Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam with a population of 8.4 million. It is located in the south of Vietnam and is at the core centre of Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area, which has a population that exceeds 20 million, 16 million of whom live in urban areas. The city is currently undergoing a period of strong economic and population growth; as it is the economic and financial hub of Vietnam, it continues to attract migrants from other provinces.

Bangkok is Thailand’s capital city and biggest urban centre, and one of the world’s megacities. It is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR),which is further composed of the Bangkok Metropolitan Area (BMA) and its five adjacent provinces, covering an area of 7,758 km2. The rapid urban expansion of Bangkok, matched with its population growth over the past few decades, has left many issues unresolved. With the city struggling in maintaining pace with urbanisation trends and match it with the provision of the necessary public infrastructure.

The city of Surabaya, capital of East Java Province, is the second-largest city of Indonesia following Jakarta, the national capital. Surabaya is located at the mouth of the River Mas facing the Madura Island. Surabaya has an annual population growth rate of 0.65 per cent and a population of approximately 3.09 million people in 2018. The city has a population density of 8,458 person per km2 and is highly urbanized. The city’s borders encapsulate an area of 350 km2, divided into 31 districts (kecamatan) and 154 sub-districts (kelurahan).