On Friday, the Viet Nam Urban Development Planning Association in collaboration with the Da Nang-based University of Architecture organised an international conference entitled ‘Preservation and promotion planning of the values of historical cities in the new context’.

Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van speaking at the conference. Photo: HOANG HIEP

Attending the event were Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van, Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Le Quang Nam, and more than 200 delegates from Asia-Pacific Planning Societies, including Viet Nam, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

In his opening speech delivered at the conference, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van said that Viet Nam's urban system has been formed for a long time, in which many urban areas were formed before the 19^th century.

After 35 years of renovation, especially over the past 10 years, Viet Nam has achieved many important results in urban planning, construction, management and development. By late 2022, there were 888 urban areas of all kinds, and the urbanisation rate increased to 42% from 30.5% in 2010.

Urbanisation and urban development have become an important driving force for the city’s socio-economic development. The urban economy has grown at a high rate, contributing over 70% of the country's GDP.

However, the process of urbanisation, in addition to the positive factors, also has posed for the risk of adversely affecting cultural and traditional values. Ethnicity and modernity in culture in general, and in architecture - urban planning in particular, is a great challenge between conservation and development for each country. Many historic and heritage cities in Viet Nam are also facing this challenge.

The conference provides an opportunity for international experts, researchers, lecturers and students from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Viet Nam to exchange and learn from experience each other in promoting the value of historical and traditional cities in the new context.

Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Le Quang Nam delivering his speech at the conference. Photo: HOANG HIEP

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Le Quang Nam emphasised, besides being endowed with beautiful landscapes, Da Nang is located between three world cultural heritages, namely Hue ancient capital, Hoi An ancient town and My Son sanctuary.

He remarked Da Nang has developed constantly to have an urban structure and the quality of living space commensurate with the role, position and attractiveness of a livable city. In 2018, the central city was voted by travel magazine Live and Invest Overseas as one of the most livable cities in the world.

In recent years, Da Nang has actively invested in infrastructure construction, improved the environment, and ensured social security, thereby being considered as the most worth-living city in Viet Nam.

He emphasised that through the conference, Da Nang will learn from international experience in developing a city that is both modern and rich in tradition in the current context.

Chairman of the Viet Nam Urban Development Planning Association Tran Ngoc Chinh said that ethnicity - modernity in architecture in general, and in planning in particular, is a great challenge for each country in the process of existence and development. Aside from the positive impacts, these processes also have negative impacts that are difficult to control, and threaten to disrupt the historical and traditional urban spatial structure.

The conference featured 160 presentations from representatives of planning associations of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Viet Nam.

During the event, scientists and experts of the aforementioned planning associations shared experience, and proposed solutions to preserve and promote heritage values in regional and urban planning, heritage preservation in urban redevelopment and management, heritage urban and smart planning, heritage and tourism.

Reporting by HOANG HIEP - Translating by M.DUNG