During his speech at an announcement ceremony of Da Nang's Master Plan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050 following Prime Minister’s Approval Decision No. 1287 dated November 2, 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha impressed the participants with putting residents at the heart of urban planning and design.

Putting people at the heart of Da Nang’s development in order to develop Da Nang into a smart, green and sustainable city. Photo: ST

"The key to Da Nang’s success is the city’s ability to unleash the immense potential of local people" said the Deputy Prime Minister.

“To achieve Da Nang’s ambitious goals, the city cannot think and act in an old traditional way. Each cadre, party member, along with every citizen of Da Nang must transform their fierce desire, their pride and love for their hometown, and their spirit of innovation into practical actions, even the smallest, to make their city the best city in Viet Nam to visit, live, work and invest," Mr Ha remarked.

The Master Plan blueprint of the first city among five centrally-governed ones sheds light on why Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha put the people first in Da Nang’s development strategies. It is no secret that urban planning often boils down to numbers, but to truly understand why Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha considers human resources as the key to success, it is crucial to pay attention to the population figures outlined in the city’s Master Plan.

The blueprint sets a target for the city's population to reach around 1.56 million by 2030, with an adjusted expectation of approximately 1.79 million.

This projection isn't merely a demographic statistic; it's an indicator of the magnitude of the city's commitment to improving the quality of life for its residents. As the city grows, so too does the responsibility of ensuring a healthy and sustainable living environment for its nearly 1.79 million inhabitants.

Moreover, these figures don't include the additional task of caring for tourists, Da Nang will inevitably attract, further increasing the city's dynamics.

In consideration of the critical living conditions serving the human factor, the Master Plan for Da Nang stipulates an ambitious goal related to clean water availability. By 2030, the city aims to guarantee 100% of urban and rural populations to get access to safe drinking water through the city’s dedicated water supply system.

To achieve its goals, Da Nang must focus on improving existing dedicated urban water supply system. Simultaneously, it is crucial for the city to amplify its efforts in developing effective waste treatment plants. Inadequate wastewater management poses a significant risk, potentially turning into a relentless pollutant and threatening the city's freshwater resources. While the provision of clean water caters to the residents, proper wastewater treatment primarily secures the health and wellbeing of local communities.

The objective of ensuring habitable conditions for Da Nang's estimated 1.79 million residents by 2030 is also reflected in the ambitious target of training up to 78% of its workforce, with two-thirds holding degrees or certifications.

However, a pressing question arises. Will this highly trained workforce lead the city's 2023 economic development and boost its digital transformation, or simply serve as cheap labour for foreign investors who cannot find such valuable personnel elsewhere in the country or in the world?

While emphasizing the quality of the city's human resources, this ambitious plan looking ahead to the quality of human power in 2030s and 2040s.

Da Nang is making a determined push to become self-sufficient in developing a high-caliber workforce for both the city and its neighbours.

This initiative is part of an ambitious strategy outlined in the city's Master Plan, which includes objectives such as developing universities, junior colleges, and training facilities, building a 'university town' in the southern part of Da Nang, specifically in Ngu Hanh Son District, and Dien Ban Town in Quang Nam Province. In addition, importance will be attached to developing the University of Da Nang into a national-level university, a hub for training high-quality human resources and for multi-disciplinary scientific research, on par with regional standards.

Special attention will be paid to establishing training facilities, vocational schools, and specialized research institutes for the Da Nang High-Tech Park to train and provide high-quality human resources and specialized workforce to meet demand of the economic and social development from the city and elsewhere in Central Viet Nam.

However, the city recognizes it can't simply start from higher education. It has to lay solid foundational for the city's general education system, ensuring "where there is population, there are children, and there must be schools”. To achieve its goals, the city will continue implementing the ‘5 No’s’ programme, making it very different from other Vietnamese localities. The city authorities will continue their efforts to reach the targets of no starving households, no illiterate people, no itinerant beggars, no drug-addicts in the community, and no murders for property in the city, with high priority given to ensuring that no students drop out of school due to financial reason.

Emphasizing its people-centric approach, Da Nang’s Master Plan demonstrates a commitment to ensure its residents are not left to navigate development alone. This blueprint for growth staunchly advocates attracting strategic and key investors aligned with the city's developmental direction and its high-tech, cutting-edge industries, as well as modern management practices.

In his remarks at the announcement ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha indicated that “the influx of investor interest and the launch of new projects signify an auspicious beginning for Da Nang's ambitious journey.

Da Nang is proving its unwavering commitment to leaving no one behind in its development strategy with a Master Plan that integrates numerous social welfare solutions. Noteworthy among these initiatives are efforts to mobilize resources for poverty reduction programs that are tailored to different stages, with poverty thresholds adjusted to match the local standard of living, and to implement measures aimed at addressing deficiencies and achieving sustainable poverty reduction.

Furthermore, the Plan addresses the need for developing the healthcare sector to meet the demands of care, protection, and improvement of public health across the city.

Reflecting on global urban strategies and Viet Nam's urbanization, Da Nang's Master Plan captures a critical insight: People must be put at the heart of the city’s urban development and building a green and smart city.

Reporting by BUI VAN TIENG - Translating by THAO TRANG