Framework, Prioritizing Citizen Needs

Ho Chi Minh City is embarking on a new phase of development with the implementation of Resolution 09, which grants the city a unique space to accelerate its progress and share policy insights with the rest of Vietnam. A primary aspiration for residents is the reduction of traffic congestion, a persistent challenge in the bustling metropolis.

The critical focus is on translating the "sandbox" or pilot institutional framework from a concept into a robust implementation capability. This requires clear objectives, a defined scope, a set timeframe, independent monitoring mechanisms, quantifiable evaluation criteria, and predefined conditions for halting experiments if risks escalate beyond acceptable levels.

To achieve this, the city needs a unified "sandbox" process rather than handling proposals individually. Ho Chi Minh City could proactively identify and publicize major challenges requiring solutions, such as traffic jams, flooding, optimizing land use around metro lines, developing social housing, promoting green industrial zones, sharing urban data, fostering green finance, developing the night economy, advancing digital health, creating smart education systems, improving regional logistics, and managing public assets.

Crucially, every pilot initiative must place citizens at the heart of the experimentation. New policies are only meaningful if they lead to tangible improvements in citizens' lives, such as easier commutes, enhanced safety, better access to public services, and more opportunities for employment, housing, education, and a healthier environment. Social benefit metrics, citizen satisfaction, impacts on vulnerable groups, environmental effects, and social costs must be measured for each sandbox initiative. Policies that primarily benefit investors or generate short-term revenue without clear public good will struggle to build long-term trust.