Provincial People’s Committee just approved an adjusted general plan to develop Thu Dau Mot urban until 2020. Accordingly, until 2015, Thu Dau Mot is projected to become the 2nd ranked urban area and until 2020 the first ranked as a central district while Phu Tan Ward shall become a center of politics, administration, economics and culture of the future Binh Duong City, etc. Multi-central urban area Under the approved planning, Thu Dau Mot urban area shall be developed as a multi-central area with principles of space balance and averagely “compact” zone with sophisticate organization of traffic network. Meantime, important landscaping constructions of river and dykes should be refined against urban structure to create prominent features of urban center of Binh Duong City. A bird view on the current Thu Dau Mot City Under such principles, Thu Dau Mot urban area shall be divided into 3 administrative sectors. The first sector lies in the South of the current Thu Dau Mot City bounding for Binh Duong Highway and Phu Loi Street. This sector shall both become an area of provincial services, businesses, finance, and commerce. This sector is also projected to become a center of politics and administration of Thu Dau Mot City, equivalent to district level including wards of Phu Cuong, Phu Hoa, Phu Loi, Phu Tho, Chanh Nghia, and Hiep Thanh. The second sector lies in the Northeast of the current Thu Dau Mot City, now the Industry-Service-Urban Complex of Binh Duong Province. This shall also work as a center of politics, administration, economics, and culture of the future Binh Duong Province consisting wards of Hoa Phu, Phu Tan, Phu My, and a part of Tan Vinh Hiep (currently attached to Tan Uyen District. Phu Tan Ward shall be come an urban center of this sector which is considered as the heart of Binh Duong City. The third sector lies in the West of the current Thu Dau Mot City along Saigon River which is the ecological zone consisting of Dinh Hoa, Hiep An, communes of Chanh My, Tuong Binh Hiep, Tan An and a part of Tan Dinh Commune (currently belonging to Ben Cat District). Based on its area of agricultural land and river landscapes, this sector is preserved for development of gardens and houses facing Saigon River to create beautiful landscapes and encourage architecture identity. No industrial park added up The planning also defines the view on industrial economic development in Thu Dau Mot City/ Accordingly, Thu Dau Mot urban area shall maintain 6 industrial parks of Song Than 3, Phu Gia, Kim Huy, Dai Dang, VSIP 2, and An Hoa without opening any new one. Phu Hoa industrial cluster shall be particularly upgraded to balance the scale. Besides, scattering industrial production establishments in the current urban area shall be moved to concentrated industrial parks while their left-behind locations shall be transformed into facilities of services and trade. Handicraft and traditional industries in Chanh Nghia and Tuong Binh Hiep shall be governed by tourism development to maintain identity of Thu Dau Mot urban area. Ba Lua Port shall be transformed into tourism port. For agricultural economy, Thu Dau Mot urban area shall be diverted to ecological agriculture and agriculture for tourism. From 2010 to 2030, researches shall be conducted to plan for agricultural spaces and gardens in the North of Saigon and Thi Tinh Rivers. Land fund in Thu Dau Mot shall also be preserved for green boundary agriculture development surrounding Suoi Cai in the North and Ba Lu Dyke in the South. Reported by Thanh Son – Translated by Vi Bao