Smart cities need smart planning: Experts

At the ASEAN Smart Cities Summit (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi - Smart planning plays a key role in developing smart cities, experts told a workshop held in Hanoi on October 22 within the framework of the ASEAN Smart Cities Summit and Expo 2020.

According to Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van, experience gained from other countries reveals that a city cannot “go smarter” without smart planning and effective tools to manage the development of urban areas based on such planning.

The construction ministry’s draft strategy on urban area development to 2030 and vision to 2050 highlights that the building of smart cities is important in turning Vietnam into a modern and industrialised nation with high incomes by 2045, he said.

Despite its damaging impact, COVID-19 has opened up opportunities to raise awareness among urban authorities about the significance of technology in day-to-day life, Van said, and this creates the premise for the development of smart cities in Vietnam and ASEAN as a whole.

Meanwhile, President of the International Society of City and Regional Planners Alfonso Vegara stressed that regional planning should be taken into account while developing planning for Hanoi’s smart urban areas.

He went on to explain that design for smart cities must include sound regional connectivity as well as digitalised infrastructure connectivity, to boost future comprehensive growth.

President of the Association of Cities in Vietnam Vo Hong Anh said planning for the development of smart urban areas should be integrated into long-term urbanisation strategies.

Planning for smart cities must be seen as a solid foundation for socio-economic development, and the planning process needs the engagement of ministries, scientists, and private enterprises, she added.

On a regional scale, smart city networks should be shaped to create better lives for local people, the official said, adding that only with smart planning can local authorities optimise the management of urban development, improve livelihoods, and create development opportunities to ensure that no one is left behind.