Current Constraints and Future Directions for Risk Adapted Land-Use Planning Practices in the High-Density Asian Setting of Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

The need to integrate adaptation efforts into land-use planning policies has been only recently recognized in Ho Chi Minh City. The city's latest planning guidance addresses both flooding resilience and mitigation of urban heat. This paper outlines the development contexts and the current barriers for adapted land-use planning within the city. The key challenge for land-use planning is communicating the important functions and services of open and natural urban spaces and effectively guiding the mainly individual developer-driven development. As the realization of non-structural adaptation measures is in strong contrast to the current market-driven private and short-term developer interests, the main development trajectories are questioned and synergies identified.

Keywords::

• climate change
• adaptation
• urban land-use planning
• Ho Chi Minh City
• Vietnam

Acknowledgements

The contribution is based on results of the research project ‘Integrative Urban and Environmental Planning for Adaptation of Ho Chi Minh City to Climate Change’ which is funded as part of the research programme ‘Sustainable Development of the Megacities of Tomorrow’ by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The authors would like to express their gratitude to Le Thanh Hoa and Thong Nhat Tran who partly supported the geoprocessing.

Notes

^1. HCMC Megacity project see website: http://www.tu-cottbus.de/projekte/de/megacity-hcmc/

^2. Future Megacities research programme see website: http://future-megacities.org/