Part 1: Strategic planning

In the process of constructing and developing urban zones, the provincial planning showed strategic visions. The plan for developing and upgrading urban zone of Binh Duong in stages has been proposed in details of road map to create the foundation for effective urban and economic development, making up a major economic center of the region out of Binh Duong.

Di An urban zone is getting greener, cleaner, more beautiful and more civilized. Photo: Minh Duy

Strategic visions

In the process of urbanization, Binh Duong has launched various decisive plans for the provincial development. Decision No. 81/2007/QD-TTg of Prime Minister dated June 05, 2007 on approving socio-economic development of Binh Duong province until 2020, is focus on orienting urban development attaching to socio-economic activities and urban zones of concentrated development of spreading towns and townships.

Urban development decision of Binh Duong is focused on development of sub-sections like regional developing urban spaces in the direction of rural urbanization and transition of economic structure from agriculture to non-agriculture and urbanized services. The current boundaries of Region I include Thu Dau Mot, Thuan An, Di An, Ben Cat and Tan Uyen.

Decision No. 1701/QD-UBND dated June 26, 2012 of the province approved the general planning project of constructing urban Binh Duong until 2020 with vision to 2030. Accordingly, urban space organization is oriented to sectional urban zone. Zone 1 in the South of Binh Duong is for concentrated zone while the zone in Thuan An will be for services and industries and in Di An for services-industries-traffic joints.

In 2012-2020, the province paid attention to direction, mobilization and attraction of great social resources under various investment procedures to develop urban technical infrastructure. The provincial authority had fulfilled general planning and sectional planning of municipality and towns. The urban development program is focused on synchronous and tentative implementation by mobilizing capital resources from various economic components. Up to date, general planning for cities, towns, townships, and wards has been all approved respectively at 5, 4, and 41 respectively in quantity. Besides, Binh Duong provincial authority has focused on constructions servicing urban spaces in the South, the North and Center of the province in tight connection along with synchronous and modern infrastructure among various urban, residential, high-rising building projects being fulfilled.

The planning for developing and upgrading urban Binh Duong in stages has been in detail of national urban development road map and Thu Dau Mot Town of type-2 urban zone in 2011-2015. In 2016-2020, the administrative management of the city was under provincial authority at type-1 category to be split and set up as Thu Dau Mot city and one new town. Thuan An city was approved as type-2 urban zone in 2016-2020 with outskirt communes to be converted to wards. Di An city was approved as type-2 urban zone in 2016-2020.

Planned development

On the basis of general planning project to construct Thuan An urban zone until 2020 and vision to 2030 approved by Provincial People’s Committee, Thuan An city authority has managed and developed urban functional zones with many construction investment projects of housing, public services, and urban infrastructure. Currently, the general planning of Thuan An city is being implemented to correct the general appearance to suit the local and provincial socio-economic development among the related sectional planning. As for sectional planning, Thuan An city authority approved the planning for 9 wards. Ever since 2016, in Thuan An city, additional 56 detail housing planning was approved for the area of 143.761 hectares, making up 110 sections of 1,114.6 hectares. In January 2020, Thuan An officially became a city under a province.

Nguyen Thanh Tam, Chairman of Thuan An city People’s Committee said: “Preceding leaders saw through the situation that Binh Duong planning was for development of Thuan An and the opportunity for Thuan An to implement planning and promotion of economic and urban development by the orientation. Accordingly, resources are promoted to invest into infrastructure meeting investment requirements.”

Carrying out the targets of constructing and developing Di An to at the soonest become a civilized and modern urban zone, ever since 2000s, Di An district People’s Committee had hired consultants to establish the 1/10,000 planning until 2020 with vision to 2030 and the 1/2000 planning. In 2018, Di An town People’s Committee set up the adjusted project for Di An urban zone until 2040 and sectional planning of Di An Ward and Dong Hoa Ward. Currently, Di An city authority is preparing for approval of sectional planning for Tan Binh, Tan Dong Hiep, An Binh, Binh An, and Binh Thanh wards. Vo Anh Tuan, Deputy Chairman of Di An city People’s Committee said: “On basis of the approved planning, Di An authority paid attention to implement realistic planning by various capital resources of upgrading, expanding, and constructing traffic routes, water supplying, releasing and treating  system, housing project, and new residential areas to basically meet the demands and ensure development orientation.”

Reported by Phuong Le – Translated by Vi Bao