Urban Redevelopment Authority Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Urban Development through Land Use

Planning and Management

Experience of Singapore and

Comparative Study with Ho Chi Minh City

Faculty Advisor: Professor Seetharam K. EASWARAN

Mentor: Mr Kah Ping SEOW – Director URA Int’l
Student: Minh-Quang LE NGUYEN

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 Summary
I. Introduction
II. Land use Planning & Management in Singapore
§ Strategy – Process – Implementation
§ Land use Planning for Housing and Transportation
III. Land use Planning & Management in HCMC
§ Strategy – Process – Implementation
§ Interviews with Planners and Authorities
IV. Lessons from Singapore experiences
V. Recommendations

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 I. Introduction
Ho Chi Minh City
• Total area: 2100 km2
• Population: 7.0M
• Density : 3300 inhab/km2
• GDP per capita (PPP):
7,700 USD
• 15 years experiences in
Land Use Planning and Mgt

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 Singapore
• Total area: 710 km2
• Population: 4.9M
• Density : 6900 inhab/km2
• Independence 1965
• GDP per capita (PPP) in
2009: 50,500 USD
• 45 years experiences in
Land Use Planning and
Management
• Most liveable city in Asia,
3th in the world

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 II . Land Use Planning and Management in Singapore

Singapore Land Use Planning - Strategy

Concept Plan and Master Plan :

comprehensive,
forward-looking
and integrated
planning framework
for
sustainable development.

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 Singapore Land Use Planning - Strategy
v Concept Plan :
strategic land use and transportation plan
=> long-term development over 40 to 50 years

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 Singapore Land Use Planning - Strategy
v Master Plan derived from the Concept Plan
with permissible land use and density
for the development in the next 10 to 15 years

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 Singapore Land Use Planning - Process

v Concept Plan
- Prepared : by Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
in collaboration with government agencies.
- Revised : every 10 years
- Consultation : Lifestyle Survey, Online Survey,
Focus group, Public Forum,
v Master Plan
- Prepared : by URA - collaborative effort between
government agencies.
- Revised : every 5 years
- Consultation : post implementation review, site visits,
intergovernmental review, exhibition;

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 Singapore Land Use Implementation

v Government Land Sale program :

- Integral part of the Land use Planning
- Government Key Instrument to respond to the market
- Monitor and guide the market
v Development Control :
- Ensure all properties developed and used according to the
Master Plan
- Protect the interests of the community while caring of the
individual and business needs
- Balance between facilitating developments
and minimizing adverse impact on
neighboring properties

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 SGP Land Use Planning for Housing
- URA drafts the Concept Plan and Master Plan.
- Housing Development Board (HDB) involved in HDB town
planning
- HDB is the member of the Master Plan Committee (MPC)
presided by URA.

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 SGP Land Use Planning for Transportation
- Land Transport Authority - LTA+URA propose
(LTA) works closely with decentralizing activities and
URA at the conceptual reducing congestion from
stage the Central Area
⇒ effective transportation ⇒ by having regional and
plan integrated with the land sub-regional centres
use plan.

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 HCMC Land Use Planning - Strategy

Master Plan - Detail Guide Plans - Detail Development Plans

comprehensive, forward-looking and integrated
planning framework for sustainable development.

v Master Plan (1/5,000):

strategic land use and transportation plan –
long-term development over the next 15-20 years
v Detail Guide Plans (1/2,000) : derived from the Master
plan for the development in the next 5-10 years
v Detail Development Plans (1/500)
for specific projects

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 III . Land Use Planning and Management in HCMC

Ho Chi Minh City (then Saigon)

Saigon - 1867 Saigon - 1945

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 Ho Chi Minh City

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 HCMC Land Use Planning - Process
v Master Plan :
- MP1993 & MP1998 : prepared by the Ministry of
Construction in collaboration with relevant Ministries
- MP2010 : prepared by the Nikken Sekkei (JPN) in
collaboration with Department of Zoning & Architecture
(DZA) and relevant Departments.
- Revision : according to the socio-economic change
- Consultation : through universities and experts only
v Detail Guide Plans :
- Initially prepared by the DZA then delegated to Districts.
- Revision : when there is new MP or important change
- Consultation : none.

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 HCMC Land Use Planning - Process

Master Plan 2010

Detail Guide Plan District 1

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 HCMC Land Use Implementation
v Government Land Sale program :
- not effectively an integral part of the land use planning
- neither a key instrument of the government to respond to
the market demand nor to monitor and guide the market
- rather a source of the city’s revenue
v Development Control :
- Dept. of Construction (DOC) => quality of building projects
- Dept. of Transport (DOT) => quality of infrastructure works
- Recently-established team of the DZA => Land use
Planning (Plot ratio, Height, Form, Facilities connections…)

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 Interviews with the Planners and Authorities
of HCMC on Land use Planning
v Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam–Vice Director of DZA (5 Jul 2010)

- The MP 2010 prepared essentially by Nikken Sekkei (JPN)

=> sensitive areas (military or defense) not covered
=> might affect the overall Master Plan in future.
- Consultation made with the universities and professionals
but not with the business community and residents
=> lack of effectiveness and efficiency.
- Devolve the preparation of DGPs to the Districts level
=> not the most effective way (delayed > 10 years)

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 Interviews with the Planners and Authorities
of HCMC on Land use Planning
v Mr. Nguyen Van Hiep – Vice Director of DOC (6 Jul 2010)
- DOC does not play an active role in Housing Planning,
=> lack of coordination, not pro-active
- Detail Development Plans prepared by developers
=> not maximize the utilities+ infrastructure & rent
seeking
- Lack of indication for reserved land for future development
v Mr Tran Quang Phuong – Director of DOT (7 Jul 2010)
- DOT proposed the Master Plan of Transportation
incorporated in the City Master Plan.
- However, the realization is quite debatable due to the
coordination between agencies and the site clearance.
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 IV . Lessons from Singapore experiences

Singapore versus Ho Chi Minh City

v Similarities

• Asian dynamic cities with high density of population.

(6900 inhab/m2 - 3300 inhab/m2)
• High rate of GDP growth and urbanization.
(8-10%)
• Political stability with powerful ruling party
(PAP – VNCP)

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 vDifferences
Singapore
Geography City – state@ 700 km2 + 5M inhab.
Politico-socio- • Govt. for whole city-state
economy • Independent since 1965 and
continuously developed
• Market driven with government
intervention
• Abundant revenue
Legal framework of • Land mainly state-owned
Land Use • Land Acquisition Act sets
powerful and useful tool
Land Use Planning • The integrated agency (URA)
Structure • Concept Plan - Master Plan
Development Guide Plan
Developt. Control •Under integrated Agency (URA)
Experience 45 years of experiences
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Ho Chi Minh City
City @ 2,100 km2 + 7M inhab.
• City Govt. < Central Govt.
• Reunification in 1975 but still
have border war until 1980
• Socialist with market oriented
economy
• Limited revenue
• Land is property of the people
• Law on Land requires
agreement of stakeholders
• Many Depts involved
• Master Plan – Detail Guide
Plans– Detail Devlpt. Plans
• Different Depts involved
Nearly 15 years of experience
 Lessons from Singapore experiences
ü Strategy
§ Key tool for the socio-economic development
§ Clearly setting out the vision of Planning according to the
evolvement of the socio-economy of the country
§ Making Planning a comprehensive, forward-looking and
integrated framework for sustainable development
ü Process
§ An integrated & holistic Agency in charge (URA)
§ Planning & Management done in top-down & bottom-up
§ Consultation made on regular and methodical basis
o Not replicable
§ Land Acquisition Act
§ Financial Power

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 Challenges of Ho Chi Minh City
J How to make comprehensive,
long-term and integrated planning
for a sustainable development ?

J How to make a congestion-free city

with efficient transport system
and various, affordable housing ?

J How to develop the the CBD

whilst protecting the historic center
and how to develop new urban requiring
heavy investments for infrastructure ?

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 V . Recommendations

F Strategy
• Change the vision to undertake the Land Use Planning and
Management : the rudder for the development direction.
F Process
• Streamline and reorganize the structure of Planning and
Management : DZA must be the integrated and empowered
Agency in charge
• Planning and consultation must be in both direction
Top-down and Bottom-up
F Finance
• Strategically monitor and optimize the Land Sale program
• Develop and encourage more PPP projects for infrastructure
and urban development
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