Evolutionary Livability of New Urban Areas in Hanoi: From Plan(ning) to Market(ing)

Livability concerns reflect a natural evolution of planning priorities to meet the needs of a relatively affluent post-industrial society. In Vietnam, after the socioeconomic reform in 1986, livability became a norm in urban development policies. As for Hanoi, this concept was first mentioned in its master plan publicized in 2011. A large number of housing projects were set up hastily and unceasingly along the peri-urban belts of the city, where the development of new urban areas (Khu Do Thi Moi—KDTM in Vietnamese) appreciably improved both the quality and quantity of urban housing. From being a social welfare good in the planned economy, housing has become a commodity traded in competitive real estate markets of the market-oriented economy. As livability of a KDTM is closely related to living conditions and effectively reflects its residents’ perceptions, this paper analyzes the change of a livability-forming viewpoint in new housing projects and provides updates on Hanoi-(re)making trends since 1954. By studying two cases (Linh Dam, with the “KDTM Model” title awarded in 2009, and Ecopark, “The best KDTM” title awarded in 2018), this paper also explores the differences among methods of livability-making in KDTMs of Hanoi from plan(ing) to market(ing). Opinions of residents on the improvement of livability aspects in these two KDTMs are also quoted, and analyses were done for such feedback.