Hà Nội breaks ground on northern project as city pushes multi-center growth

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary Tô Lâm on Monday attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Bắc Thăng Long Urban City, a large-scale multi-functional urban development north of Hà Nội, marking a key step in the capital’s push to reshape its urban landscape toward a multi-centre model.

The project is positioned as part of Hà Nội’s long-term transition to a multi-polar urban structure and is linked to proposed plans to relocate more than 860,000 residents from areas inside Ring Road 3, where population density and pressure on infrastructure remain high.

Hà Nội senior officials press the button to launch the project. — VNA/VNS Photo

Bắc Thăng Long Urban City covers about 699 hectares and is located in Phúc Thịnh, Thiên Lộc and Mê Linh communes at the northern gateway to the capital. Planning documents describe the area as a strategic urban development axis for Hà Nội in the coming decades.

The site sits between two major transport corridors – Ring Road 3, which connects directly to Thăng Long Bridge, and Ring Road 3.5, linked to Thượng Cát Bridge – and also lies within the impact zone of Ring Road 4, a national transport corridor currently under development.

Location of the project on the Hà Nội map. — Photo tienphong.vn

Construction is scheduled to run from 2026 to 2032. The project is planned as a green, ecological and smart urban area, with integrated infrastructure and a high proportion of green space. Planning references draw on international experience, including urban development models from Singapore.

Speaking at the ceremony, Hà Nội People’s Committee Chairman Vũ Đại Thắng said the launch of the project would help create a sufficiently large housing stock to serve resettlement, social housing and official accommodation needs, while also laying the groundwork for the coordinated rollout of major transport and technical infrastructure projects across the capital.

He said the construction of major urban projects was intended to translate Hà Nội’s 100-year master plan into concrete action and demonstrate the city’s political commitment to implementing resolutions of the 14th National Party Congress and Hà Nội’s 18th Party Congress.

Representatives of the investor consortium pledged to mobilise financial resources, manpower and management experience to deliver the project in a coordinated and systematic manner.

The consortium said it would prioritise long-term operational efficiency, the application of advanced technologies and modern management practices to ensure sustainable operation.

Artist’s rendering showing the project’s landscape. — Photo tienphong.vn

Bắc Thăng Long Urban City is expected to help raise living standards, expand housing supply and support stability in the housing market over the medium and long term.

With capacity to accommodate around 240,000 residents, the development is designed to enable coordinated, long-term urban planning, addressing the fragmented and piecemeal growth that has affected many earlier urban projects. — VNS