SMART & CREATIVE CITIES IN VIETNAM - Revitalizing Heritage Place, the Future of the Past

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PREFACE

With rapid urbanization and population growth, historical heritage all over the world has come under growing pressure. This is particularly true for Vietnam, a country that in recent years has experienced remarkable socio-economic development.

Many heritage buildings and historical industrial installations in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces in Vietnam are at risk of degradation, while others face imminent demolition for redevelopment.

The consequences go far beyond the irreparable loss of beautiful architecture: what we see is the disappearance of a collective identity.

Bringing new life to historical spaces has several advantages: it increases quality of life in urban areas, reduces the cities’ environmental impact and, at the same time, creates new opportunities for economic development, including tourism. This is why it is so important to invest in “urban regeneration.”

Italy is at the forefront of this process. Places like the “Mattatoio” in Rome, the “Fondazione Prada” in Milan or the “Città della Scienza” in Naples are just a few examples of a renovation movement thanks to which many abandoned historical buildings across Italy have been reconverted into new public spaces for culture and creativity. Home to the highest number of UNESCO heritage sites in the world, Italy has acquired throughout the years a unique expertise in safeguarding and developing cultural resources. We believe that our know-how can inspire our international partners, including Vietnam.

Preservation of historical heritage is therefore one of the key areas of the Strategic Partnership signed by Italy and Vietnam in 2013 and one of the most promising fields of cooperation between the two countries. The protection of cultural heritage is also at the center of the ASEAN-Italy Development Partnership signed in 2020.

Together with its ASEAN partners, Italy is working on the establishment of a “Virtual Center on Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development” that will facilitate the exchange of technologies and good practices in this field.

Italy and Vietnam are two countries with an extraordinary cultural legacy. We can learn a lot from each other’s experience.

With this spirit, the Embassy of Italy in Hanoi and the Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with SCE Project Asia, the National University of Civil Engineering and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and with the support of UNESCO and the Italy-ASEAN Association, have launched the project “Smart and Creative Cities in Vietnam. Revitalising Heritage Places: The Future of the Past - Urban Regeneration in Hanoi and HCMC”.

Through a series of workshops, held in January and July 2021, this project succeeded in stimulating a fruitful dialogue among Italian, Vietnamese, ASEAN and international authorities, academics, students and private companies on the theme of preservation and valorization of artistic, natural and architectural heritage.

“Urban regeneration” was also the underlying theme of the last editions of Italian Design Day in Vietnam, with the participation of experts such as Marco Casamonti, Massimo Roj and Marco Lambri.

These are key issues of our time. By 2050, metropolises will be home to two thirds of the world's population. It is therefore urgent to re-think the relationship between people and territories. This is the theme that the City of Rome has chosen for its candidature to host World Expo 2030.

I wish to thank Architect Luigi Campanale and SCE Project Asia for their important work. This publication is a meaningful contribution to the ongoing debate in Italy and Vietnam on the future of our cities.

H.E. ANTONIO ALESSANDRO

Learn more on rmit.edu.vn

AMBASSADOR OF ITALY TO VIETNAM

RMIT VIETNAM - DEAN MESSAGE

RMIT Vietnam is very proud to be part of this project. Our students and staff engaged in this as an extra-curricular activity because they believed in its value and it resonated with their own research interests, their passion, and ambitions for the city in which they live, work and play.

As someone who has lived and worked in HCMC for the last four years I have come to love its energy and the entrepreneurial drive of the community. To me the hems and the communities that live and work within them reflect the essential character of Vietnam, creative, innovative, resourceful and resilient. The multi-functional buildings, the bustle of the street markets and pop-up food stalls create a sense of community and vibrance that has been lost in many cities as they developed, became gentrified and ultimately lost the character that made them unique.

The challenge for Vietnam going forward will be how to improve and develop its cities and their infrastructure, create better resources and facilities for the citizens as well as maintain the unique features that attract tourists and businesses to the region.

In this project our students have attempted to present an alternative vision of the future of the city and a blue print for future development, that not only recognizes the economic need for development, but pays respect to their heritage and retains the community spirit that is Vietnam.

As the future inhabitants of these cities, we believe that their voice is important and should be heard. Projects such as this, provide important platforms for them to engage with the debate around the future of their environment and to provide a fresh lens through which to view the challenges and opportunities that development brings.

I am proud of what they have achieved and hope that you will also experience the energy and passion of the students by engaging with their proposals. They may not be realized as presented, but there are many facets that could easily be incorporated into future planning to create cities that are inclusive and desirable places to live and work.

PROF. JULIA GAIMSTER DEAN, SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION & DESIGN

RMIT TEAM - Acknowledgements

ANDREW STIFF LECTURER, DESIGN

Dr. Andrew Stiff teaches Design Studies in the RMIT School of Communication & Design. His research involves the process of collecting, archiving, and representing unique urban spaces, using filmic duration as a method of revealing the intricacies of urban space, and the events that unfold within them. His work has been shown internationally (USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and Southeast Asia). Notably, his work was included in a group show, ‘SUPERTIGHT,’ at the Design Hub Gallery, Melbourne

MANUELA SPIGA

HEAD OF CAREERS, INDUSTRY AND ALUMNI DEPARMENT

Manuela Spiga graduated from the University of Trieste (Italy) with a degree of Business Communication. With more than 20 years of experience within the fashion and education industry Manuela has designed, managed and lead projects for young talents from all over the world and has worked with Internationally renowned companies and Universities.

KENNETH RABIN

ASSOCIATE LECTURER, DESIGN

His creative studio, Ken Rabin Design, specializes in projects for the recognition, valorisation and enhancement of architectural and cultural heritage. Formerly responsible for design research at the ESAD Valenciennes, he has created courses and programs with diverse French and American schools including Parsons Paris, Columbia University (Paris), Georgia Tech Lorraine, and the Nancy School of Architecture.

JUSTIN BATTIN SENIOR LECTURER, COMMUNICATION

Dr. Battin's research explores the intersections of mobile, social, and digital media use, phenomenology of place and place-making practices, and the philosophy of technology.

He has published a monograph with Palgrave Macmillan titled Mobile Media Technologies and Poiesis (2017) and two edited collections: We Need to Talk About Heidegger: Situating Heidegger in Contemporary Media Studies (2018) and Reading Black Mirror: Insights into Technology and the Post-Media Condition (Transcript Verlag, 2021).

ONDRIS PUI

ASSOCIATE LECTURER, DESIGN

Ondris Pui has been an academic in the field of emerging technologies, interactive design, and motion graphics for over 10 years. Prior to his career in academia, he worked in the interactive and broadcast industry asross Malaysia, Australia, and Japan. He holds a Master of Multimedia Design (Honors) from the University of Sydney and is a 2018 recipent of an RMIT Award for Execellence in Learning and Teaching. His current research interest involves embodied interaction design to motivate physcial activity within a sedentary society.

S&A TEAM - Acknowledgements

LUIGI CAMPANALE

CEO/DESIGN DIRECTOR

Luigi Campanale has been leading design for several joint venture projects. He is also collaborating with many Italian and foreign institutions and, most recently, is advising Hanoi People’s Committee regarding the preservation of several heritage sites in Vietnam. Luigi started the mission of bringing the Italian know-how of SCE Project in Southeast Asia, setting the foot of SCE Project Asia in Vietnam and Singapore. With his Italian background of excellence in the field of integrated design and years of experience in the region, Luigi is able to introduce to the young, dynamic Asian market the highest quality design services and expertise.

HUNG PHAM ARCHITECT

Hung Pham has over four years of experience working on a variety of projects including Hospitality, Residential, and Villas. He has been following all the design aspects and their relative phases, from initial design to collaborative development, paying special attention to the coordination between the designers, clients and construction teams to ensure the design intention has been followed through. He is keen on contributing his expertise to offer clients the highest quality of work and creating long-lasting value to any project he involves.

MINH DANG ARCHITECT

Minh Dang has over two years of experience working on complex, big-scale projects in retail, mixeduse, residential and hospitality sectors. He has collaborated with international, well-known developers from Australia, Germany, Vietnam and China. Throughout his study, Minh had achieved many valued certificates and best-project awards in international architectural design competitions. These opportunities had allowed him to significantly improve his experience and strenghten his skill sets required to participate in overseas projects.

KIET TANG ARCHITECT

Kiet Tang has over five years of experience in lighting design concept and detail development.

Previously, he had worked as a restorer in The Villa project in HCM City through preserving and promoting cultural and art values. While studying in Architecture and Urban Planning, Kiet had successfully achieved many valued certificates and awards in international architectural design competitions. Aside from his passion in architecture and lighting design, Kiet is also keen on exploring other aspects of the industry to actively contribute his ability and expertise to the company’s success.

TIEN TRUONG ARCHITECT

Tien Truong has over five years of experience working in medium to big scale projects in the field of hospitality, residential and mixed-use. Tien is an energetic, ambitious and critical-thinking person who always take a mature and holistic approach to any task that she undertakes, or situation that she is presented with. In both professional and academic fields, she has accrued skills and knowledge which she applies in recent multidisciplinary design processes.

A. URBAN DEVELOPMENT & THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HERITAGE IN THE ASEAN COUNTRIES

In preparation for the workshop, the team studied District 4’s urban history and present condition. A puzzling contradiction immediately emerged: that the richness of values by the spontaneous development of District 4 urban fabric conflicted with the current trend of high-rise and highly dense urban areas throughout Ho Chi Minh City and its surrounding areas, a development that has been done – very often – at the expense of the local identity and its established culture.

Many areas of this little island in the former Saigon remain quite original. Their character is determined and defined by the locals and the majority of buildings that remain were developed by the district’s first inhabitants.

Despite this history and cultural richness, change is inevitable. District 4, like the rest of Ho Chi Minh City, is an area in flux. Therefore, to preserve its originality without sacrificing its livability, we propose the implementation of several sustainable and place-sensitive projects in a collaborative setting with academics, industry partners, and innovative and eager students. A brief digression on factors affecting urban development at the global and Asian level can help to better put local facts in the right perspective.

The Broad Context: Urban Development in Asia.

As argued by Brian Roberts and Trevor

Kanaley (2006, p. 17), “urbanization, or the spatial concentration of people and economic activity, is probably the most important social transformation in the history of civilization since man changed from being nomadic hunter-gatherer and adopted a more settled, subsistent agricultural way of life.” As human beings have progressed into the globalized era of the post-ideological age (Žižek, 1997), modernization and urbanization seem to be an inevitable phenomenon. This claim is encapsulated by Edward Glaeser’s Triumph of the City (2012), through which he articulates that an urban center is an engine fueling economic growth, educational opportunities, social cohesion, and the development and allocation of human capital. Although much research on urbanization has historically focused on the global north, and in particular highlights those cities most impacted by the Industrial Revolution and the 21st century digital technology boom, the world’s contemporary urbanization growth is best explored in a global south context, particularly in Asia.

The UN World Cities Report has predicted an outstanding growth scenario where the population in Asia is estimated to grow from 3.78 billion in 2010 up to 5.26 billion in 2050. Other sources investigating urban populations forecast a growth of around 70% over the next 25 years to more than 2.6 billion

people living in cities or megacities, meaning that an additional billion people will be migrating from rural to urban environments; “this transformation will involve major change for Asian societies with new forms of housing, employment, consumption, and social interaction for individuals and communities” (Roberts & Kanaley, 2006, p. xi). Thus far, the transformation of Asian societies has resulted in a significant reduction of poverty and increased living standards, but at an unprecedented social and environmental costs. Hanoi, for instance, is consistently ranked among the world’s most polluted capitals due to the high volume of vehicles, construction, energy consumption, and factories located there (Vuong, et al, 2021).

As acknowledged by Roberts & Kanaley (ibid, p. xiii), “the projected continuation of the urbanization process will further strain the sustainability of Asian cities unless major improvements in city governance and management, and massive programs of infrastructure investment are implemented. The continuation of present practices and levels of investment could well see the sustainability of many Asian cities undermined, periodic urban environmental crises, and the gradual erosion of quality of life for the majority of urban populations”. Fortunately, adjustments to HCMC’s master

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plan (with a view towards 2040 and 2060) are prioritizing these concerns, as announced by Nguyen Van Nen, the Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee; “the city has set a goal by 2060 to become an international trade and financial center in the AsiaPacific region. It aims to have an attractive working environment with diverse culture and heritage conservation and a scenic river system. Sustainable urban infrastructure and climate-change adaptation are among the goals set by 2060” (VietnamNews).

Within this framework, it can well be argued that development in Asia, and Vietnam in particular, is therefore tied to the growth of sustainable cities. Economically dynamic cities will continue to be the main drivers of production and trade, which provide the basis for rising standards of living and supporting populations, but only if careful planning will take into account their spatial and cultural dimensions.

quality of public spaces, which negatively impacts inclusiveness and social relations among inhabitants.

The physical decadence of some buildings and open spaces is an inevitable consequence of the above and can be seen in the empty, derelict, poorly maintained, misused, or ill-transformed buildings and spaces of downtown. This presents a negative feedback loop that can be potentially reversed. On the other hand, the former Saigon port and the “spontaneous neighbor” presents an interestingly complex and varied scenario of buildings and people, where different functions correspond to a vibrant combination of people, histories, and cultures.

Balancing these strengths and weaknesses with opportunities and challenges, we offered the project’s students thematic targets to address:

Our team worked on the former industrial port of Saigon at a range of scales spanning the global, precinct, and site-specific levels. Heavy traffic in the city center demonstrates the lack of a comprehensive mobility strategy which should include both pedestrian pathways/spaces and smart public mobility interventions. This in turn has negative effects on the presence and the

1. Creative and cultural ecosystem

2. Conservation

3. Public realm

4. Accessibility and connectivity

Credit: unsplash.com Tran Phu

B. THE UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES NETWORK

To inform their approach, we advised the team to consult the mission of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), imagining that Ho Chi Minh City might eventually join as a member. As stated on the organization’s official website:

• improve access to and participation in cultural life, in particular for marginalized or vulnerable groups and individuals;

• fully integrate culture and creativity into sustainable development plans.

“The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The cities which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level."

We instructed the students that, should Ho Chi Minh City eventually join the network, it would foster partnerships across motivated public and private sectors, in addition to civil society, to:

• strengthen the creation, production, distribution and dissemination of cultural activities, goods and services;

• develop hubs of creativity and innovation and broaden opportunities for creators and professionals in the cultural sector;

The workshop organizer and promoter of Heritage Preservation & Economic Development in ASEAN, Arch. Luigi Campanale, believes that the principles of the UNESCO Creative City Network could be combined into the most modern urban design approach of Smart City, creating the opportunity to implement innovative technologies to preserve urban area identity and to increase the overall quality of life through environmentally friendly and more culturally oriented cities.

Credit: unsplash.com Ban Hoang

C. HERITAGE PRESERVATION & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE ASEAN COUNTRIES

The Heritage Preservation and Economic Development (HPED) series offers a very simple observation: the commonplace juxtaposition between past and future in Asian cities is no longer acceptable. It has led to loss of architectural and cultural heritage values on the one hand, and to wild and ill-planned urban development insensitive to the cultural, architectural, climatic, and social specificities of its specific contexts on the other.

New urban development in Asia looks more or less the same: high-rises and shopping malls have substituted old patterns of streets, lanes, and squares of the cities of the past. Such development patterns have deteriorated a unique sense of place and led to a universal and dull vision of modernity. Nevertheless, it is already evident that the growth in most Asian cities in the past decades cannot be limitless: the transportation, infrastructure, health, social, cultural, and economic issues caused by the “sprawling city’, endlessly spreading into agricultural land, is not sustainable. It is thus crucial to study good practice for sustainable urban development in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asian countries have a specificity of their own in providing a rich variety of heritage buildings belonging to the local

Credit: flickr.com Trang Le

and colonial past. Following decades of decay and demolition (especially of colonial era buildings), citizens and authorities in Southeast Asian countries have recently reached a new conscience on the importance of their architectural past.

The HPED event aims to further raise awareness on the importance of preserving this past. Southeast Asian cities have strong traditional qualities in terms of beauty, social, economic, functional integration, and complexity that should be recognized and served as powerful sources of inspiration for new development. In other words, past, present and future can blend seamlessly along the timeline and from all points of view, contributing functional, architectural and aesthetical value. We believe that this could be a highly effective approach for future urban development, offering many competitive advantages, such as:

• cultural and social identity of a community which has its ancient roots;

• reduction of transportation and infrastructural costs;

• ease of urban “smart city” management; energy efficiency;

• economic development as traditional mix-used buildings will create local jobs and new economic activities;

• cultural driven tourism development.

Preserving heritage translates to a better quality of life for everyone, and this is why we believe that the architectural past of a nation should not only serve a romantic memory but also a hopeful promise of the future economic and social development of a country.

Credit: shutterstock.com Vietnam Stock Image

A. THE CURRENT PICTURE OF HO CHI MINH CITY

Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as it is informally known, has been a significant hub of Vietnamese activities for roughly 300 years. Its location on the Sai Gon River ensured the city’s development would flourish through trade and connections with its neighbours. Following the Vietnamization of the region after the collapse of the Khmer Empire, the city attracted Chinese merchants and the colonial power of the French in the mid 1800s. These two cultures have dominated the city’s infrastructural development, as epitomized by two centres: Chợ Lớn, a large market and trading area spreading over a part of District 5 and District 6, and the French colonial administrative area, distinguished by modernist architecture and a gridded urban plan with wide tree lined roads.

In the interstitial spaces between these two centres, a complex network of alleyways known as hems developed. This unplanned urban typology occupies much of Ho Chi Minh City today, and it is where most of the local inhabitants live. These spaces are often referred to as the ‘real Saigon.’ This is, by reputation, where the most authentic street food can be found, and for visitors to this city, the hems offer a fascinating glimpse into the local way of life.

With an official population of 8,837,544, Ho

Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam (worldpopulationreview.com). This number has increased substantially since the end of armed conflict in 1975 and mirrors the development of industry with the implementation of the Đổi Mới Policy, the name given to a series of economic reforms commencing in 1986.

These reforms resulted in a steady increase of entrepreneurial activities, and in the 2019 census taken in Vietnam, 54.3% of the population reported themselves as selfemployed (data.worldbank.org). The city’s contemporary economy is dominated by service industries, industrial production, and construction. Its largest port, Cát Lái, handled 121 million tons of cargo in 2019 (Vietnam Briefing News, 2020), data illustrative of the city’s trajectory and designation as a tiger cub economy.

The growth of the city’s economy and rising status in the ASEAN region is reflected in several major changes, the most prominent being the Phu My Hung urban project. Centred in District 7, to the south of District 1, Phu My Hung was the first major infrastructural development after the liberalization of the economy. It is still used as an example of how new urban projects in the city should be developed. Additional residential developments, along with the

construction of the city’s first metro line, also rapidly changing the city.

A new creative smart city has been inaugurated opposite the traditional city enter. The new city, Thu Duc, is a class-1 municipal city, and incorporates three existing districts into one: District 2, District 9, and Thu Duc District. Each will have its own focus – District 2 will be mixed use housing and commerce; this includes the new developments in Thu Thiem. District 9 will become a technology hub, and Thu Duc will become the education centre, as a few large campuses are already located there.

To date, the imposition of skyscrapers, symbols of Ho Chi Minh City’s emergence as a global presence, is largely limited to the innermost areas of District 1, the former colonial centre. Thus, the overall urbanscape of the city has not been vastly impacted. The scale from small street traders to stalls and the ubiquitous coffee shops, particularly those located within the network of hems, ensures that the city will sustain its identity and culture, which is essential for tourism and the development of creative urban cultures.

Credit: unsplash.com Pham Truc

B. ROLE OF CREATIVITY IN HO CHI MINH CITY

In 2016, Vietnam’s National Strategy for the Cultural Industries identified the role the creative industries should take in the country’s economic development moving forward.

Ho Chi Minh City is seen as the economic engine of Vietnam, yet little attention is warranted to its creative industries. However, this deficiency is gradually being addressed. The Factory Arts Centre in

District 2 has delivered an internationally renowned arts exhibition space to the city. Alongside this, there is a burgeoning design industry that is finding a unique Vietnamese design language. Major advertising and PR firms have opened hubs, and many homegrown firms have begun seeing success. The film Ròm, directed by Trần Thanh Huy and filmed in Ho Chi Minh City, was the winner of the prestigious New Currents Award at the 24th Busan International Film Festival.

Recognizing the importance of the creative industries to the future of the country, the national strategy (2016) has outlined the following:

• By 2030 the creative industries should account for 7% of GDP;

• Develop the cultural market and become an exporter of cultural goods and services;

• Develop three cultural centres: Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City;

• Develop strong foreign and domestic creative enterprises;

Credit: introtravel.com Micheal Wu

Credit: archdaily.com Hiroyuki Oki

HISTORY & CULTURE

District 4 is the smallest district in Ho Chi Minh City and is located between District 1 to the north and District 7 to the south. It is, in effect, an island, surrounded by the Sai Gon River, Kenh Te Canal and Ben Nghe River. New developments have sprung up on the north side of the district, facing the financial area of District 1, and next to the Cau Mong, a historic bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel. Residential and office developments follow the Kenh Te Canal.

A deeper exploration into the district reveals a collection of densely populated hems.

Excluding the port area, the urbanisation of District 4 is a relatively recent occurrence. Up until the late 1950s, much of the current area designated as the Khanh Hoi Ward was marshland. The streets Ton Dan and Doan Van Bo were developed, but behind these were individual residences, not the tightly packed alleyways that are found today. The port facing the Sai Gon River was the most developed area at this time. While a port has existed here since the 17th century, it was the French who expanded it to run the length of the district.

they gradually occupied and developed the district in their own way. It is this bottom-up approach rather than a master planned development that makes these alleyways and the life contained therein unique to the city.

This impromptu development, however, meant that very little formal authority and regulation existed, and thus District 4 eventually became overrun with criminal activity and developed a gangland reputation. Truong Van Cam, more commonly known as Nam Cam, was one the highest profile mafia bosses in Vietnam, and was based in the middle of District 4, on Ton Dan Street. By the mid 1990s, he had established extensive gambling, money laundering and prostitution rings, and was able to dominate the district. By ordering the murder of a fellow gangland leader, Dung Ha, he triggered the downfall of his empire. He was executed in 2003, and the city authorities cleaned up District 4, giving it new life.

Neither the French and later the Americans were interested in the other areas of the district. It was left to the many migrants coming up from the Mekong Delta. Using their knowledge of land management,

Redevelopment is now an emerging phenomenon in these narrow spaces. As families expand in size through marriage and accrue more wealth due to increased economic opportunities, there is an interest in rebuilding or adding extensions to homes. Many of the dwellings in District 4 are now

Credit: unsplash.com Giang Duong

four or five stories high, and are beginning to show expressions of wealth, such as the instillation of elaborate metal gates to the properties. However, many of the homes in the hems remain simple. They are functional in design and often single story. A few homes have kept small garden spaces, which are often very lush. These tend to be occupied by the district’s elderly residents.

The economy in District 4 reflects that of the country. There is a high number of self-employed and family operated businesses. The geographical implications of limited access means that many of the residents work locally within the district. During the day, many of the houses dedicate their ground floor family room to small service industries like corner shops or cafes. These revert to family rooms at the end

of the afternoon, and then transform into motorbike storage units overnight. Another important economic infrastructure is the network of wet and street food markets, the most unusual one being the Doan Van Bo market, which stretches from the Calmette Bridge, to just before the Tan Thuan 2 Bridge, which follows the banks of the Sai Gon River. A smaller market can be found on Hem 200 Xom Chieu. This market has developed a reputation for high-quality home cooked food, and one many foodies visit to find traditional meals.

The neighbourhoods of District 4, initially meant for smaller communities, have developed into complex and rich cultural mazes interwinding communal life, leisure activities, trade, religious ceremonies, street food consumption, and transportation, all

only meters apart. Make-shift badminton, hacky sack, and chess playing in alleyways are also a common sight.

From 2000 to 2018, the Vietnamese government instituted a movement called Uniting Society Through a Cultural Life (toan dan xay dung doi song van hoa). This movement was intended to foster participation and socialization through cultural and sporting activities, irrespective of social status. The movement resulted in significant changes for District 4, including a building of a public children’s playground in Ward 5 and Ward 16, Khanh Hoi Park Square, Khanh Hoi Park Water Fountain, Van Don Sports Club and Khanh Hoi Stadium. These infrastructures have encouraged and supported myriad indoor and outdoor activities, with lease premises for private

In the 2020 - 2025 term, The People’s Committee of District 4 aims to improve on economic, cultural and social development through urban embellishment, poverty reduction and building a smart city. Despite these initiatives, it still feels as though District 4 has developed alongside Ho Chi Minh City rather than intergrate with it. The area’s physical separation from District 1 and 7, and the development of bridges which serve to bypass the area rather integrate with it. However, the geographic barriers and local-based life of this district has greatly contributed to the preservation of its sense of community and informal heritage.

Credit: sna-architecture.com Luigi Campanale

function and services in auxiliary areas.

B. OUR APPROACH TO REGENERATION

Our approaches to the regeneration of the port area in Ho Chi Minh’s District 4 are developed from an unusual point of view: the guided, but untested and idealized viewpoint of university students working in intense, short-duration study groups. Is it a utopian fantasy to entrust the future of the city to decisions made in this way? With our inexperienced design teams, we clearly cannot target immediate and operational objectives. But by asking the young people today, who will soon be adult leaders tomorrow, to design a city-space they would like to inhabit, we can encourage a participatory process in enlightened city-thinking and city-making.

This appears especially important when we approach the functions of heritage in planning and design. How do younger people experience the past? How do they value that experience? What could be the imagined evolutions for material and less material traces of “the past”? What models do they find for the community adoption and participation of heritage in the contemporary city? What traces of the present do they wish to leave to future generations?

One heritage of Doi Moi that we have all seen is the remarkable series of housing towers rise up along the city’s waterfronts. While these constructions form aspirational visions today for certain populations, they will continue to create long-lasting impacts on the face and character of the city. The more iconic works will no doubt appear in the near-future as a lasting heritage of Ho Chi Minh’s socialist-led entrance into, and development through, international capital markets. As the city moves further now into the 21st century, Ho Chi Minh City will certainly embody a fresh aspiration: to serve as a model for sustainable urbanism in the Southeast Asian region. Seen from this angle, we ask our novice town planners: is it possible to arrive at robust functional alternatives to the enormous middle- and elite-class housing estates that have characterized the city’s riverfront construction from 1990 to 2020?

These goals are evident in the land- and riverscapes produced by Ho Chi Minh City’s vast housing estates of the past 30 years. They are well-understood in a shared, globalized world system that has mastered price valuation as a measure transcending national difference. In urban models throughout Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia, it is easy to find regional and world capitals in which similar ambitions have produced analogous skylines. We are familiar with their remarkable engineering and financial consequences and, as importantly, with the problematic heritage of those decisions: elite populations partially withdrawn into vertical concentrations of class distinction – a city composed, in part, of detached islands of privilege settled against, and seemingly impermeable to, a spreading horizontal dimension of increasing ecological deterioration and social disorganization, that same horizontal dimension that, over time, welcomes a daytime-only population of “servant underclasses” living in distant and disadvantaged perimeters beyond the developing centre.

Credit: unsplash.com An

We understand that considerations of land value appreciation and increased population density form vital and enduring foundations for urban development.

We envision an imaginative path to sustainable alternatives. With a view to both past and future heritages, can the port areas of District 4 be seen as an opportunity to experiment alternative urban attitudes - that might lead to places, processes, events, and occupations whose legacy would be an aspirational symbol of a more - and not less – sustainable neighbourhood? A more – and not less –cohesive city?

In the projects ahead, we ask our young

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designers to imagine, responsibly, what their decisions might leave to the future. We ask them to allow that heritage to evolve, as naturally as possible, from the legacies of a diverse Vietnamese identity deeply rooted in rich human interactions with the natural and urban landscapes. To focus nearby in space, on the characteristics of the site itself, and further away in time, on historic and idealized views of Vietnam’s own economic, social and cultural cohesion.

Our two key heritage considerations may be stated as follows:

• On the existing site, do we find capital assets – formal heritages of architectural structures and urban functions - that, as historic traces, can help stimulate new developmental attitudes?

• In the country’s long history of urban culture and rural-urban exchanges, are there transmitted forms of tradition, routine, and know-how –diverse and informal heritages of a Vietnamese identity – that are likely to stimulate the vibrant core of an urban project?

The answers to these questions form the main thematic lines of inquiry and development for the four projects that emerge.

C. FORMAL HERITAGE AND INFORMAL HERITAGE

Ben Nha Rong (Ho Chi Minh Museum) perfectly fulfils the role of symbol and function for formal heritage on the site. It unambiguously conserves the structural past of the political and economic nation. Built by the colonial French in characteristic architectural style to mark Saigon’s principal commercial port, it has been converted into a museum for conservation and display of the revolutionary education and development of Ho Chi Minh (the man), modern Vietnam’s founding figure. The Ben Nha Rong is unique on the site as the sole architectural element of historical exception and distinction. Its role in the long territorial and spiritual history of Vietnam, its properties as a place of nation-founding, and its testimony to the intercultural and colonial heritage of Saigon must, without any ambiguity, be recognized and preserved by future developments at the port.

Official international organizations like UNESCO have, over the past fifty years, contributed importantly to the definition and protection of natural and built places of exception. They have, through time, enlarged their own definitions of heritage, extending notably from “material signs” to include intangible cultural heritages that may be transmitted in the public domain as practice, belief, skill, and tradition. The recognition and cultural integration of heritage

status is not, however, limited to existing international organizations, sanctioning expert interpretations and accepted universal histories. Many aspects of heritage creation remain, informally, in the public domain. Individuals and groups freely recognize and protect parts of their own past that they consider essential to a sense of community belonging.

These characteristics became evident in our groups’ walks along the riverside in District 4 and through the narrow hems of its neighbourhood streets. As a collective design team, we choose to highlight and examine four approaches to informal heritage. Each of the four selected identities maintains a central role in the productive relationship that Vietnamese people establish with their exceptional landscape through the long historical period.

Credit: unsplash.com Giang Duong

01. THE CITY OF MAKING

The hems of District 4 are activated by a typically Vietnamese ecosystem of dense, informal arrangements between small shops, street businesses, food preparation, outdoor marketplaces, mechanical workshops for making and repairing. The hems demonstrate the rich social heritage that permits large urban centres in Vietnam to maintain the customs, goods and convenience of rural village life. The City of Making binds physical and behavioural patterns of closeness to the intergenerational transmission of know-how. It leverages these into creative knowledge through new tools for communication, sharing and fabrication.

Quan Nguyen Yen To Hanh Phan Duyen Duong

02. THE CITY OF WATER

The relation of Ho Chi Minh City to its rivers, streams and nearby seaside is not only an essential figure for understanding the city, but can be seen as a striking example of the productive relationship that has tied, for millennia, the Vietnamese people to waterways and coastlines throughout the country. Linked, but not limited to contemporary uses for transportation, food, health and leisure activities, the City of Water must be understood first, in relation to the river’s foundational role (city site) and second, as an emblematic image of the city’s sustainable future (management of water quality with potential water level variations of magnitude).

Linh Nguyen

Linh Luu Long Nguyen Quyen Ngo

C.

03. THE CITY OF STREETS & FOODS

No resident of, or visitor to, Ho Chi Minh City can ignore the remarkable variety and liveliness of its street life and street food. The city’s warm weather invites year-round occupation of street fronts and sidewalks for daily festive enjoyment of eating and drinking together. The City of Streets and Foods celebrates Vietnam’s formidable history cultivating food sources from land and water with the rich culinary arts that accompany that culture.

Dung Nguyen

Thy Phan Han Nguyen Van Anh Tran

04. THE CITY OF SPORT

The Vietnamese people have lived and laboured out of doors for centuries. With an exceptionally young and increasingly prosperous population today, Ho Chi Minh City has become a city of outdoor sports and activities. From a formidable past built of lifetimes of physical effort to provide for basic goods, The City of Sport establishes a permanent urban theatre for healthy movement, casual encounter, and lively entertainment.

Trang Do Nguyen Vo Nguyen Dang Tran Luong

D. OUR CONCEPTS:

SUSTAINING A SENSE OF PLACE

As District 4 becomes an increasingly attractive area for development, its heritage, informal and formal, and unique communal practices and traditions must not only be preserved, but nourished. In recent years, the area’s mafia-den reputation has faded from memory and interest in this area has renewed, with the most prominent discourses concentrating on its colourful local markets, thriving foodie scene, modern collaborative working spaces and vibrant locally operated cafes. We believe our proposed concepts for the District 4 waterfront area address the national strategy for the creative industries, contribute to the development of Ho Chi Minh City as one of Asia’s economic tiger cubs, and preserve formal and informal heritage. Most importantly, these concepts do so without sacrifice the district’s well-established sense of place.

Place is among the most complicated words in the English language. Too often the word is used to designate the geographical location of an object or to identify where it belongs, such as with the phrase “it is in its proper place.” The term is also widely used to describe felt phenomenon, such as when someone utters “this is a remarkable place.” A cultural geographer named Tim Cresswell provides a broad, yet comprehensive interpretation of the term; for him, places are “locations imbued with meaning that are sites of everyday practice” (2009, p. 173).

With regards to the concepts proposed, this final interpretation of the word is the most suitable, as it accounts for the essence of place. Warranting consideration to everyday practices, even those considered mundane and marginal, enables us to witness how District 4, as a place, for a lack of a better term, happens, manifested by existentially binding practices (Malpas, 2006). Three interconnected considerations are needed to elucidate the notion of place as happening.

First, to eschew place as any fixed spatial point or feeling, it is beneficial to understand place much like the unveiling of a horizon, wherein a world temporarily gathers around an inhabitant. The use of the term horizon is vital, as a horizon exists in perpetual flux, always permitting new entities into its perceivable bounds, and therefore avoiding any stasis. Situate yourself as walking across Cau Mong, the colonial era pedestrian bridge connecting District 4 to District 1. As you enter the

district and encounter various things, like hawkers selling handmade goods, cyclists riding on bike paths, children playing in parks, monks exiting a pagoda, or young folks sipping "Vietnamese milk coffee" in street side cafes, you may recognize how each collectively contributes to establish an atmosphere, and how your understanding of District 4, as a place, evolves as more things are permitted inside the horizon’s permeable boundary.

Second, each encounter with these things may manifest as an opportunity for meaningful engagement. As you walk, take note of how you are solicited by a range of possibilities – initiating a conversation, sitting for a coffee, or strolling through the park. As you move through the world and find yourself pulled by such opportunities, you are invited to distinguish how the things populating that enticing environment are not imbued with any inherent or stable character, but rather adopt their character and thus importance by way of their mutual constitution with the environment therein, and how they are stitched together by a referential nexus. A city park, for instance, may assume more meaning for you if capable of temporarily offering reprieve from Saigon’s unrelenting sun. In this instance, the park appears as instrumentally important. For the district’s residents, however, the park may be where they regularly meet to gossip or play games with comrades. This city park, if a recursive component of their daily life, has come to assume existential importance and is therefore critical for their self-realization (Wrathall, 2011).

Credit: unsplash.com Sandip Roy

The recognition of places imbued with existential importance, made clear by the solicitation of interconnected things, hints at the final point: the topology of place, which if broken down etymologically suggests “the saying of place.” This aspect of place speaks to an inhabitant’s acknowledgement and appreciation of how their own involvement, their motivation, pre-reflective responses to the solicitations of everyday life, allows for a sense of place to emerge, be nurtured, and shared amongst other inhabitants. David Seamon refers to these quotidian routines with familiar strangers as a place ballet, “an environmental synergy in which human and material parts unintentionally foster a larger whole with its own special rhythm and character” (Seamon, 1980, p. 163). The

significance of such is the establishment of fellowship and belongingness to each other, sustained by everyday practices and routines. This interpretation of place is imbued within the presented proposals. These concepts sought to retain District 4’s formal and informal heritage, primarily through the preservation and refurbishment of built structures, and yet what seems to be best preserved is the district’s unique form of engagement, productivity, solidarity, and community – its sense of place. We recognize that the purest form of preservation, and consequently most authentic homage, is to foster new communally oriented, existentially important practices that support and nourish those already established.

The City of Water, a concept celebrating the city’s aquatic heritage, providing opportunities for learning and leisure through a sustainable and economically advantageous approach, all while encouraging communal engagement. The variety of outdoor activities are especially pertinent to mention, as they grant spaces for people to interact in a variety of ways –physical activities, meditation, or play. The concept’s central square, designed to appeal to families and couples, offers an enriching space for people to congregate after work.

The City of Making, which aims to achieve accessibility, collaboration, conservation, inclusion, inspiration, and sustainability, provides opportunities for a variety of

artisans, both modern and traditional, to develop and promote their talents in a supportive environment, one well suited to foster and sustain camaraderie amongst participants. Moreover, this concept is inclusive, as it's often about what constitutes a maker.

The City of Streets and Foods fosters communal engagement by way of collaborative farming and horticulture, as well as by ensuring the produce remains within the district. To better encourage that engagement, both from within and outside District 4, the concept proposes a pedestrian high line. This elevated walking path permits a fluid connection between internal and external stakeholders and the food-oriented

Credit: unsplash.com Polina Rytova

offerings embedded within the concept. Additionally, the outdoor cinema provides space for families, couples, and friends to congregate in the evening hours, thus guaranteeing clientele for the food grown and prepared on site.

The City of Sports is inspired by not only the UN sustainability goals, as articulated in the concept, but also the distinction that sports, as identified by Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the contemporary Olympics, permit the sharing of interests and values, the teaching of social skills, the overcoming of differences, and the opening of avenues for vulnerable and marginalized communities. This concept positions District 4 a place where people develop a healthy lifestyle and nurture a sense of belonging through physical activities.

Nurturing practices that foster meaningful engagement is critical for any city enduring rapid development and transformation. Too often these existentially-binding practices are disregarded, and consequently with them belonging, community, and ultimately a sense of place. The focus of this project, through the proposed concepts, is perfectly suited for implementation in District 4, as it aligns with the practices already embedded therein, and capable of uniting new performances, talents, and voices with those already flourishing. Finally, this approach, with its emphasis on community, can demonstrate Ho Chi Minh City’s progressive commitment towards urban regeneration, and thus be a model for future developments in the ASEAN region moving forward.

Disclaimer:

The analysis of the site mentioned in this paper is based on the public available information which might not be updated and partially in contrast with other documents that we have not been able to review at the time the paper is published

04.

A. CALL FOR ACTION

DISTRICT 4: MEETING PLACE OF DRAGONS AND CLOUDS

District 4 is named according to the administrative division of districts of Saigon – Chợ Lớn in the early 1950s. The old names were Khánh Hội and Vĩnh Hội; both meant a good land, a place to settle for a stable life. Particularly, Khánh Hội is reminiscent of an ancient concept of the East, which is Long Vân Khánh Hội - the day that the dragon flies in harmony with the clouds, which indicates opportunities for advancement. The ancients must have believed that this land will become prosperous in the long run if it is developed accurately.

Indeed, the “Land of dragons and clouds” has two waterfronts (Bến Nghé River and Tàu Hủ Canal). The land became even more favorable after Tẻ canal was completed in 1906, making it surrounded by three sides of water. District 4 is adjacent to District 1 - the old city center and District 5 - the “Chinatown" and Phú Mỹ Hưng - the new city in the 1990s. “Nhất cận thị, nhị cận giang”- a Vietnamese idiom implies lands near rivers and markets are often a longstanding advantage, is still a strength of District 4 nowadays.

Commercial Port was completed with a total area of approximately 400,000 m2 including piers, warehouses, and wharves. It had a deep channel depth and wide berth length which helped cargo ships to turn around easily. Additionally, both riversides of the Port were vacant which was convenient for large-scale construction. Right after its opening, Saigon Commercial Port implemented free port regime – offering free of import and export duties, therefore quickly attracted series of international ships.

Credit:

During the Nguyễn Dynasty in the 19th century, District 4 belonged to Tổng Bình Trị Hạ and Tổng Dương Hòa Trung, the new land adjacent to Tổng Bình Trị Thượng (now called District 1, District 3, & Bình Thạnh). Both Bình Trị Thượng and Bình Trị Hạ were home to Gia Định Citadel, an early developed and prosperous urban area, and were adjacent to the China marketĐề Ngạn (means Chợ Lớn). Along the Tàu Hủ canal, Bình Trị Thượng had a series of warehouses, wharves (Cầu Kho, Cầu Muối) and frenetic craft villages. On the other side, Bình Trị Hạ and Dương Hòa Trung were newly discovered lowlands which started to form a number of fishing villages and craft villages such as Xóm Chiếu, Xóm Than, Xóm Rớ, Xóm Vạn Đô. The remaining areas, however, were mostly abandoned rice paddy fields. On the side of Tân Thuận village facing Soài Rạp river, the Nguyễn Dynasty built Hữu Bình fortress, which faced Tả Định fortress on Thủ Thiêm to guard river access to the city. During French colonialism, Saigon

Typical modern industrial architectural examples before 1945 in District 4 include Nhà Rồng (1862-1863), Mống bridge (1894), Khánh Hội swing bridge (1904) and twostorey commercial townhouses at Hoàng Diệu Street. After 1950, District 4 continued to be a vibrant land of harbor and industry.Sugar refineries, large-scale tobacco companies, and many small factories were built. Saigon Commercial

Port kept on expanding, increasing its capacity as a civil service port and military port. However, due to impacts of war and other factors, District 4 was still a lowincome neighborhood, with many people living in slums.

After 1990, due to the effect of Renovation policies (chính sách Đổi Mới) on domestic and foreign investments, District 4 has changed drastically. Nowadays, besides from Khánh Hội, Tân Thuận and Calmette Bridge, new bridges were built such as Nguyễn Văn Cừ and Kênh Tẻ Bridge to improve the connectivity of District 4 with other districts. The area of Hoàng Diệu

street, which is considered the center of District 4, has been expanded and renovated. Lots of modern high-rise residential were built on the foundation of old water spinach ponds. A number of main roads of District 4 were expanded.

Since 2016, the government has announced an undertaking to relocate Saigon Commercial Port to Nhà Bè, hence, large ships would no longer dock here. At the moment, it is uncertain on which redevelopment plan of the Port will been selected. Meanwhile, the adjacent area of District 4 and District 1 - from the end of Nguyễn Văn Cừ Bridge up to Móng Bridge, high-rise buildings have been constructed including apartments, building complexes,

commercial centers/offices, convention centers, and restaurants. The city government has set a vision that District 4 will be a concentrated district for commerce and services. In a way, the development of District 4 is to expand the image and influence of District 1 beyond Tàu Hủ Canal.

Entering the second decade of the 21st century, the “meeting place of dragons and clouds” has another great opportunity to be developed and succeeded. District 4 is in needof creative minds and designers capable of promoting its unique strengths – an island with strong connectivity with high developed areas of the city. Moreover, District 4 is an affluent land of human

resources, economic, and historical, cultural resources that shall be considered as a leverage for future growth and development.

In order to promote District 4, policy makers should consider the correlation and resonance of the development of Thủ Thiêm and Phú Mỹ Hưng new urban area. Thereby, it is necessary to reserve and protect the corridors along the riversides from encroachment.

cultural parks, education centers for marine and maritime history of the city) instead of turning the area into apartments, villas, office buildings or commercial centers that can only be pleasant with a minority of the population.

Moreover, it is strongly suggested that an adaptive reuse shall be applied to the old Saigon Commercial Port with sustainable solutions such as intergrated green functions (ecological parks combined with other activities and services for example yachts,

With a rich history and strong advantages, District 4 has proven its attractiveness to become a promising, modern destination if there are more public spaces, green infrastructures and preservation areas to create a resilient and sustainable environment.

Credit: flickr.com manhhai

Historic landscapes and architecture, including heritage buildings, pagodas, churches, temples, and schools need to be preserved and maintained. For instance, one of the initiatives for Nhà Rồng Habour (Hồ Chí Minh Museum nowadays) is to add a museum about the old Saigon Commercial Port. The mooring posts and berths, the Customs Building and old warehouses of the Port should be preserved as historical icons. Buildings such as the headquarters of Liên Thành fish sauce company, Khánh Hội and Vĩnh Hội communal houses, Xóm Chiếu church, and Khánh Hội church are historical landmarks that should be cherished and protected. We hope that the development of District 4 with the hamonization of the Past and the Present will contribute to the revitalization of the once franetic port and contribute to the properous growth of the city.

Credit:unsplash.com Tuan Nguyen

Credit: unsplash.com Jet dela Cruz

PHUC TIEN TRAN HUU Urban History Researcher Author of the book "Saigon then and now"

VAN DON SECONDARY SCHOOL

NGUYEN MINH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL

B.5 CURRENT WATER MANAGEMENT CHI MINH CITY

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B.5 CURRENT WATER MANAGEMENT

B.6 CURRENT SECTIONS

B.6 CURRENT SECTIONS

SECTION 3-3 : SURFACE SURFACE

SECTION 4-4

B.7 SITE PHOTOS:

OVERVIEW OF THE CITY FROM SAIGON PORT

Credit: Andrew Stiff

Credit: Andrew Stiff

Credit: Andrew Stiff

Credit: Andrew Stiff

Credit: Andrew Stiff

C. THE GREEN MILE

The green mile is an elevated walkway connects the upcoming Saigon metro network with the site. This proposal not only opening the accessibility for pedestrian and cyclists, which can be treated as an linear park, but also creating positive tension between existing and new planning proposal.

The objectives of this proposal are to propose an "insertation" connection to serve residences of District 4, create a "sense of place" and preserve the identity of the site but will not disrupting the existing and the new park.

This initiative move is a response to the current lack of public, cultural space of the area. It also offers more green space to the District that is desperately in-need. Additionally, the project can encourage the application of smart transportation models and therefore, ecouraging the use of public trasportation, reducing the use of private vehicle.

Lastly, the water management system proposed could be considered as a solution to mitigate the risks of flooding that is still an elephant in the room for the government.

NO HISTORICAL VALUE EXISTING HISTORICAL VALUE EXISTING

C.3 IMPACT ON CURRENT

LEGEND

HISTORICAL VALUE TO RESTORE

NEW CONSTRUCTION DEMOLISH

C.7 SECTIONS

C.7 SECTIONS

Credit: sna-architecture.com Luigi Campanale

Credit: sna-architecture.com Luigi Campanale

Credit: sna-architecture.com Luigi Campanale

C.8 PERSPECTIVES VIEW HIGH-RISE

Credit: sna-architecture.com Luigi Campanale

C.8 PERSPECTIVES EDUTAINMENT & EXHIBITION

Credit: sna-architecture.com Luigi Campanale

Credit: sna-architecture.com Luigi Campanale

D. CONCLUSIONS

Urbanization is an inevitable movement in the history of civilization. While the timing and speed of urbanization vary from country to country, it is the engine room of economic growth and the centers of culture, entertainment, innovation, education and so on. UN World Cities report has predicted a positive growth of population in Asia which requires an enormous effort for infrastructure and careful consideration of the relationship between urbanization process, sustainability and preservation of heritage. In preparation for this workshop, we worked on the former industrial port of Saigon (known as Saigon Commercial Port during the French colonialism in the 19th century) located in District 4, HCMC.

Throughout history of District 4, its citizen has witnessed the up and downfall of the area. Towards the definition of Saigon Smart and Creative district, a holistic urban plan has been proposed with the ambition to reconnect District 4 area with contemporary lifestyle and needs of the younger generation.

This paper is a study of an increasingly attractive yet complex area for development of the city with the optimal goal to preserve formal and informal heritages of the District without scarifying the well-established sense of place. We hope that our works will be a stepping stone to Ho Chi Minh City’s vision and commitment towards urban regeneration.

Credit: unsplash.com createtraveltv

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Vuong, Quan-Hoang, Tri V. Phu, Tuyet-Anh T. Le, and Quy Van Khuc. 2021. "Exploring InnerCity Residents’ and Foreigners’ Commitment to Improving Air Pollution: Evidence from a Field Survey in Hanoi, Vietnam" Data 6, no. 4: 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/data6040039 worldpopulationreview.com (2021). Ho Chi Minh City Population 2021. [online] Available at: https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/ho-chi-minh-city-population [Accessed 7 Mar. 2021].

Partners:

Italian Embassy in Hanoi, Italian Consul General in HCMC, UNESCO Vietnam H.E. Antonio Alessandro Ambassador of Italy to Vietnam