The High-rise Buildings in the New Urban Areas of Hanoi

Abstract

The author discusses the changes in Hanoi with the development of many new urban high-rises in the last 10 years. Due to high population density and land scarcity, urban areas have had to strike a balance between the need for improved housing conditions on the one hand and the change in the cityscape from low rises to a new modern look on the other hand. There have been many shortcomings with the development of new urban areas. For example, the architectural design of the buildings is frequently altered from the approved design; there has been little to no law enforcement against construction companies when they change the building design; there have been disputes over management control and use of buildings between the tenants and the investors; in many cases, the investors use the buildings for their own interests and not for the purposes in which they were intended. These issues highlight some of the problems facing new development zones in Vietnam. In the modern age of urban development there are still shortcomings preventing total success. To help overcome these challenges, it is strongly recommended to have careful monitoring and enforcement of buildings codes.