ABSTRACT

Since the introduction of the Doi Moi (economic reforms) in 1986, a wide range of policy measures have transformed Vietnam from a centrally planned economy into a market economy (Nghiep and Quy, 2000; World Bank, 2011), and cities in Vietnam have undergone strong functional and spatial transformations. Aiming to continue promoting industrialisation and modernisation, the government has implemented various policies to control and guide urban development. Hence, urban planning has evolved considerably to accommodate social requirements alongside the economic development of the country. As the planning process remains heavily dependent on targets that are determined at national level, recent studies have pointed out that planning in Vietnam “should be closer to realities, more responsive to changes; and thus should be more decentralised, more effective, more priority focused and more reliable to investors” (PADDI, 2012:  5). Researchers particularly observed the lack of knowledge production to address the complexity of urban planning challenges in Vietnam (World Bank, 2011).