A VISION FOR THE RED RIVER DELTA AND GREATER HANOI...
The city of Hanoi is presently facing incredible challenges related to growth: The existing urban core is well beyond its carrying capacity and infrastructure provision can simply not keep pace with urban transformations underway.
Simultaneously, there are significant challenges related to water resources: The threat posed by flooding in urban areas due to climate change and the associated rise in sea level is potentially catastrophic. In addition, there is the issue of deteriorating quality of water (rivers, canals and lakes) in and around the city.
Administratively, the city recently altered its boundaries, effectively tripling the area in question, presumably in a bid to address the question of expansion of the city. This action in itself, however seems to have sparked off a series of related events: Land use alteration (from agricultural to urban), spiraling property values, speculative property holding, increased rural-urban migration, rampant development...
Presently, the new city boundary caters for a population of 6.2 million inhabitants; Projections have it that by 2030, this number will rise to 10 million, and 15 million by 2050.
The expansion of Hanoi is therefore clearly underway, and the recent administrative alterations may just have accelerated this phenomenon. The force of urbanisation in this context is simply unstoppable. What remains crucial is the manner in which the city (and the Red River Delta at large) prepares itself to accommodate and structure the imminent.
It is well known that Hanoi has been historically structured by its contextual landscape elements- the mountains and the water. Important to note however, is the fact that the city, in its contemporary form of development, seems to have completely lost its landscape heritage, a component fundamental to its very existence as part of the Red River Delta.
Further to this, the conventional master planning approach has- time and again- proved insufficient to accommodate the growth of the city. In light of this, it is highly unlikely that yet another new master plan will address the challenges facing the city.
Consequently, therefore, is it possible to revisit landscape infrastructure as a tool to guide growth and development in Hanoi and beyond? If so, what landscape elements would be best suited to structure this expansion? What forms would these elements take, and what possibilities do they offer the Delta?
Following is a set of visions that investigate possible roles that landscape infrastructure could play in sustainable development, at the scale of the Red River Delta and Greater Hanoi.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Visions for the Red River Delta 0. Introduction
1. The basic facts of the delta:
The area of the delta is about 15,000 km2.
The delta is the 2nd large agricultural products area in Vietnam and the most dense rural area in the world (1000 persons/ha).
The two main cities, Hanoi and Hai Phong, are the 2nd and the 3rd large cities in Vietnam. Hai Phong is also the largest port in Vietnam today.
2. The important location of Hanoi under the universal context:
According to the Trans Asia Rail and Trans Asia Highway plan proposed by UN, Hanoi city is the main junction of East Asia and South East Asia.
The delta and Hanoi city also play an important role about the connection with China and Laos.
3. The main infrastructures:
The main infrastructures include the water transport system, the rail system, the road system and the air transport system.
Water transport system: Hai Phong Port, Red River inland water transport system and Thai Binh River inland water transport system.
Rail system: rails to China, to Hai Phong, and to Ho Chi Minh city.
Road system: Highway NO.1 and Ho Chi Minh Highway and other roads.
Air transport system: the international airport in Hanoi and other airports nearby Hanoi and Hai Phong.
4. The development of Industrial Zones and Export Processing Zones:
Generally speaking, the Industrial Zones (IZ) and Export Processing Zones (EPZ) are located nearby the main rails or roads. In other words, they highly depend on land transport system today.
A huge new High Tech IZ in the west of Hanoi is under construction now.
5. The main natural preserve and tourist areas:
The UNESCO world heritage- Ha Long Bay
National parks
Natural preserve sites
Cultural / Historical / Environmental sites
Wetlands
The area of the delta is about 15,000 km2.
The delta is the 2nd large agricultural products area in Vietnam and the most dense rural area in the world (1000 persons/ha).
The two main cities, Hanoi and Hai Phong, are the 2nd and the 3rd large cities in Vietnam. Hai Phong is also the largest port in Vietnam today.
2. The important location of Hanoi under the universal context:
According to the Trans Asia Rail and Trans Asia Highway plan proposed by UN, Hanoi city is the main junction of East Asia and South East Asia.
The delta and Hanoi city also play an important role about the connection with China and Laos.
3. The main infrastructures:
The main infrastructures include the water transport system, the rail system, the road system and the air transport system.
Water transport system: Hai Phong Port, Red River inland water transport system and Thai Binh River inland water transport system.
Rail system: rails to China, to Hai Phong, and to Ho Chi Minh city.
Road system: Highway NO.1 and Ho Chi Minh Highway and other roads.
Air transport system: the international airport in Hanoi and other airports nearby Hanoi and Hai Phong.
4. The development of Industrial Zones and Export Processing Zones:
Generally speaking, the Industrial Zones (IZ) and Export Processing Zones (EPZ) are located nearby the main rails or roads. In other words, they highly depend on land transport system today.
A huge new High Tech IZ in the west of Hanoi is under construction now.
5. The main natural preserve and tourist areas:
The UNESCO world heritage- Ha Long Bay
National parks
Natural preserve sites
Cultural / Historical / Environmental sites
Wetlands
Monday, April 6, 2009
Visions for the Red River Delta 2. Port City
The delta has vibrant trade activities through the network of rivers, rails and roads. At today’s regional scale, the relations with the growing Chinese economy are becoming more intense, Hanoi and the delta are the main gateways, with a main port and major connection for the Indo-Chinese economy to China and even the world.[ ISSUE 1 ]
The lack of infrastructures in delta area today causes serious traffic, economical and environmental problems. On the other hand, the connection with China is more and more important for the growing country.
1. Using the existing infrastructure in a more efficient way- upgrading the rail system and road system.
2. New transportation infrastructures- rail, road, air and water-infrastructures.
3. Using exist corridors to build new large scale transportation infrastructures.
[ ISSUE 2 ]
How to deal with the problems and threat, Hai Phong port and Hon Gai coal mines,
to the UNESCO world heritage site Ha Long Bay.
1. Introducing new major and minor infrastructures at certain strategic locations to take the pressure away from Ha Long Bay and its surrounding.
2. A new deep sea port and logistic platform connect to the city Nan Ding.
3. New industrial sites and protected urban settlements between new airport (2050) and new deep sea port will be connected with rail, road and water.
4. The water infrastructures which are used to connect new industrial settings can be used for transportation and industrial cleaning.
5. Introducing new tourist resources.
Visions for the Red River Delta 3. Growing a Delta
Hanoi is connected to the port city of Hai Phong and other smaller cities via water and land. In recent years, Hanoi and the delta grew and ate away open spaces and lakes with little consideration. By rethinking the infrastructure network and combining it with a green structure, guiding principles may be derived.[ ISSUE ]
Could it be possible to propose a structured method to prevent the unbalanced growth and could reforestation and the reinforcement of various patterns of vegetation structure the growth of a city?
1. The infrastructure has guided growth of industry, but vegetation can have a strong character, directing and guiding urbanization
2. Combining with water networks or infrastructures to make up for spatial organizational principles and also prevents informal development from polluting the landscape.
3. The forested areas can be extended to become a linear structuring principle, a protective infrastructure, and help as a zone of protection between industry, housing and agriculture. It can filter the winds that carry industrial pollution.
4. The connection between forest, mountains, and main river systems.
Visions for the Red River Delta 4. Space for the River
There are two main river systems in the Red River Delta: the Thai Binh and the Red river systems. To discharge the flood as fast as possible, dredging and creating more flows are needed, however, French had blocked the natural flood.[ ISSUE 1 ]
Can these rivers be re-connected to return their original functions and let them be the natural rivers again?
1. The process is ‘cut and fill’. Some of current settlements in the retention area will be removed while in some area, land could be taken from retention zone for new urban development, depends on the locations and importance of residential area.
2. A dike system can be built surround to protect settlements in flooding area.
[ ISSUE 2 ]
Due to the climate change, the sea level will increase in the future and threaten the delta. The new water level will change the landscape and people’s life greatly.
1. A preserve area along the coast of the delta will be drawn to guide urban developments keep away from the threatened area.
2. Try to integrate the infrastructure investments, the existed settlements, and the industrial developments with the sea level increasing condition.
Visions for the Red River Delta 6. Conclusion
At regional scale, three visions are proposed: VISION 1: X-PORT CITY, VISION 2: GROWING THE DELTA, and VISION 3: SPACE FOR THE RIVER.
Each of them individually focuses one major spatial element in the delta:INFRASTRUCTURE, FOREST (GREEN SPACE), and WATER (BLUE SPACE). In vision 1, the studio tries to use INFRASTRUCTURE to control the development of industry and also decrease the pressure surrounding the UNESCO world heritage site Ha Long Bay. On the other hand, we propose vision 2 and vision 3 to try to guide the developments of new urban areas and settlements.
We expect the development and growth in the delta would be well organized and guided after we combined these visions.
Each of them individually focuses one major spatial element in the delta:INFRASTRUCTURE, FOREST (GREEN SPACE), and WATER (BLUE SPACE). In vision 1, the studio tries to use INFRASTRUCTURE to control the development of industry and also decrease the pressure surrounding the UNESCO world heritage site Ha Long Bay. On the other hand, we propose vision 2 and vision 3 to try to guide the developments of new urban areas and settlements.
We expect the development and growth in the delta would be well organized and guided after we combined these visions.
Visions for the Greater Hanoi 0. Introduction
Explanation of methodology
Four groups worked on four visions. Comparing these visions, we can sometimes see contradictions, sometimes overlap, sometimes reinforcement. The mid review presentation puts the 4 visions next to one another.
Four groups worked on four visions. Comparing these visions, we can sometimes see contradictions, sometimes overlap, sometimes reinforcement. The mid review presentation puts the 4 visions next to one another.
Visions for the Greater Hanoi 1. Base Map
Infrastucture
Water Systems
What is the current situation of the greater Hanoi region? What are the problems?
1. Infrastructure and industry. Hanoi has historically been connected to surrounding settlements through a system of rivers and roads. This network has changed towards a land based network, starting with the making of bridges over the river, and followed by different impositions during colonization, war, communism and Doi moi Era.
2. Forests ( in the mountains), agriculture (almost monoculture - rice fields) and recreation (national parks and golf courses). The policies of reforestation currently affect the less fertile lands uphill and, at the same time, lead to the collapse of collective agricultural systems.
3. Water household. The Red River has flooding problems. Once connected to the Red River hydraulic system, many secondary rivers have become cut off by dams and gates, reducing their use to solely rainfall drainage. They are ‘dead’ rivers, because the rhythm of rising and receding of the water has disappeared, and due to the elevated pollution levels. Their dams and gates controlling malfunction (they are not being opened during floods).
4. Disappearance of lakes in the city of Hanoi. The city’s remaining lakes are used for different purposes. There are the old, cultural lakes in the city, as well as waste water treatment lakes and lakes as a backbone for residential areas constructed on the edge of urbanization. Lakes outside of the city have recreational purposes (golf courses on the shores).
Water Systems
What is the current situation of the greater Hanoi region? What are the problems?1. Infrastructure and industry. Hanoi has historically been connected to surrounding settlements through a system of rivers and roads. This network has changed towards a land based network, starting with the making of bridges over the river, and followed by different impositions during colonization, war, communism and Doi moi Era.
2. Forests ( in the mountains), agriculture (almost monoculture - rice fields) and recreation (national parks and golf courses). The policies of reforestation currently affect the less fertile lands uphill and, at the same time, lead to the collapse of collective agricultural systems.
3. Water household. The Red River has flooding problems. Once connected to the Red River hydraulic system, many secondary rivers have become cut off by dams and gates, reducing their use to solely rainfall drainage. They are ‘dead’ rivers, because the rhythm of rising and receding of the water has disappeared, and due to the elevated pollution levels. Their dams and gates controlling malfunction (they are not being opened during floods).
4. Disappearance of lakes in the city of Hanoi. The city’s remaining lakes are used for different purposes. There are the old, cultural lakes in the city, as well as waste water treatment lakes and lakes as a backbone for residential areas constructed on the edge of urbanization. Lakes outside of the city have recreational purposes (golf courses on the shores).
Visions for the Greater Hanoi 2. City of Ports
1. The existing infrastructure should be used more efficiently. This can be done by upgrading and completing rail systems and adding transportation by water functioning as bypasses from one system to the other.
2. Adding new, large infrastructural projects: Making a T bone road system around the city, connecting the Ho Chi Minh to the motorways that link Hanoi with China. Instead of making the city more congested, new projected industry will link to the road system that widely goes around the city. It also connects in this way to the project airport and existing areas of industrial activity.
3. In the places where different infrastructural elements meet, interesting areas of industrial development come into existence. There is such a node, for example, where road, railroad and river come together near the projected airport. What will be the impact on the Red River and the urbanization of Hanoi City? Will there be improved accessibility to local markets, more connectivity? Will parts of Red River become more accessible, to inhabitants as well as to tourists?
Visions for the Greater Hanoi 3. Growing a Structure
1. Landscape ecology explains principles of separating green from urbanization (for example in the theories of Richard Forman) – lines, patches, fields- form a mosaic of green. Between different patches (of urban and green tissue for example) exist edge conditions; patches have both positive and negative influences on another.
2. How can ecology and urbanization be combined? Could afforestation and the reinforcement of various patterns of vegetation structure the growth of a Hanoi?
3. Different principles can be implemented, such as growing forests, differentiating agriculture, creating wetlands and swampland vegetation around rivers(ladder structure), adding patches to ecological connection, adding green space to urban tissue.
4. What is the purpose of this vision? – Some benefits that can be mentioned are strong green connecting structure (ecology),. Differentiation, protection against pollutants from industry, prevention of urbanization around infrastructure. Furthermore, qualitative green spaces can be implemented in the existing city, including wetlands (for waste water treatment), a market garden, recreation.
5. Compared to the Delta scale, this proposal is about improvement of the city, preventing urbanization in one place and offering the right conditions for urbanization in another place (south of the city, between the mountains and Con River).
2. How can ecology and urbanization be combined? Could afforestation and the reinforcement of various patterns of vegetation structure the growth of a Hanoi?
3. Different principles can be implemented, such as growing forests, differentiating agriculture, creating wetlands and swampland vegetation around rivers(ladder structure), adding patches to ecological connection, adding green space to urban tissue.
4. What is the purpose of this vision? – Some benefits that can be mentioned are strong green connecting structure (ecology),. Differentiation, protection against pollutants from industry, prevention of urbanization around infrastructure. Furthermore, qualitative green spaces can be implemented in the existing city, including wetlands (for waste water treatment), a market garden, recreation.
5. Compared to the Delta scale, this proposal is about improvement of the city, preventing urbanization in one place and offering the right conditions for urbanization in another place (south of the city, between the mountains and Con River).
Visions for the Greater Hanoi 4. Space for the River
1. Main assumption; let the river be the natural river. Can the rivers be restored to their natural character?
2. Reconnection with the Red River hydrology will allow for dilution of waste water and flood control of the Hanoi region.
3. Demolition of Ba Xuan and Phung Dam in the Day River, and Lien Mac Gate in Nhue River, would connect the rivers to Red River and make their former flood plains, defined by dikes and natural height differences and wetlands again under rule of the seasons.
4. Day River: The floodplains will be landscaped. Cut and fill actions, moving soil from one place to another, will occur within the flood area. This will change the floodplains. Protection of certain towns and villages. Land taken from the floodplains can become new development areas. The dike will become more than a line. Rather, it will be a landscaped element, sometimes broad, sometimes narrow.
5. Nhue River: The design will focus on restoring some of the landscape qualities to the city. Breaking away some urbanization, and reinforcing existing open areas around the river will provide the city with agriculture, recreation and nature.
6. Red River: the dike system around Hanoi is largely in place but can be altered at certain locations where no urbanization is occurring. Here, the dike will also be made into a broad, stepped levee. It will consist of different terraces, suitable for different kinds of plants and agriculture.
2. Reconnection with the Red River hydrology will allow for dilution of waste water and flood control of the Hanoi region.
3. Demolition of Ba Xuan and Phung Dam in the Day River, and Lien Mac Gate in Nhue River, would connect the rivers to Red River and make their former flood plains, defined by dikes and natural height differences and wetlands again under rule of the seasons.
4. Day River: The floodplains will be landscaped. Cut and fill actions, moving soil from one place to another, will occur within the flood area. This will change the floodplains. Protection of certain towns and villages. Land taken from the floodplains can become new development areas. The dike will become more than a line. Rather, it will be a landscaped element, sometimes broad, sometimes narrow.
5. Nhue River: The design will focus on restoring some of the landscape qualities to the city. Breaking away some urbanization, and reinforcing existing open areas around the river will provide the city with agriculture, recreation and nature.
6. Red River: the dike system around Hanoi is largely in place but can be altered at certain locations where no urbanization is occurring. Here, the dike will also be made into a broad, stepped levee. It will consist of different terraces, suitable for different kinds of plants and agriculture.
Visions for the Greater Hanoi 5. City of Lakes
1. In order to guide future development of the city, a bold gesture of creating new water bodies will be undertaken. This happens on a large scale, outside of the city.
2. The new lakes have a multitude of uses. Location, size and shape of the lakes relate to their functioning. The most important functions are recreation, storm water drainage, recharging of the aquifers and water retention during flooding. The largest lakes are found near the confluence of the Lo, Da and Red Rivers, and near the confluence of Day and Con Rivers.
3. The lakes have strong structuring capacity (it’s hard to build in them), they can increase land value and give soil for other landfills. This can be used for dikes or for urban development projects. Therefore urbanization will occur in indicated places. The areas directly south and west of the city are suitable for further urbanization. Also to the far west, between Con River and the mountains, urbanization around existing lakes can take place.
4. The water bodies can be combined with infrastructure water purification, along infrastructure, in a wetland or watershed. Also they work together with forest and vegetation systems.
2. The new lakes have a multitude of uses. Location, size and shape of the lakes relate to their functioning. The most important functions are recreation, storm water drainage, recharging of the aquifers and water retention during flooding. The largest lakes are found near the confluence of the Lo, Da and Red Rivers, and near the confluence of Day and Con Rivers.
3. The lakes have strong structuring capacity (it’s hard to build in them), they can increase land value and give soil for other landfills. This can be used for dikes or for urban development projects. Therefore urbanization will occur in indicated places. The areas directly south and west of the city are suitable for further urbanization. Also to the far west, between Con River and the mountains, urbanization around existing lakes can take place.
4. The water bodies can be combined with infrastructure water purification, along infrastructure, in a wetland or watershed. Also they work together with forest and vegetation systems.
Visions for the Greater Hanoi 7. Conclusion
Some main questions and comments based on the visions:
1. The different visions can be made richer by more overlapping. Where are strong points of combination? An example of this approach is the combination of water and green networks, that together counterbalance major infrastructure, to filter the air and water from pollution and set the condition for urbanization through adaptation of the landscape.
2. Which current spatial patterns can be the starting point, which have a potential to undergo a metamorphosis?
3. How can introduced structures anticipate and accommodate urban development without collapsing or vanishing? Think about ‘soft’ structures like lakes, forests and wetlands that have disappeared from the city. Would they rather be able to structure? Or are they contradicting each other when combined radically?
4. Is it possible to imagine a future for the city, in which design breaks down the system of rings and radials and integrates the existing city in a grid like network, delineated in the west by the Ho Chi Minh highway and in the east by highway no. 1?
5. Can this network also be combined with an equal, parallel network of mountains, rivers, wetlands and forests? Can nature, rather than being wild and inaccessible, have a ‘gardeners logic,’ a green element that is controlled by man and brings quality to the city? Is the separation between nature and man, like a landscape ecologist would prefer, to black and white?
6. Or could there be large, natural element comparable to the mountains in Rio de Janeiro or Cape Town that gives character and definition to the city? Could that be the mountains, the rivers, or is it shaped by a new figure of green space?
1. The different visions can be made richer by more overlapping. Where are strong points of combination? An example of this approach is the combination of water and green networks, that together counterbalance major infrastructure, to filter the air and water from pollution and set the condition for urbanization through adaptation of the landscape.
2. Which current spatial patterns can be the starting point, which have a potential to undergo a metamorphosis?
3. How can introduced structures anticipate and accommodate urban development without collapsing or vanishing? Think about ‘soft’ structures like lakes, forests and wetlands that have disappeared from the city. Would they rather be able to structure? Or are they contradicting each other when combined radically?
4. Is it possible to imagine a future for the city, in which design breaks down the system of rings and radials and integrates the existing city in a grid like network, delineated in the west by the Ho Chi Minh highway and in the east by highway no. 1?
5. Can this network also be combined with an equal, parallel network of mountains, rivers, wetlands and forests? Can nature, rather than being wild and inaccessible, have a ‘gardeners logic,’ a green element that is controlled by man and brings quality to the city? Is the separation between nature and man, like a landscape ecologist would prefer, to black and white?
6. Or could there be large, natural element comparable to the mountains in Rio de Janeiro or Cape Town that gives character and definition to the city? Could that be the mountains, the rivers, or is it shaped by a new figure of green space?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)