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?

THREE RESEARCH QUESTIONS

TECHNICAL:

Technical-RIVERS (Ling)
1. How can we reconcile the need to create networks of public open space along the Red River (to serve social and ecological needs within the growing city) with an affordable approache to hydrologic engineering and water management.

2. How can the drainage and water purification system of the dyked area offer a dynamic landscape both attractive and technical performant, during both floods and dry seasons?

3. How can we deal with the current challenges of climate change to prevent the bank erosion and river bed sedimentation, through a productive and sustainable maintenance method.

Technical-LAKES (Steven)

1. Integration of lakes into public space is the single strategy presently deployed to protect Hanoi's lakes against encroachment; what other strategies could be adopted to safeguard them against other threats posed by urban development pressures?

2. What unique aspects of each lake (character, location, ecological condition, etc) could be optimised in a bid to guide integrated development around the lakes?

3. Installation of Treatment Plants seems to be the only approach considered to managing the city's water quality; what alternatives are available? Can Hanoi's lakes play a biological role? Do they have the capacity?

Techonical-CANAL & SMALL RIVERS

From Dangachew:
1. [ Treatment ]
Is there any way by which we can improve the edge conditions of these canals making them more accessible thereby reintegrating them to the city? Is there any way by which we can reverse the polluted state of these canals?

2. [ Equipment ]
Are there more efficient techniques to deal with the flooding problems than the water level regulation systems being employed now ? Are there alternative techniques that are more sustainable and less energy consuming, such as replacing the "hard" or engineered solutions by "soft" or more flexible solutions ?

3. [ Management ]
Could we propose new ways of managing the canal systems, in a way that involves the people that reside alongside them? Can we raise their awareness about environmental issues and make them key role players in the sustainable upkeep of these canals systems?

From Marijn:
1. How can To Lich River be treated as to improve the relationship with its surroundings? Can there exist different relationships with urban and agricultural areas? Can parts of the river bed be restored to bring a new quality to the urban environment?

2. There are plans of reconnecting To Lich River to Red River (however in a way that is different from the historical course). What are the effects of a renewed connection of the small rivers and canals to the Red River?

3. Day River seems far away from the city, while Nhue River seems to be the next river to be swallowed. What should be the first steps to define the quality and character of Day River, imagining its gradual transformation? What can be learned from To Lich and Nhue River?

NATURE:

Nature-RIVER (Pamel + David)
1. How can we control the nature along the Red river and create new 'environments' for future generations?

2. What type of activities/uses can we introduce along the Red river that can naturally cope with both backward and forward fluctuations of the river?

3. How best can we deal with change in lifestyles of the people to prevent destruction of nature along the Red river?

Nature -LAKE (Ayasha)
1. Hanoi is occasionally called ‘city of lakes’. There are still some lakes that are the pride of city and largely accepted by inhabitants here. What approaches can be taken to maintain their existence?

2. Most of the lakes in inner urban are badly disturbed due to pollution, density, encroachment and so on. What measures are essential to reestablish their natural balance?

3. More than 100 lakes in the inner city now reduce to 28. The now developments are going on by encroaching and filling up these natural lakes which are used to be the retention area for water for city. In such practices what lessens Hanoi can have from regular water disaster?

Nature - CANAL & SMALL RIVERS (Emil)
1. What constitutes an appropriate response to flooding?

2. Can we guide urban development to strategically retain valuable natural resources?

3. Is introducing new technology and engineering enough to changing people's perception of existing canals?

CULTURE:

Culture-RIVER (Bart)
A bridge too far?Hanoi seems to have turned its back towards the Red River: has it forgotten about the Red River or does it not care about her anymore?

1. Within the context of a growing economy the Red River should be able to offer different old and new opportunities for the city. “How can the Red River connect Hanoi again to the region and the world?” is a question that refers to the challenge for the city to restore its relation with the Red River in terms not only of trade and traffic, but also spiritually. Maybe this is also a way to critically refer to the factor of the speed with which the city is developing and expanding.

2. The Bridge is a gate to the River and the City: it is an entrance to the city across the river and an opening to the river from the city. In terms of water problems the image of Hanoi is not always in balance with that of its beautiful Red River though. How can the Red river strengthen the image of the city again?

3. Finally the vast agricultural field in the Red River delta is feeding Hanoi and its region. This component forms a structural element in the economy of the city but on the smaller micro-scale level. The agricultural land and the people depending on it are under pressure though, due to large scale urban projects. How can the role of agriculture remain an important strength of the economy of the city?

Culture-LAKE (Xiaoxiao)
1. Could the relashionship of lakes and culture be reprogrammed?It is a clear observation in the mapping of cultural lakes that there is a possiblitilty to reprogramme the lake area to improve the monocultural situation of some lakes and better fit with their inhabitance.

2. Could new lakes be digged?We dig new lakes in order to bring people’s life back to the water, especially bring those in the overexpaned area to the inner lakes which have an intimate relashionship with our daily life. Perhaps new cultures will emerge as well as the return of traditinal cultures.

3. Is it able to connect all the lakes sysmatically instead of leave them basins?The locations of new lakes are mostly along the rivers, which followed the natual water shed in order to compose them into a water system.

Culture- CANAL & SMALL RIVERS (Wei)
1. What are the changes of traditional cultural activities to accordingly display the change of relationship of the people with water?

2. Is it inevitable that the culture of people living and surviving with the canal will be ruined by the urbanization? If not, what can be done?

3. What kinds of new approach can be applied to revitalize the connection or create new connection between the water and people's life?

BUILT:

Built-RIVER (Bardia)
1. How to make out dike areas more safe places against flood, considering amountof people living there by new typology of the houses and new regulations for construction?

2. How to integrate river sides more with the city and providing more public places by proposing new methodology for designing and planning based on reserving green fields?

3. what are the top-down and bottom-up forces and advantages for providing corporative relationship between authorities and people?

Built-LAKE (Sherin + Trung)
1. What are the strategies of controlling the flood from the lakes in Hanoi? Are they really useful for controlling water specially in flooded months or may they need more modifications and developments? And what are the effects on the surrounding built environment?

2. What are the regulations of new development projects around the lakes? And these regulations and laws are followed or ignored from these projects in reality. Or after few years we will not find any green space arround the lakes.

3. It seems that lakes are being filled up rapidly to creat land for new urban development. How could we recognize hanoi without lakes any more? And how could we prevent these random developments?Lakes give life to the built environment and in same time the built environment try rapidly to kill the lakes. Is it justice????

Built-CANAL & SMALL RIVERS (Patrick)
1. If the rivers would regain their natural flow by giving them more space, what characteristics and qualities the adjacent space could consist of in terms of landscape and urbanization? Can this changing attitude carry a new set of meaning for the region?

2. Can canals and small river-infrastructure be a backbone for qualitative urban development and water control?

3. Can/should urban and rural development coexist alongside the canals and small rivers?

Built+Small Rivers/Canals

1. If the rivers would regain their natural flow by giving them more space, what characteristics and qualities the adjacent space could consist of in terms of landscape and urbanization? Can this changing attitude carry a new set of meaning for the region?

2. Can canals and small river-infrastructure be a backbone for qualitative urban development and water control?

3. Can/should urban and rural development coexist alongside the canals and small rivers?

Small Rivers/Canals + Culture

1.What are the changes of traditional cultural activities to accordingly display the change of relationship of the people with water?
2.Is it inevitable that the culture of people living and surviving with the canal will be ruined by the urbanization? If not, what can be done?
3.What kinds of new approach can be applied to revitalize the connection or create new connection between the water and people's life?

River - Built + Techniques

Built:

1. How to make out dike areas more safe places against flood, considering amountof people living there by new typology of the houses and new regulations for construction?

2. How to integrate river sides more with the city and providing more public places by proposing new methodology for designing and planning based on reserving green fields?

3. what are the top-down and bottom-up forces and advantages for providing corporative relationship between authorities and people?


Techniques:

1. How can we reconcile between the need to create networks of public open space along the Red River to serve social and ecological needs within the growing city and affordable approaches to engineer and water management.

2. How drainage and water purification system of the dyke area be made sure of dynamic during floods and dry seasons and offer attractive techniques landscape?

3. How can we deal with the current challenges of climate and social change to prevent the bank erosion and river bed sedimentation in the productive and sustainable maintenance.

River + Culture

A bridge too far?

Hanoi seems to have turned its back towards the Red River: has it forgotten about the Red River or does it not care about her anymore?

1. Within the context of a growing economy the Red River should be able to offer different old and new opportunities for the city. “How can the Red River connect Hanoi again to the region and the world?” is a question that refers to the challenge for the city to restore its relation with the Red River in terms not only of trade and traffic, but also spiritually. Maybe this is also a way to critically refer to the factor of the speed with which the city is developing and expanding.

2. The Bridge is a gate to the River and the City: it is an entrance to the city across the river and an opening to the river from the city. In terms of water problems the image of Hanoi is not always in balance with that of its beautiful Red River though. How can the Red river strengthen the image of the city again?

3. Finally the vast agricultural field in the Red River delta is feeding Hanoi and its region. This component forms a structural element in the economy of the city but on the smaller micro-scale level. The agricultural land and the people depending on it are under pressure though, due to large scale urban projects. How can the role of agriculture remain an important strength of the economy of the city?

River-Nature

1. How best can we control the nature along the Red river and create new 'environments' for future generations?

2. What type of activities/uses can we introduce along the Red river that can naturally cope up with both backward and foward fluctuations of the river?

3. How best can we deal with change in lifestyles of the people to prevent destruction of nature along the Red river?

Lakes-Culture

1. Could the relashionship of lakes and culture be reprogrammed?
It is a clear observation in the mapping of cultural lakes that there is a possiblitilty to reprogramme the lake area to improve the monocultural situation of some lakes and better fit with their inhabitance.

2. Could new lakes be digged?
We dig new lakes in order to bring people’s life back to the water, especially bring those in the overexpaned area to the inner lakes which have an intimate relashionship with our daily life. Perhaps new cultures will emerge as well as the return of traditinal cultures.

3. Is it able to connect all the lakes sysmatically instead of leave them basins?
The locations of new lakes are mostly along the rivers, which followed the natual water shed in order to compose them into a water system.

Nature-Canal

1. What constitutes an appropriate response to flooding?

2. Can we guide urban development to strategically retain valuable natural resources?

3. Is introducing new technology and engineering enough to changing people's perception of existing canals?

Lakes_Techniques: Composite Panel

1. Integration of lakes into public space is the single strategy presently deployed to protect Hanoi's lakes against encroachment; what other strategies could be adopted to safeguard them against other threats posed by urban development pressures?

2. What unique aspects of each lake (character, location, ecological condition, etc) could be optimised in a bid to guide integrated development around the lakes?

3. Installation of Treatment Plants seems to be the only approach considered to managing the city's water quality; what alternatives are available? Can Hanoi's lakes play a biological role? Do they have the capacity?

Nature + Lakes

1. Hanoi is occasionally called as ‘city of lakes’. There are still some lakes that are the pride of city and largely accepted by inhabitants here. What approaches can be taken to maintain their existence?

2. Most of the lakes in inner urban are badly disturbed due to pollution, density, encroachment and so on. What measures are essential to reestablish their natural balance?

3. More than 100 lakes in the inner city now reduce to 28. The now developments are going on by encroaching and filling up these natural lakes which are used to be the retention area for water for city. In such practices what lessens Hanoi can have from regular water disaster?

Canals and small rivers-TECHNIQUES

From Dagnachew:

1. [ Treatment ]

Is there any way by which we can improve the edge conditions of these canals making them more accessible thereby reintegrating them to the city? is there any way by which we can reverse the polluted state of these canals?

2. [ Equipment ]

are there more efficient techniques to deal with the flooding problems than the water level regulation systems being employed now ? are ther alternative techniques that are more susatinable and less energy consuming ? such as replacing the "hard" or engineered solutions by "soft" or more flexible solutions ?

3. [ Management ]

Could we propose new ways of managing the canal systems, in such a way that it involves the people that reside alongside them? Is there a way by which we can raise their awareness about environmental issues and make them key role players in the sustainable upkeep of these canals systems?

From Marijn:

1. How can To Lich River be treated as to improve the relationship with its surroundings? Can there exist different relationships with urban and agricultural areas?

2. Can parts of the river bed be restored to bring a new quality to the urban environment?There are plans of reconnecting To Lich River to Red River (however in a way that is different from the historical course). What are the effects of a renewed connection of the small rivers and canals to the Red River?

3. Day River seems far away from the city, while Nhue River seems to be the next river to be swallowed. What should be the first steps to define the quality and character of Day River, imagining its gradual transformation? What can be learned from To Lich and Nhue River?

THREE BLIND QUESTIONS

TECHNICAL:
Technical-RIVER (Ling)
1. As the dyke area along the Red River is blocked by concrete dyke, is there any waterfront public place in the city along the river related to the water?
2. The wastewater in the dyke area is directly discharged into the river, and many overflow from open sewage basins locate along the river, do you have new solutions for wastewater purification and drainage systems in the dyke area?
3. How many kinds of traditional techniques do you have for the river bank defense?

Technical-LAKE (Steven)
1. Forces: What are the fundamental forces (natural/man-made) associated with the land/water interface in Hanoi?
2. Utility: What critical use is associated with the inner lakes of Hanoi?
3. Approach: What methods are applied (past and present) to manage this resource interface?

Technical-CANAL & SMALL RIVERS (Dangachew)
1. Most of the canals and small rivers of Hanoi are used for the sole purpouse sewage disposal and thus are highly polluted. Is there any alternative techique we can propose to improve this condition inorder to make them less hazardeous?
2. Almost all of these small rivers pass through the very core of the city, and have the potential of becoming good public spaces. Is there any way by which we can improve the edge conditions of these canals making them more accessible thereby reintegrating them to the city?
3. Could we propose state-of-the-art and more efficient techniques to deal with the flooding problems and reinforce the existing water level regulation systems or better yet replace them?

Technical-CANAL & SMALL RIVERS (Marijn)
1. How do management and techniques of canals and rivers change when they are influenced by urbanization? Do they follow or anticipate? What is the impact of building close to the borders of the canal or river?
2. Can the area around a canal be managed in such a way, that different circumstances exist along its course? For example, are there more wet or more dry areas, to allow respectively for agriculture and building?
3. How did the canal system develop over the years? Did the technique, the borders or the course of the rivers change significantly?


NATURE:
Nature-RIVER (David)
1. Do floods only bring problems? What are the possible advantages floods can bring to the city and its surrounding area?
2. What are the main kinds and sources of the pollutions in the Red River? How the city and the people who live along the river face and solve the pollution problems?
3. What’s the land use condition of the sandbanks on the Red River today? What are the use and urban functions which can benefit to the nature environment of the city the sandbanks on the river can provide?

Nature-RIVER (Pamela)
1. What is the historic trend of the changing course of the Red river over the past years? (Provision of Maps/sketches showing the shift of the ground over time will be appreciated)
2. What are main types of manmade control processes that have been implemented along the Red river over the past years?
3. What measures/initiatives have been taken by Hanoi City Authority, Community, Academic Institutions and/or other stakeholders to conserve the natural environment along the Red river over the time?

Nature -LAKE (Ayasha)
1. With the urbanization process Hanoi destroying and loosing its strong relation with water and causing huge water related disaster every year. So, why Hanoi is not searching and concentrating herself to re-establish the natural balance first then the development to survive?
2. Presently Hanoi is going on with lot of master plans and development projects by destroying natural water bodies and filling low lands that could worsen the city’s water problem. Did these practicing master plans and urban developments prove themselves to solve the existing water problems in terms of city scale?
3. Hanoi has hundreds of lakes and reservoirs within the city. Most of these are being concretized and using for commercial purpose. These practice destroying the living environment for other living organism also. Is not it essential to treat these water bodies naturally to have the ecological balance and also soft touch to nature for city people?

Nature - CANAL & SMALL RIVERS (Emil)
1. Why is it so polluted?
2. Why are certain types of vegetation & agriculture located along it?
3. Why have the banks been treated in this manner?


CULTURE:
Culture-RIVER (Bart)
1. How does the Red River relate to the economy and the structure of the city, at different scale levels?
2. How can the Red River be qualified as a cultural landscape? What are possibilities to 'renovate'/'renew' this landscape?
3. What economical potentials and threats can be identified for the Red River in relation to the city?

Culture-LAKE (Xiaoxiao)
1. If Hanoi is regarded the “city of lakes and rivers”, just like the Red River is called the “Mother River”, is there any spiritual meaning of lakes in Hanoi?
2. What roles in term of culture do lakes play in the daily life of Hanoiese?
3. Since Vietnam is a country with a long history of being ruled or colonized by other countries, in what form do different cultures, such as Chinese, French and Modern cultures, have an impact on the inhabitants of lakes?

Culture- CANAL & SMALL RIVERS (Wei)


BUILT:
Built-RIVER (Bardia)
1. How to make out dike areas more safe places against flood, considering amount of people living there?
2. How to integrate river sides more with the city and providing more public places?
3. How provide more natural and open lands in this area?

Built-LAKE (Sherin)
1. What are the flood control strategies of the lakes in Hanoi? Are they really useful for controlling water specially in flooded months? or may they need more modifications?
2. What are the new development projects regulations in areas around the lakes? And are they happened or ignored in reality?
3. What is the main effect of lakes on the surrounding built environment? And how they give life to the surroundings?

Built-LAKE (Trung)

Built-CANAL & SMALL RIVERS (Patrick)
1. What can be a (new) future meaning/use for canals/small rivers?
2. Can canal-infrastructure be a backbone for urban development and water control?
3. What kind of development is feasible along the canals/small rivers?

WELCOME

Welcome to our question(b)log. This online tool is part of the urban design studio titled "Water Urbanism in Hanoi: Red River + Lakes" taught by Kelly Shannon, Ward Verbakel and benoit Legrand for the post graduate programs MaHS, MaUSP and EMU of the KULeuven. Students will be developing research and design questions throughout the semester and post them online, to allow our international collaborators to comment, redefine and question our studio projects.