The Da Nang People's Committee has just approved the planning project for hillside urban subdivision at a scale of 1:2,000. The subdivision is oriented to be an urban area focusing on sustainable development in harmony with natural landscape, and experiencing urban life associated with large public spaces.

The project is expected to foster the local economic development in association with the natural environment protection and promote the unique natural landscape elements of Hoa Vang District.

Perspective of the hillside urban area. Photo courtesy of Hoa Vang District People's Committee

Urban area prioritises tourism, trade and service development

The hillside urban area is planned with an area of ​​about 2,832ha in the communes of Hoa Ninh, Hoa Son, Hoa Nhon and Hoa Phu in Hoa Vang District.

It borders DT602 road to the north, the western belt road to the west, the bypass route to south of the Hai Van Tunnel to the east, and the Tuy Loan River and the new planning road to the south.

This is a new urban area that will prioritise tourism - trade and service development combined with housing, and green and water surface space around the Duong Ba Lang Mountain, resettlement areas, hillside villas, and high-rise buildings with high land use coefficient and low construction density in order to ensure a view towards the mountains to the west.

The hillside urban area will comprise 11 residential units; 3 functional areas outside the residential units; and the central core area which is mainly the existing forest combined with a group of existing houses and villages.

Of which, the three functional areas include the 70.9ha logistics service area; the about 157.8ha non-tariff area with commercial, educational and medical services; and the around 202.5ha sports functional area associated with the development of new golf courses.

According to the municipal Department of Construction, the hillside urban subdivision with the idea of ​​organising space taking the natural landscape of Duong Ba Lang mountain as the central core to orient the organisation of residential units and surrounding functional areas.

Residential units will have high-rise or low-rise buildings with low density to respect the natural terrain and landscape, as well as maximise the view of nature.

The non-tariff complex is oriented to be formed in the southwest of the subdivision to create diffusion and promote surrounding commercial development. From the abovementioned factors, the hillside urban subdivision aims to become a model of sustainable development, improving urban quality and living space for residents.

Ensuring harmony with natural landscapes

According to Secretary of the Hoa Vang District Party Committee To Van Hung, the urbanisation process is on a continuous rise, so it is necessary to pay attention to protecting the inherent cultural values ​​and natural landscapes.

Regarding the urban development orientation of Hoa Vang in the approved Master Plan (Decision No. 359/QD-TTg dated March 15, 2021), the district has a structure of three urban areas including the entire hillside area, most of the green core areas, and the western ecological area including the entire Hoa Vang.

On the other hand, with the spatial development orientation according to the subdivisions, Hoa Vang covers 8 out of the 12 subdivisions of the entire city. Therefore, urban planning and landscape architecture organisation in the suburban district need guiding principles to aim for sustainable development.

In particular, he also stressed the necessity for the district to preserve natural elements (mountainous terrain, rivers, green carpets, etc.), historical values, and tangible and intangible culture. This will be an important foundation to create identity values ​​for Hoa Vang urban area.

In addition, special attention should be paid to improving the quality of life for people with urban facilities such as completing the construction of technical infrastructure and cultural institutions, and protecting water resources and the "green lungs" of the city.

The Da Nang Department of Construction believed that the process of urban expansion of the city in general and Hoa Vang District in particular in recent times, along with the formation of key traffic routes (Da Nang - Quang Ngai Expressway, western belt road, southern belt road, etc.) and resettlement areas, has somewhat narrowed the area of ​​agricultural land and green areas in the western part of the city.

Making Hoa Vang District meet the criteria of fourth-class urban areas and become a town in the coming time is facing challenges in terms of the degradation of the natural environment, landscape architecture and traditional identity values.

Hoa Vang District is organising the establishment of a general plan for its new urban area until 2050 to serve the development of the town.

Accordingly, top priority will be given to developing a balanced urban area between preserving traditional rural space and modern new urban areas, as well as promoting the socio-economy development associated with protecting the natural ecological environment.

Also, the planning and organisation of landscape architectural space needs to focus on studying urban development in the direction of ecological urban areas, and hillside urban areas associated with the characteristics of natural terrain; limiting the leveling and changing of natural terrain; and forming eco-tourism resorts associated with natural landscapes with unique characteristics and identities, experiential tourism combined with the protection of special-use forests and nature conservation.

With the hillside urban subdivision, in the project research area, the existing population ratio is not large, the natural characteristics are relatively diverse (hills, natural lakes, existing forests). Therefore, this area has great advantages in organising the creation of architectural space in the form of a completely new urban area associated with the terrain and natural landscape characteristics, thereby helping to develop the economy as well as effectively promoting the unique natural landscape of Hoa Vang District.

Reporting by TRAN TRUC - Translating by M.DUNG, P.TRA