Viet Nam Urbanization and Urban Infrastructure Development in the New Context

Abstract

In recent years, Viet Nam is one of the countries that have the highest rate of urbanization in Southest Asia, around 3.4% per year (WB, 2015 [12]). On the basis of maximizing the output from high speed urbanization in parallel with insuring of effective urban management for inclusive benefit of the urbanization process, Government of Viet Nam has accelerated measures to overcome medium income trap to head toward the national industrialization and modernization target. Since the implementation of the "Doi Moi” policy (Renovation period), there were many changes in urban mangement. New point of views and advanced approaches have been applied in policy making process from centra] to local level. However, the implementation process still have a number of shortcomings both in term of management mechanism, searching for tools as well as the human resources responsiveness. The imperative planning approach that inherited from former subsidized economy has shown some limitations in the multi-sector economy with higher growth rate and diversify participation of private sectors. Prevailing method for measuring infrastructure in urban development has still based on planning standards and planning targets ussually are huge amount and exceeding real needs of service in practice, as well as demands an enormous expense for infrastructure investment which seem to be far over capacity of government The article refers the current urbanization context in Viet Nam, the results of implementing targets of urban infrastructure development and discusses approach of studying policy in conformity with sustainable urban development in Viet Nam in the new context with the insist on improvement of effectiveness to mobilize input from private sector for infrastructure investment in urban development.