Re-thinking sidewalk activities. The case of well-designed residential area in Phu My Hung urban area, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City

Tóm tắt

DOI: https://doi.org/10.66195/mtu.2025.14.082

In recent years, many cities in Vietnam have continuously proposed and implemented “model streets” as an effort to improve urban condition. However, most of the proposed projects are based on the technical and aesthestic aspects of streets without properly assessing the value of sidewalks in Vietnamese context. This article focuses on studying the activities of sidewalk spaces in a well- developed neighborhood through the case of mix-used residential zone in Phu My Hung urban area, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The research is conducted in the perspective of everyday urbanism through the inheritance and analysis of relevant documents in parallel with the method of field survey and mapping to reflect the reality of the relationship between sidewalk activities and space in a model urban area. The research results show that sidewalk activities are not a manifestation of a residential area lacking infrastructure or weak management, but the necessity and richness of sidewalk activities are part of the characteristics of Vietnamese urban areas. This shows the urgency of considering the sidewalk as a flexible public space, playing a transitional role and resonating with surrounding functional spaces, contributing ideas about sustainable urban development and rich local identity.