ABSTRACT
Primarily aimed at modernizing the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi’s metro project has also challenged traditional heritage conservation practices. We argue that a relatively wide range of stakeholders seized the opportunity to re-evaluate various layers of the historic urban landscape and their role for future urban development. We conducted a case study of two significant landmarks. One plays a central role in official conservation strategies because of its indigenous features; the other remains peripheral since it is strongly representative of all foreign influences that shaped the city. In public discussions on the heritage impacts of Hanoi’s metro project on these two landmarks, we find significant shifts compared to the official approach to heritage conservation. These include broader public consultation, rising concerns for long-term cultural losses of all layers of the historic urban landscape, and an appeal for heritage conservation praxis as change and growth management.
