Features of planning for the development of urban underground space in Vietnam

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Introduction

Developing countries, including Vietnam, are the places where most of the world’s urban population growth occurs. Cities are expanding rapidly, so city authorities must meet the growing demand for infrastructure and public spaces [1, 2].

Nowadays, the urbanization process in Vietnam is developing more and more, which leads to the formation of an increasing number of urban areas throughout the country. Knowing that the growing concentration of population in urban areas leads to overload of both urban infrastructure and public space, especially in two large urban areas, Hanoi (the capital, north) and Ho Chi Minh City (south). Thus, urban infrastructure such as housing, urban transport and urban public spaces are under great pressure [4]. Meanwhile, land reserves for development are increasingly depleted, and the number of green spaces is decreasing. Consequently, to meet these needs, urban areas must take advantage of both the height and depth of urban space [5].

In recent years, underground space planning has become relevant for large cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in the context of the need to deploy underground parking projects and metro development projects, as well as the need to renovate the central business district while preserving the unique landscape.

Based on the growing demand for underground construction, which is proportional to the increase in land use value and the lack of land areas for construction, in addition to public underground parking projects. All of them are being implemented slowly due to many legal procedures and lack of funding. This confirms that planning the construction of underground spaces in large cities is a very urgent need to guide construction investment and ensure long-term vision and efficient use of space in the future [8, 9, 11, 12].

In the context of active economic development, there is a tendency towards a reduction in urban land resources. In recent years, Vietnam has been increasingly focusing on the benefits of using underground space to create green, clean and sustainable cities. Therefore, the research topic should be recognized as relevant.

Materials and methods

The aim of this study is to synthesize aspects of the multi-purpose use of underground space within such disciplines as economics, sociology, politics, law and ideology of urban areas, including the adaptation of underground spaces for public use and improving Vietnam’s economic value.

The research tasks that need to be solved to achieve the stated objective:

• Analyze the shallow and deep use of the city’s underground space;
• Evaluate the planning of connecting the underground space with key road infrastructure and other construction facilities.
• Review the current trends of urban planning and underground space organization in Vietnamese cities that are given attention.
• Present some proposals for underground space management in the near future and draw conclusions.

This paper was conducted on the legal, scientific and practical aspects of planning in Vietnam, including underground construction and underground space planning. The study also includes an analysis and processing of survey data.

 

Fig. 1. Data on the urban population in the main geographical regions of the world for the period from 1950 to 2050 are presented in billions of people [3]

 

Fig. 2. Vietnam Urban Population 2013-2023 (in millions) [6]

 

Fig. 3. Planning of underground urban development in the center of the capital city of Hanoi [7]

 

Results and discussion

One of the features of the urban microclimate is the emergence of a «heat island», or «urban heat island». In this «island», the share of technogenic heat can reach half the value of solar radiation (fig. 4). In order to create green spaces that will contribute to the effective cooling of the urban environment, it is necessary to pay more attention to the spatial dimension of such areas for each specific area when planning them.

 

Fig. 4. Landscape and buildings act as a barrier to wind [10]

 

The main results of the research are presented as follows:

• Urban underground space is an important city system, considered an effective additional solution to solving urgent urban development problems (fig. 5). However, the use of urban underground space also has potential negative impacts (deformation, displacement, subsidence...) on urban development;

 

Fig. 5. Three options for metro station near Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi (Northern Vietnam)

 

Fig. 6. Three Underground Spaces in Ho Chi Minh City of the Future (South Vietnam)

 

• It should be stated that underground space (or subsurface) is a geological area with diverse and complex geological characteristics, physical and chemical states. Depending on the level of development of each city, underground resource extraction activities could and will be carried out at different levels;
• Given the development trend, construction, reconstruction and urban development activities in Vietnam must always have a close combination between underground urban space and ground-level urban space. The effective use of underground space, land savings and proper organization of underground work contribute to urban development, improve people’s quality of life and serve economic growth.

Conclusions

Based on the research conducted, the following conclusions can be drawn:

• The development of urban underground space is an inevitable necessity of the urbanization process. The development of underground areas is an important solution in the development and transformation of urban areas to meet future challenges;
• Using underground space to integrate services and transportation is a solution that meets the criteria for sustainable urban development: improving land use efficiency, significantly enhancing public service systems, combining territories helps reduce pressure on existing urban areas and improve the overall planning and architectural structure, while maintaining the form inherent in urban space;
• Effective use and integration of the urban underground space system is one of the solutions that can help improve the efficiency of the infrastructure system, especially transport infrastructure, save land and help to enhance the quality of life. The lives of city dwellers become safer and healthier, more convenient and comfortable;
• In short, using underground space should be considered an essential part of urban planning solutions. Underground space is a strategic part of modern urban structure and can provide the city with new creative and valuable spaces.

About the authors

Trung Hieu Le

Russian University of Transport

Author for correspondence.
Email: letrunghieu531996@gmail.com

Post-graduate student of the Automobile Roads, Airfields, Bases and Foundations

Russian Federation, 127994, Moscow, Obraztsova st., 9

Van Trong Le

Da Nang University of Architecture

Email: tronglv@dau.edu.vn

PhD in Engineering Sciences, Lecturer of the Department of Civil Engineering

Viet Nam, Da Nang, Hoa Quong Nam, Nui Thanh st., 566

References

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