Summary

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia with a population of nearly 100 millions. Hanoi has more than 1000 year history, but it was built based on the European garden city model more than 100 years. In the past 15 years (2000-2015), the city has grown rapidly, the city's population from 1 million people increased to 2.5 million. The City centre’s area is from 44 km2 up to 170 km2.

Background and Objective

Situation Before the Initiative Began: Hanoi is a rapidly urbanized city while the area of the traffic, green trees and water surface are being narrowed down and the traffic jams and waterlogging are increased, the environmental quality is deteriorated... especially it lacks of the public and community spaces. Establishment of Priorities: The old centre of Ha Noi used to be built as a garden city model which has lots of public spaces for community activities and walking streets. It is necessary to wake up the old quarter beside the new development of new spaces in order to enhance the quality of urban life. The expansion of the new city has consumed lots of resources and energies including non-renewable resources as land and fuel; moreover, it has caused emissions. It’s essential to parallel promote up the resources saving initiatives and sustainable development. Formulation of Objectives And Strategies: The short-term objective is to recreate the public space and encourage the pedestrian spaces in the centre of the historical city. We need to set up new values in the old spaces: there are more public spaces and developments of the trade, commerce and services to enhance the preservation of historical culture at the same time. By this experiment for expanding and establishing the sustainable development strategy by promoting the economy growth while enhancing the life quality and environment protection and preservation. Now, Hanoi is building up the 5 years scheme to implement Hanoi as a prosperity city. Mobilisation of Resources: Mobilisation of available urban spaces around Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake and surrounding areas including streets, architectural buildings, trees, lawn and water surfaces. Offices, schools operate daily as their function of operations. At the weekend, they are mobilized for public activities, walking and parking. Human resources of organizations, enterprises, social mass organizations, NGOs, individuals volunteering or working overtime to manage activities, maintain order, security and sanitation services, perform community art. The resources of businesses, households business provide catering services, selling goods and entertainment, renting toys for children. Contributions by national and international organizations in the transfer of organizational experiences, instructive documents, guidelines, and initiative suggestions to improve continuously community activities.

Actions and Implementation

* Preparation: Announcing of expected pedestrian Street. Establishing plans for organising walking space, designing a street for car and motorbike, setting up the belt to protect the pedestrian street; * Establishing plans: traffic signs; Lighting, decoration; Security; Fire protection; Salvation, Public Sanitation ; Art activities, exhibitions ... * Organization of the mechanism implementation: The City Chairman is the Head of the Steering Committee in which the Department of Police, Department of Transportation, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Department of Health ... are members, Chairman of Hoan Kiem PC is belong to the Standing Management Board, the Divisions of the Hoan Kiem PC to be incharged directly. Through the piloting period, there are some problems: - The sense of preserving the urban order, sanitation of a limited number of people lead to the shortcomings of preserving the urban order, sanitation - The task force at the stations (including police, self-management) is less, lacking in quantity; Sometimes, some places of responsibility are not high, still extrude; - Performing arts activities are not strictly regulated, there is no sanction for violations, so there are also: spontaneous performances performing for fundraising, balancing electric car, street vendors; - The coordination of inspection and managerment is not a timely manner; There is no official regulation for walking space in Hoan Kiem Lake and its surrounding areas * There are some solutions: - Instructions and clear guideline - Having a clear mass propaganda plan: Hoan Kiem PC has coordinated with the Department of Information and Communications, Hanoi Radio and Television to hold interviews, consult people and relevant agencies to evaluate the results of pilot organization of pedestrian spaces. - Ensure the security and order; - Traffic organization: organized (i) dynamic traffic and (ii) static traffic; - Enhance urban decoration and lighting system around Hoan Kiem lake; - Cultural and artistic activities - Ensure the environmental sanitation and fire prevention; - Organizing the trading, tourism activities and services arrangement and provide the enabling mechanism; - Medical assurances and rapid action health care treatment Since the pedestrian spaces located in the center of the city where has strong economic and trade growth speed being strong, transportation pressure are on the rise. The organization of walking here needs a careful implementation process, it is divided into 4 implementation phases: (1) Inception: Announce the plan to city dwellers, especially residents living in the neighborhood will organize walking, consulting public opinions and adjusting activities. (realised from 1 - 10 years and continually adjust accordingly); (2) Experiment and finalization: Internal reports of the Executive Board to draw experience, consult public opinion, adjust the activities. (Every 3 to 6 months, from 2004 to 2017); (3) Report results, share experiences: City report and press conference (every 6 months to 12 months). Organized domestic and international workshops (with the support of UN Habitat Vietnam) to share experiences in developing community space, walking street organization, developing development plans and upgrading urban space to serve those activities (average 1-2 times per year); (4) Organization of experience exchange and area expanding: initially with 30 districts and towns in Hanoi city and other provinces (Hochiminh City, Can Tho, Tam Ky, Quang Ninh ...). Set up plans to expand and develop the Walking Sreet in Hoan Kiem district (Gam Cau street, Phung Hung) and Thanh Xuan district, Tay Ho district.

Outcomes and Impacts

From a dense area of cars, motorbikes, traffic congestion, lack of safety, conflicts over the weekend or events,... Nowaday, the pedestrian streets have changed, becoming a interesting safely space, and have lured engrossingly diverse community activities for all ages. Urban space is shared, optimally used for activities during the day and weekdays. From an area of offices, inefficient shops on weekdays tedious, holidays, it has become a vibrant public service area here. Priority in walking has created new habit that have a positive influence on traffic in the area. Motorbikes and cars have moved along the ring roads instead of centre streets that being narrow, crowded, dangerous and polluted air and noise. The rental and sale of real estate is rapidly rising , more livelihood opportunities have made local residents identify value that walking space, public activities are offering both physical and mental sustainability benefits for individuals and the whole society. By these results, the city is determined to build a sustainable transport development strategy across the city: increasing public transport in combination with the development of pedestrian space and public space. It has made the effects in order to inspire and spread out to other surrounding areas and cities.

Gender and Social Inclusivity

Hanoi and major cities in Vietnam are stagnant when strongly investing in public transports (regular buses, BRT, UMRT systems), but the number of passengers is not rising fast. The reason is that public transport systems have not been completed, but the major cause is that cities do not have a strategy for developing interconnected transportation, non-motorized traffic and Transit non-Oriented urban development (TOD) which they take the development of public transport orientation as a basis planning for urban development. Organizing successfully pedestrian streets and walking roads has opened the way for Hanoi and major cities in Vietnam: safe walking streets will promote up the formation of public spaces, trading and commercial services ... bring new vitality to the old urban areas. Lively towns that has radius less than 1 km will be conveniently connected to the city's public transport network. Hanoi receives many delegations from other Cities to visit their model. Recently, after the visit, Hochiminh City has innaugurated the Bui Vien walking street and Can Tho city set up successful for Ninh Kieu walking bridge. Hanoi has the ability to extend the pedestrian spaces model of Hoan Kiem District to 15 inner urban districts and other cities.

Innovative Initiative

Hanoi, which like other Asian cities, is facing the challenge of rapid urbanization while urban infrastructure is slowly developing due to limited resources. Many cities have been seeking external resources to address their internal difficulties and had same results: more aggravated traffic congestion, more widespread environmental pollution, higher intensity (Waste, sewage, more and more emissions) Some cities have wasted their land resources, scanty financial accumulation to invest in expensive huge projects as urban railways, centralized waste water treatment plants. Long-term projects, capital increases and imported technology fail to address internal problems and aggravate urban difficulties, burdensome debt burdens, and make the gap between the rich and the poor more acrimonious. Hanoi approaches smarter, simpler, less costly and more proactive solutions to overcome the challenges of a positive and productive development process. Especially to apply any kind of approach, it needs to balance all the resources and institutionalization at both national and local strategies. Instead of wasting resources and resources on new projects that are risky due to the monopoly implications, it just simply re-organize the space structure, effectively exploiting existing urban assets which will encourage creativity, entirely community participatory mobilization to build up a better and sustainable city future.

Resources devoted to delivery

No. Title Source Author Publication Title Volume Number Date Page Number 1 Hanoi pedestrian streets – attractive destination for cultural activities and entertainment nhandan.com.vn Anh Kiet Hanoi Times Online 3rd Jan, 2017 Online Edit 2 Ha Noi continues to pilot walking streets Vietnam National Administration of Tourism - VNA VNA Publication of Tourism Information Technology Center (Ministry of Culutre, Sport and Tourism) Online/Website 15th Dec, 2016 Online Edit 3 Traditional games held in Hanoi’s pedestrian streets VOV5 - The Voice of Vietnam 5 Thanh Ha VOV5 - vov5.vn Online 7th Nov, 2016 Online on part of That's Life. Edit 4 Reimagining Public Space in Crowded Hanoi The Asia Foundation Michael DiGregorio Weekly Insides and Analysis - IN ASIA Online version - Website: www.asiafoundation.org 26th October, 2016 1 - online Edit 5 Hanoi to have new pedestrian areas around Hoan Kiem Lake Vietnamnet VIR Vietnam Investment Review Online version 28th Aug, 2016 Online - part of Travel

Conclusion

In 2017, Hanoi has successfully carried out the pedestrian streets in Hoan Kiem District and was honored to receive the "Bui Xuan Phai - for love of Hanoi" award. At the same time as organizing walking, Hanoi has also put into use car parking that get fee by mobile (Ipark) on the streets and buildings. The city has launched a project to control the automation of car parks and motorbikes in the city center. The city has also announced plans to develop a public transport system with a goal of 2030 meeting 70% of the city's travel needs and towards limiting personal motor cars moving in the city center. . The city also encouraged domestic corporations to invest in large-scale UMRT routes. In addition, the towns, pedestrian streets also provide opportunities for small and medium enterprises to participate in.