HCM City downtown can expect a major facelift along the bank of the SaiGon River from Sai Gon Bridge to District 4's Tan Thuan Bridge.
HCM City People's Committee met Japan's Nikken Sekkei last weekto discuss the company's facelift proposal that had won a 2007 designcompetition held by the city to expand the downtown area and beautifythe river bank area.
The committee said they wouldimplement Nikken Sekkei's plan, in which existing ports would be removedand roads altered, to make way for a 50-m wide band of public areas andtree-filled parks along the river.
The proposed 124-hafacelift area is bordered by streets of Nguyen Huu Canh, Ton Duc Thang,and Nguyen Tat Thanh.
"This proposal once implementedentirely will help to stop traffic congestion and flooding in theexisting centre," said Nguyen Trong Hoa, director of the HCM CityInstitute for Development Research.
The facelift isproposed in five key sections, namely Bach Dang Harbour Park, Nam ThiNghe, Ba Son, District 4's Sai Gon Port, and Sai Gon New Port.
The 12-ha new Bach Dang Harbour Park will take the place of existingparks and part of Ba Son Shipyard's wharf and yard. It will consist ofparks, entertainment and tourist service centre, boat taxi station and atwo-storey parking lot and trade centre.
Residences willbe designated to the 14-ha Nam Thi Nghe Zone, bordered by Nguyen HuuCanh boulevard, Sai Gon and Thu Thiem bridges, with a maximum populationof 4,300 people. Height limits for buildings will be between 30-150m.It has commercial, trade, entertainment, and educational and culturalfunctions.
The 22-ha zone of Ba Son, bordered by theexisting Ton Duc Thang and Nguyen Huu Canh boulevards, will also have4,700 residents with building heights limited to 220m. Buildings in BaSon Shipyard will be retained for tourist, entertainment and culturalpurposes.
The 45-ha District 4 Sai Gon Port will haveresidential capacity of 6,500 people, with height limits of 140m. Landwith good river views will be planted with trees. A foot road will linkThu Ngu flag pole and historical Nha Rong Wharf, which is to be expandedwith more trees and cultural buildings.
Bordered byNguyen Huu Canh and Sai Gon River, the widest section of Sai Gon NewPort will be 49ha and home to 14,300. Buildings as high as 270m will bepermitted with shorter ones by the river. This zone consists of two boattaxi stations and a big park.
The city Department ofPlanning and Architecture said Nikken Sekkei would complete a scaleddown master plan by the end of this year, the first part of which wouldbe the removal of Sai Gon New Port, Sai Gon Port, and the Ba SonShipyard.
Final decisions whether to approve the planwould be made then.
Tran Chi Dung, director of thedepartment, said further plans to expand the city center would be doneafter the facelift was complete.
Nikkei's proposal wouldreduce road areas to 20 percent of the western bank of Sai Gon River,and be 50 percent public parks.
It's a positive sign forsustainable development, experts said./.
HCM City People's Committee met Japan's Nikken Sekkei last weekto discuss the company's facelift proposal that had won a 2007 designcompetition held by the city to expand the downtown area and beautifythe river bank area.
The committee said they wouldimplement Nikken Sekkei's plan, in which existing ports would be removedand roads altered, to make way for a 50-m wide band of public areas andtree-filled parks along the river.
The proposed 124-hafacelift area is bordered by streets of Nguyen Huu Canh, Ton Duc Thang,and Nguyen Tat Thanh.
"This proposal once implementedentirely will help to stop traffic congestion and flooding in theexisting centre," said Nguyen Trong Hoa, director of the HCM CityInstitute for Development Research.
The facelift isproposed in five key sections, namely Bach Dang Harbour Park, Nam ThiNghe, Ba Son, District 4's Sai Gon Port, and Sai Gon New Port.
The 12-ha new Bach Dang Harbour Park will take the place of existingparks and part of Ba Son Shipyard's wharf and yard. It will consist ofparks, entertainment and tourist service centre, boat taxi station and atwo-storey parking lot and trade centre.
Residences willbe designated to the 14-ha Nam Thi Nghe Zone, bordered by Nguyen HuuCanh boulevard, Sai Gon and Thu Thiem bridges, with a maximum populationof 4,300 people. Height limits for buildings will be between 30-150m.It has commercial, trade, entertainment, and educational and culturalfunctions.
The 22-ha zone of Ba Son, bordered by theexisting Ton Duc Thang and Nguyen Huu Canh boulevards, will also have4,700 residents with building heights limited to 220m. Buildings in BaSon Shipyard will be retained for tourist, entertainment and culturalpurposes.
The 45-ha District 4 Sai Gon Port will haveresidential capacity of 6,500 people, with height limits of 140m. Landwith good river views will be planted with trees. A foot road will linkThu Ngu flag pole and historical Nha Rong Wharf, which is to be expandedwith more trees and cultural buildings.
Bordered byNguyen Huu Canh and Sai Gon River, the widest section of Sai Gon NewPort will be 49ha and home to 14,300. Buildings as high as 270m will bepermitted with shorter ones by the river. This zone consists of two boattaxi stations and a big park.
The city Department ofPlanning and Architecture said Nikken Sekkei would complete a scaleddown master plan by the end of this year, the first part of which wouldbe the removal of Sai Gon New Port, Sai Gon Port, and the Ba SonShipyard.
Final decisions whether to approve the planwould be made then.
Tran Chi Dung, director of thedepartment, said further plans to expand the city center would be doneafter the facelift was complete.
Nikkei's proposal wouldreduce road areas to 20 percent of the western bank of Sai Gon River,and be 50 percent public parks.
It's a positive sign forsustainable development, experts said./.
