Provincial planning for 2021-2030, vision to 2050: Orientation for smart, sustainable development

Along with the determination of successfully building up a smart city, Binh Duong is focusing on completing provincial planning for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. From the perspective of Mr. John Jung, co-founder of the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) has evaluated provincial planning as the orientation for smart, sustainable development.

Synchronization and harmony ensured

Planning plays a very important role as a tool for the State to effectively manage and use development resources. Currently, Binh Duong is making the local planning for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. Particularly, Binh Duong strives to be a modern urban, industrial and service area with the regional and international scale, one of the driving forces promoting national economic development with the main growth drivers being industry, services, innovation, with a solid economic base and high competitiveness. The local people have income levels equivalent to those of developed countries with economy developing inclusively and harmoniously among regions.

Binh Duong New City is built to become Binh Duong Smart Region, an important breakthrough in promoting the local socio-economic development

In 2016, in order to create a breakthrough in socio-economic development, Binh Duong implemented the construction of a smart city project towards services, high-tech production and a dynamic and worth-living urban area. Along with the initial results achieved, Binh Duong has become a member of the ICF and Binh Duong Smart Region has been voted into the Top 21 by the ICF for 5 consecutive years and has been honored in the Top 7 for 3 consecutive times.

According to Mr. John Jung, co-founder of the ICF, smart community development is a comprehensive strategy that has many connotations and takes a long time for completion. Particularly, it is started from the formation of 6 core elements, including broadband connection, human resources, innovation, equal digital access, support and encouragement and sustainable development.

Trinh Hoang Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of provincial Department of Planning and Investment said: "Integrating the smart community development strategy into provincial planning will not only ensure synchronization, harmony, efficiency and sustainability between its elements, but also between it, strategies and programs for developing other sectors and fields of the province".

Also according to Mr. Anh, provincial planning is a strong commitment of the local government to the Government, partners, domestic and foreign investors and people in the province. During the planning process, the province has mobilized the participation and contributions of a large number of experts, scientists, leaders of all periods, the business community and people, thereby enhancing cooperation and encouragement of community participation - one of the core elements of smart community development.

Smart strategy in right track

To realize the above goal, at the meeting between provincial leaders and ICF representatives on provincial planning for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, the consulting unit presented 6 strategies in provincial planning orientation and 5 development models. The 6 strategies includes deploying pioneering breakthrough actions; foreign relations to enhance Binh Duong's position; in-depth development of existing economic models, establishing a foundation for innovative models; making sustainable development of environmental resources, increasing territorial capacity and ecological threshold, building up a modern ecological economic foundation; building the society and people of Binh Duong, developing economic and cultural heritage; developing urban space and infrastructure.

Le Hoang Phuong, Head of provincial Planning Project said that the consulting unit is very interested in the development orientation of the TOD model (taking the development orientation of the public transportation system as the basis for urban development planning market). According to Mr. Phuong, this model will create a foundation for developing public transport infrastructure; concentrated, high-density development; mixed development, formation of urban modules, units... In addition, the consulting unit proposed urban redevelopment planning in the southern region of the province; completely developed urban, industrial and service models to create motivation to help Binh Duong overcome the trap of aggregate labor productivity, accumulate a synchronous and modern infrastructure foundation and build up a civilized city.

Moreover, Binh Duong needs to give priority to developing the northern economic axis, investing in the transportation system to create a foundation for strong development; prioritize economic corridor development; develop ecological corridors along the Saigon and Dong Nai rivers; foster the central system, exploit the advantages of connection with Ho Chi Minh city, expand to urban centers of Thuan An city, Di An city, Thu Dau Mot city. Especially, Binh Duong new city is an important breakthrough in promoting the local economic development.

After hearing the consulting unit, provincial planning orientations, from the perspective of the ICF, Mr. John Jung assessed that Binh Duong's provincial planning is on the right track with the strategy in building a smart city. According to him, Binh Duong has focused on innovation, converting to modern industry with high added value, investing in infrastructure, social housing, education, innovation... , which is the direction for smart and sustainable development. He believes that the initial concrete results in smart city construction and the province's current investment will bring more impressive results in the coming period.

Reported by Phuong Le-Hoang Phong-Translated by Kim Tin