The Rapid Planning project of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) has helped Danang city with a rapid trans-sectoral urban planning methodology, heard the Rapid Planning Final Conference held in the central coastal city on July 18. Rapid planning is important to building a proactive city which is environmentally friendly and develops sustainably. It is an action-oriented research project funded under the umbrella of the Future Megacities Research Program of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research. The service sectors covered by the project include energy, water, waste water/sanitation, solid waste and urban agriculture/food. It allows planning rapidly, but also costs effectively, helping benefit cities improve resource efficiency and access to urban basis services. Besides, it supports the effort of planned city extension and planned city infill development by informing the process of the point of infrastructure planning and development. Under the project, which was implemented in Danang city in 2014 with the participation of both domestic and international experts, conferences and training courses were organized to improve local officials’ capacity in urban, water, sewage, waste and agriculture planning. Along with completing a map of competent parties in trans-sectoral urban planning, the project surveyed and evaluated local energy consumption model and socio-economic model. According to Director of the Danang city Research Institute for Socio-economic Development Pham Phu Thai, seeking an effective planning measure actually poses tremendous challenges for cities worldwide, including Danang city, amid rapid urbanization. With recommendations from the experts, Danang city will continue the project’s achievements to turn itself into a dynamic city. UN-Habitat Program Manager in Vietnam Nguyen Quang said that besides opportunities, globalization, industrialization and urbanization have brought huge challenges to developing nations, including energy, infrastructure service and jobs for a great number of laborers. To overcome the challenges, the UN has worked out a number of solutions to addressing urgent issues, and the Rapid Planning project aims to support cities with planning for sustainable development. With its considerable achievements, the project is hoped to be carried out in other localities, helping build Vietnam into a country with sustainable development, inclusion, and good adaptation to global turbulences, he added. (Vietnam Plus)
