Jointly organised by the Da Nang government and CityNet, an international seminar, entitled ‘Investing in Sustainable Urbanisation’ took place on Thursday in the city, focusing on sustainable city finance and urban infrastructure investments.

The ‘Investing in Sustainable Urbanisation’ seminar in progress

In his remarks at the event, municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh affirmed that sustainable urban development is one of the city’s top priorities.

In 2014, Da Nang conducted a project to build itself into a smart city which outlined 5 priority aspects, namely transport, water supply, drainage, food safety control, and building a connected city.

In 2008, the city embarked on a project to turn itself into an environmentally-friendly city meeting the water, soil and air standards.

Mr Minh also noted that domestic and foreign investment into 7 projects utilising the PPP (public-private partnership) model is welcomed in Da Nang. These are the Lien Chieu Port; the solid waste treatment complex; the relocation of the city’s railway station and integrated urban innovation; infrastructure development and technologies for non-motorized transport solutions; the Da Nang - Hoi An tram system; smart city construction; and the development of new industrial parks.

The seminar included discussions in city finance and urban infrastructure investment to improve climate change resilience among members of CityNet, while providing a platform for city leaders, practitioners and finance experts to share best practices and discuss how smart infrastructure investments can foster sustainable urbanisation.

According to CityNet Secretary General Vijay Jagannathan, growing demand for infrastructure development is a huge challenge to urbanisation. Urban communities largely depend on effective urban planning, as well as access to affordable public services. However, they have limited access to city finance to do so, not to mention the ever-increasing demands on infrastructure due to a booming urban population.

The seminar features exchanges of experience amongst CityNet members, especially a good model under which financial resources are sought to invest in sustainable urban development in Taipei City, Taiwan.

For example, investment in clean energy is one of Taipei’s sustainable urban development priorities. In particular, Taipei has paid special heed to promoting the use of the Public–Private–People Partnerships (4P) which is one emerging way of highlighting the need for developing the involvement of private actors and the general public in a joint process.

CityNet, a regional network of local authorities for the management of human settlements, was founded in Nagoya, Japan in 1987.

Starting with 26 members, CityNet has grown to 135 members, made up of city governments, non-governmental organisations, private companies, and research centres. Its members include 6 cities from Viet Nam – Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Da Nang, which has been a member of CityNet since 2005, has launched its sustainable city development project to make it more sustainable, benefiting all citizens by improving the urban environment and increasing urban mobility in a clean, safe, inclusive and energy efficient manner.