Best city building apps

Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc has signed a programme on artificial intelligence (AI) research and development in the city for the 2020-2030 period.

The Hanoitimes – The old yellow-painting apartment buildings in Hanoi, apart from their own charms and characteristics, has also contributed to the development of the city.

Apart from Turtle Tower, Hoan Kiem Lake, or One Pillar Pagoda – the eternal symbols of Hanoi , old yellow-painted apartment buildings with caged balconies characterize the post-war Hanoi. They are a part to the landscape of the capital both yesterday and today.

The old apartment building inside Hanoi University in Thanh Xuan district., Hanoi. Photo: Dinh Quyen.

Built in the 1960s-1980s in the four central districts of Hanoi, old apartment buildings, usually with five storeys, remarked the first stage of the construction of the new socialist country, becoming not only a witness of history and architecture of a period but also a symbol of neighborhood and community culture and life.

As those buildings were firstly given to state cadres, residents here were not only neighbors but also co-workers and even friends.

Many generations have lived in those buildings and everyone knows each other as well as each other’s family members. In addition, as they share several parts in the building such as the gate, the balcony, the hall, the playground, the garden, among others, their relationship is close.

The Kim Lien old apartment building in Dong Da district., Hanoi. Photo: Nguyen Anh Tuan.

To many people born during the 1960-1980s, these buildings reminisce their childhood . It was where they chased and played games with other kids next door along the hall and the playground every day. When they grew up, the narrow stair could be a romantic dating place at night.

To women, it was unforgettable days washing dishes and clothes under the public tap with others, drying them on the balcony, or preparing a big pot to together cook banh chung (traditional rice cake) in the public space in front of the building on the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year Festival).

There they were both doing their work, talking about their day, work, children, price at local markets, or sharing a new cooking recipe or the experience of making iron caged-balcony in the back of the apartment to expand the small space or breeding pigs at home as almost everyone did at that time.

Old apartment buildings are a special part in the life of many people. Photo: Dinh Quyen

Meanwhile, the garden was the favorite place of the elders where they looked after their vegetables and bonsai or had some tea in the afternoon with neighbors.

Particular, the notice board was an important part of their life. Every time when it informed some news, activities and parties in the holidays and festival seasons, all the residents were eager to talk about it and participate in it. In the age without internet and high-end technology, it was the “delicious spiritual food” for them.

Moreover, it also helped tighten the relationship among family members and neighbors. It is very different today in new modern buildings where neighbors do not usually know much about and even barelymeet.

A bodyguard of Thanh Xuan old building apartment. Photo: Dinh Quyen

Old apartment buildings are a special part in the life of many people, including writers, poets and painters who have brought them into their works with a lot of memories, feelings and love.

These buildings and the residents together passed through the tough time of the war, the post-war penury as well as a lot of changes from the period of economic subsidy to the renovation and the development today.

In the current rapid urbanization of Hanoi, there are plenty of new resident areas providing better living conditions so that many people have moved in and out from these old apartment buildings.

Photo: Dinh Quyen

The residents and the neighbors of the same place, however, behave differently among themselves now and the new rhythm of modern life also changes the relationships among them.

Nonetheless, some typical lifestyle of the place still remains. If you visit one of them in areas such as Giang Vo, Thanh Cong, Nguyen Cong Tru, Kim Lien, Trung Tu, Van Chuong, Thuy Loi, among others you can catch some kids sliding on old stairs, lines of clothes hanging on the balcony, plant and flower pots appearing behind bars of iron cages or elders playing chess in the public ground, to explore another part of Hanoi which is full of interesting surprises hidden in its small and modest appearance.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – The central city of Da Nang is set to be part of the global supply chain network and a gateway on the East-West Economic Corridor by 2030, a meeting in Hanoi on March 1 heard.

Discussing adjustments to the city’s master planning by 2030 with a vision towards 2045, the meeting was presided over by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

By 2030, the city is also expected to become a destination for global lifestyles, a centre of tourism and services, and a maritime economic hub in Vietnam and the region at large. In the long term, it eyes becoming a special urban area and an international city.

Its population is predicted to stand at about 1.79 million by 2030 and its urban area is to cover 31,836 ha, or more than 32 percent of the local land area.

The municipal People’s Committee signed a contract with a joint venture between Sakae Corporate Advisory Ltd. and Surbana Jurong (Singapore) on the project adjusting the master planning.

During the process of building the project, the municipal People’s Committee organised three international workshops and collected feedback from local residents, businesses, departments, and agencies.

In an assessment, the Ministry of Construction said the project identified the position and role of Da Nang as a core urban area of the Hue-Da Nang-Chu Lai-Ky Ha-Dung Quat (Van Tuong)-Quy Nhon urban area chain, forming the Da Nang urban region, encompassing Chan May (Lang Co), Da Nang, Dien Ban, Hoi An, and Nam Hoi An.

In his remarks, PM Phuc lauded Da Nang’s coordination with ministries and agencies as well as its response to opinions from local residents and socio-economic organisations in the planning work.

Da Nang should develop beyond its current status as a first-tier urban area, he said, becoming a special city.

Given that it boasts one of the most beautiful beaches in the region, he urged the city to pay more attention to waste water treatment and climate change issues and suggested it seek new development drivers apart from tourism.

Corruption and other misdeeds in planning adjustment and implementation must be prevented, he reminded all in attendance, noting that planning and realisation must be in tandem.

After the launching ceremony, young people have joined activities, such as cleaning and disinfecting schools, bus stations, apartments, markets and other public areas; offering trees to residents; environmental cleaning; repainting apartments; helping locals to change citizen identification cards; classifying waste in residential areas; promoting startup activities among young people.

They have also implemented works in response to the “building civilized urban and new-style rural areas” program, such as presenting handwashing stations, building children’s playgrounds and eco-friendly toilets in schools.

On this occasion, major targets have been launched, including organizing “Journeys to the history and tradition” visiting revolutionary bases of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in the anti-US resistance war, providing consultancy services to about 10,000 youths, offering job opportunities to at least 5,000 young people, providing social skill training for around 20,000 youths and teenagers.

In addition, districts have supported young people to get loans worth at least VND5 billion (US$216,000) each; providing 50 tools of living to disadvantaged members of HCYU and youths; planting 5,000 trees; introducing outstanding members of HCYU for the admission to the Party.

On the same day, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Thua Thien-Hue Province also launched the Youth Month and a tree-planting campaign in Phu Van District.

The provincial Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union introduced the model of “Zero-waste commune”, club of young fishermen in Phu Thuan Commune; and offered 1,700 garbage bins, 629 eco-friendly shopping bags, 200 national flags, 60 waste bins to the clubs of young fishermen, 20 scholarships worth VND500,000 of each to poor students.