Highlight construction works

In implementation of the guidelines on urban development, Bac Giang province issued many resolutions, programmes and plans, notably the resolution No 138-NQ/TU dated September 1, 2016 by the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board on accelerating urban development in the province until 2020, a vision to 2030, resolution No 156-NQ/TU dated August 10, 2021 on construction and development of Bac Giang city in 2021-2030 period and resolution No 233 - NQ/TU dated July 25, 2022 by the provincial Party Committee on arrangement of district-level administrative units and urban development in the province in 2022-2025 period.

The urban infrastructure in Bac Giang city has been synchronously invested.

With an aim to build a rapidly and sustainably developed Bac Giang city towards a green and smart city to become a first-tier city by 2030, the party committee and government of the city has paid high attention to constructing cleaner, more beautiful and modern urban areas.

Remarkably, Bac Giang city was recognised as a second-tier city on July 31, 2024 by Prime Minister. Besides, the areas planned to establish wards belonging to Bac Giang urban area meet the standards for development of urban infrastructure by Ministry of Construction.

Vu Tri Hai, member of the provincial Party Committee’ Standing Board and Secretary of the Party Committee of Bac Giang city stressed the city has competed the targets for urban development despite facing numerous difficulties, creating historic momentum and opening up a new page for its development.

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee approved the resolution dated December 28, 2024 on merging the total natural land area and population of Yen Dung district into Bac Giang city.

After the merging, Bac Giang city has the total land area of 258.29 square kilometer and a population of over 317,000 with 31 communal-level administrative units (including 21 wards and 10 communes).

The city has implemented more than 200 projects valued at nearly 5 trillion VND (195.7 million USD) since 2022, typically A Lu bridge, the overpasses of Dong Bac belt road, Minh Khai and Tran Quang Khai roads and the overpass to the international logistics center, improving and refurbishing Nguyen Van Cu street, installing surveillance camera systems and running smart city intelligent operation center (IOC).

According to the resolution of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee, Chu township and new Luc Ngan district will be established since January 1, 2025 separated from the old Luc Ngan district.

Bac Giang province officially has an urban area as the heart of eastern region. Of which, Chu township is targeted to become a high-tech, smart and ecological agricultural urban area. Phi Dien becomes the center of the new Luc Ngan district while Bien Dong, Tan Son and Tan Mon will become specialized urban areas.

According to Vuong Tuan Nghia, secretary of the Party Committee of Chu township, the provincial resolutions on urban development are historic highlights for local officials, party members and people.

In order to meet the urban standards and criteria, there have been a number of key construction projects in the locality in recent 2 years. Many of which are greatly meaningful to heighten the urban status including the belt road, Le Duan street, western and southern urban areas, water drainage systems, central park, sports center and domestic wastewater treatment station.

The traffic system in Bac Giang province has been more completed and connected. Many urban projects are highlights to change the urban space, landscapes and architecture such as the new inter-agency building, the provincial culture and exhibition center, the new northeastern urban area in Bich Dong ward and the social housing project in Nenh ward, Viet Yen township, the southern urban area in Thang town, Hiep Hoa district and the eastern urban area in Doi Ngo town, Luc Nam district.

Strict implementation of the planning

To date, many tasks and targets set out at the provincial resolution on urban development have been completed and exceeded the plan. The recognition of Bac Giang city as a second-tier city helped to level up the position of the city, deserving a gateway urban area in the capital region and created driving force and conditions for stronger development.

In addition, Hiep Hoa was recognised a fourth-tier urban area by the Ministry of Construction in 2024.

One corner of Rua Vang urban area in Voi town, Lang Giang district.

The province currently has 17 urban areas, 16 of which have been ranked including 1 second-tier city (the expanded Bac Giang city), 4 fourth-tier urban areas (Viet Yen township, Chu township, Hiep Hoa district and Doi Ngo town) and 11 fifth-tier urban areas.

Meanwhile, An Chau town, Son Dong district has not been classified. The coverage rate of urban masterplans reached 100 percent. The coverage rate of detailed construction planning of Bac Giang city reached 85 percent while other urban areas reached 43 percent.

According to Nguyen Viet Phong, Director of the Department of Construction, the urban system in the province has been properly established and gradually expanded the space, which increased the proportion of urban population to 57.13 percent from 21.7 percent in 2021, exceeding the plan by 24.73 percent.

Bac Giang has attracted 151 urban and residential area projects in recent 3 years with the total land area of about 2,200 hectares, a total investment of 33 trillion VND (1.3 billion USD).

In order to reach the target of 22 urban areas by 2030 including 1 first-tier city (Bac Giang city), 1 third-tier urban area (Viet Yen), 4 fourth-tier and 16 fifth-tier urban areas, Nguyen Viet Phong said the competent agencies in the province will continue to pay attention to and mobilise resources for urban planning to increase the coverage rate of zoning and detailed planning and strictly manage conforming to the planning.

Especially, the province will draw on all resources to improve quality of the urban standards and build Bac Giang city to deserve an administrative, political, economic, cultural, social, scientific and technological center of the province, a center in the northeastern Vietnam, a gateway for import and export, a freight transshipment hub between the capital region, the delta area and Huu Nghi international border gate in Lang Son province.

Besides, the urban areas will be stimulated economic development to become “drivers” of growth in the region and neighbouring areas. The province will also implement synchronous measures to speed up urbanization progress and improve urban quality attached to promoting trade and service development.

The urban system will be developed modernly with synchronous technical and social infrastructure to become bright, green, clean and beautiful towards smart cities.

It will also concentrate on attracting investment in trade, service, social housing and workers’ housing projects, especially inviting experienced and potential investors to invest in some integrated and modern urban areas to create highlights and great spreading.

Urban planning will be attached to land use plans and other master plans to ensure unity, avoid confliction and overlapping.

Besides, the province is targeted to increasing the percentage of high buildings while reducing use of adjacent land to enhance land use efficiency and give more land fund for common space and social facilities to meet the demand of long term and sustainable development.

In addition, it is essential to build strong urban government apparatus to satisfy requirements in the new context.