HANOI: Vietnam's Urban Development Law, passed on August 24, took effect on October 1 - the country's first. It establishes integrated city master plans, brings underground and overhead space under management, promotes transit-oriented development linked to local rail, and lets cities pilot new development policies.
For a country whose cities are growing as fast as their exposure to climate risk - the Saigon River spilled onto Ho Chi Minh City's streets again this week (Page 4) - the law gives municipal governments a statutory basis to experiment rather than wait for national templates. The TOD provisions arrive just as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City expand their metro networks, putting station-area development rules on the table for the first time. TOD explained, Page 10.
