The move comes after the People’s Committee of Hanoi gave the green light to four districts, Hoan Kiem, Long Bien, Ba Dinh and Tay Ho, to continue studying the project “Developing mudflats in the middle and along the Hong (Red) River into a multi-purpose cultural park.”

The plan is based on the principle of restoring natural parks, urban parks and public spaces to serve the people.

Pham Quoc Tuyen, deputy director of the city’s Planning and Architecture Department told Kinh te & Do thi (Economics and Urban Affairs) online newspaper that the People's Committee of the city had decided to approve the Red River Urban Subdivision Planning at the scale of 1/5000, which is an important basis for research and planning development of the mudflats.

According to the principles, the establishment of green parks and tourism spots must comply with two important master plans, consisting of the Planning on dykes and flood prevention; and the adjustment of the Capital Master Plan approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 1259, he said.

The Red River Urban Subdivision Planning has identified the functional subdivision of each area, and assigned tasks for agencies in the next stage, he said.

Districts will review the residential clusters in the areas then make detailed planning and submit to authorities for approval as a basis for management and implementation of land use in the mudflats, he said.

Currently, the People's Committees of districts are measuring, mapping and planning the mudflats. Next, they will work with the city’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department for submitting the planning, he said.

Mudflats in the middle and along of the river is an area has been accreted by alluvium for many years, he said.

Dozens of hectares of the mudflats have been left for decades and weeds have grown and some areas are illegally occupied for vegetable cultivation, he said.

Due to the limited land funds in the city and the lack of places for people to play and relax, many areas of the mudflats have become spontaneous entertainment spots, potentially posing the risk of insecurity and causing environmental pollution, he said.

Therefore, the formulation of the project aims to effectively exploit the land fund, find potential advantages and natural beauty of the river, creating an open and green space as an attractive tourist for locals and visitors, he said.

For the mudflat in the middle of the river, Hoan Kiem district plans to establish an agricultural tourism area, where still allow local people to grow short-term plants, he said.

The area will have a creative space, a playground, a lawn interspersed with existing perennials; functional areas for entertainment and sports (such as grass skating rink) according to natural terrain; functional areas for fishing and diving, he said.

The mudflat along the river will become a green park, an area for planting short-term trees, ornamental plants, seasonal flowers, combining to serve tourists, he said.

Potential space

According to the architects, the mudflat in the middle of the river will be a potential space to exploit as public space.

However, during the implementation process, the district authorities are advised to carefully consult with experts, scientists and people to ensure effective exploitation of the land fund but still ensure safety as well as prevent erosion and flood drainage.

All must be in line with the orientations of the Red River Urban Subdivision Planning and the Capital Construction Master Plan by 2030 and a vision towards 2050.

Le Thi Bich Thuan, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam Federation of Civil Engineering Association, said according to the orientation of the Capital Construction Master Plan, the river bank area in Hoan Kiem district is identified to belong the city's green corridor.

The area will be used to plant green trees and set up entertainment spots, she said.

The potential is very clear, but the problem is how to effectively exploit the land fund in the mudflats in the middle and along the river in accordance with regulations on flood prevention and dykes, she said.

If effectively exploiting the advantages of the river, it will form a tourist attraction for not only local people but also people across the country, supplementing the open space for the Old Quarter, she said./. VNS