Beyond Desakota: the urbanization process and spatial restructuring in contemporary Vietnam

ABSTRACT

This study explored Vietnam’s urbanization process and spatial restructuring over the last 30 years to conceptualize a new phenomenon challenging the concept of desakota. We constructed socioeconomic and urban land cover data from 1987 to 2018. Furthermore, we compared the urbanization process with the economic transition and mapped urban land growth patterns. The study found the following urbanization features: (1) fluctuating process of urbanization by development stage in a transitional economy, (2) formation of heterogeneous spatial patterns in metropolitan regions, (3) dramatic landscape changes caused by capitalistic property developments, and (4) functional reordering among urban centers and newly urbanized areas.

KEYWORDS:

• Spatial urbanization
• urban land growth
• desakota
• Vietnam
• developing countries
• Southeast Asia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Industry classification by the General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSOV):

• Primary industry: Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries

• Secondary industry: Industry and construction, including mining and quarrying; manufacturing; production and supply of electricity, gas, and water; and construction

• Tertiary industry: Services, including services besides those of the primary and secondary industries

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the 2021 Seoul NationalUniversity Asia Center (SNUAC) Dissertation Writing Fellowship Program.