Can Tho City by 2025 to Become a Southeast Asia Regional City

According to general planning, by the year 2025, CanTho City will not only be the central city of the Mekong Delta but also of the Southeast Asia Region.

 

The Mekong Delta is a region full of potentials for economic and urban development; in which emerged the leading role of Can Tho. Can Tho’s development will be followed by the development of the other provinces in all areas of economic, culture and urbanization. Therefore, Can Tho should exploit its potentials and advantages to develop. In its strategic position as one of five provincial administrative divisions to be granted a politburo distinguish resolution (the others are: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong and Danang), the government has invested in Can Tho’s infrastructure development.

In 2008, the international Can Tho Airport and Can Tho Bridge will be brought to force. Those works together with No.1, No.81, and No.91 national ways and Hau River South bank road will create a complete transportation network. Moreover, Can Tho is located in the lower section of the Mekong River, near the trans-national roads that are favourable for merchandise transportation, seaports and tourism. Besides, the government has planned to build Cai Cui seaport as the regional seaport group and build the country’s second largest thermo-electricity centre in Can Tho. In the coming time, the second phase of the Ho Chi Minh Highway will be implemented through the Mekong Delta, which will benefit Can Tho. There will also be a railway connecting to the existing national railway with Cai Cui seaport inCan Tho.

Recently, the government has allowed Can Tho to have its own financial mechanism due to which Can Tho can mobilize different capital like urban bonds and foreign loans to invest in infrastructure and urban development. Can Tho has been defined as the economic, science and technology, culture and sport centre of the Mekong Delta.

 

In the economic development national strategy, Mekong Delta is one of four key economic areas. Can Tho is the focus of the developing economy of the region.

According to the Ministry of Construction, the general planning of Can Tho will move forward with the development orientation of the region, the country and also with the urban development tendency of neighbouring countries and the world. When industry and urbanization have developed, other aspects of finance, commerce, and services will follow fulfilling the criterion for Can Tho to become a Southeast Asian city in future. Can Tho has to find ways to quickly, strongly and comprehensively develop based on its advantages to prepare for international integration. In addition, Can Tho must not develop only for itself but also for the entire Mekong Delta region and the whole country.

 

Regarding city space, Can Tho has over 60 kilometres of Hau River bank that bring about economic benefits and urban landscape advantages for the city. Therefore, the orientation to spread the city to the Hau River bank is reasonable. Can Tho with over 160 river and canal ways, especially the 200-300 meter width Can Tho River is favourable for building a city with special features of a water and river region. It will be much more beautiful to arrange the system of parks, trees, lights, river ports, and hotels alongside the banks of Can Tho River. Another special feature of Can Tho is its many sand dunes and islands on Hau River that will become an ideal area for ecological tourism with a cable-stayed bridge .