Local government has approved the construction of 16 ten-floor buildings to resettle people who are now living in the city’s Old Quarter. It has assigned the municipal Department of Planning and Architecture and Hoan Kiem district People's Committee to study raising the height and substructures of the buildings to ensure the project’s cost effectiveness.
Reportedly, Hoan Kiem district People's Committee is now selecting investors for the project. Its procedures are expected to be finalized in the third quarter this year, then the contruction work will be kicked off in the fourth quarter.
Downgrading residential areas in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
In 2002, work on Viet Hung urban area in Hanoi’s Long Bien district started with the aim of relocating the people from the Old Quarter in a move to ease the extreme demographic density in this area. However, when the first phase of the project was completed in 2013, only around 7,000 people, or about 1,500 households were resettled, leaving the population extreme density intact.
The project’s second phase will need large land reserve to build accommodation for nearly 5,000 households, and will be carries out in another place instead of Viet Hung. As scheduled, the projects will be implemented from the fourth quarter this year and finished in the next year.
The famous Old Quarter of Hanoi covers an area of about 81 hectares, with a population of approximately 66,600 people, for a density of 823 people per ha. The capital city is expected to cut the density down to 500 people per ha. It means nealy 6,500 households with over 26,000 people will be relocated to other areas.
The project of building new accommodation for people in the Old Quarter is aimed at creating favorable conditions for the preservation and restoration of valuable monuments and ancient architectural works and sustainable urban development in the area, thereby contributing to boosting economic development including tourism sector.
