The criteria for wards and towns to meet civilized urban standards are quite comprehensive, covering all aspects of life, from urban areas, traffic, and construction, to cultural and sports activities, etc., so it is not easy to obtain. However, this is an important solution to build a cultural environment and civilized and elegant behavior, so no matter how difficult it is, the authorities and localities in Hanoi still try their best to perform.
Many criteria are difficult to meet
According to Decision No. 04/2022/QD-TTg, dated February 18, 2022, by the Prime Minister stipulating criteria, order, and procedures for recognition of meeting civilized urban standards, urban areas need to meet 9 basic criteria. These are urban planning, urban transportation; environment and food safety; security and order; urban information and communication; employment, income and poor households; culture, sports; health, education; political system, and government responsibilities of the municipality. These criteria are guided in detail by the Hanoi People’s Committee in Plan No. 271/KH-UBND dated November 14, 2023, on implementing Decision No. 04/2022/QD-TTg approved by the Prime Minister.
Each general criterion has many sub-criteria, with quite high requirements, not easy to implement. For example, with the criteria of planning and traffic, the Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Transport, Mr. Tran Huu Bao reflected that it is estimated that Hanoi currently has nearly 8 million road vehicles of all types, including over 1.07 million cars. The average vehicle growth rate in the period 2019-2023 is more than 10% for cars and more than 3% for motorbikes, while the land area for traffic only increases by about 0.26-0.3 %/year. The speed of development of traffic infrastructure cannot keep up with the speed of vehicle development, leading to the occupation of roadbeds and sidewalks for parking in many places, and also damaging the structure of the building, causing disorder and traffic congestion.
Illegal parking exists on many roads and streets in Hanoi.
From actual implementation, the Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Ba Dinh District, Ms. Le Thi Khanh said that after review, Ba Dinh District’s authorities found that criteria on environmental protection, waste treatment, ensuring security and order, and social safety are difficult criteria to achieve to obtain civilized urban areas.
The cultural and sports criteria of 90% of residential groups in the ward having cultural and sports activities that operate regularly and effectively is also difficult to achieve because most wards in Ba Dinh district currently have no land fund for construction. Most existing community houses have small areas, are degraded, and do not meet the daily needs of urban residents.
“Due to many subjective and objective reasons, Dien Bien ward chosen as a site from 2022 up to now is not eligible to be recognized as meeting standards of urban discipline and civilization; Kim Ma and Quan Thanh wards, which will be sites in 2023, are also facing many difficulties in getting recognition,” Ms. Le Thi Khanh said.
Similar to Ba Dinh, “principal” districts such as Dong Da, Hoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung, some wards in Thanh Xuan, Cau Giay districts, etc. are currently facing many difficulties in implementing criteria on traffic, urban order, culture, sports, etc.
Efforts to implement
The construction of a civilized urban model is expected to contribute to strengthening and promoting the spirit of creativity and solidarity of the people in economic development, sustainable poverty reduction, building cultural life, and taking care of people’s education, healthcare, and environmental sanitation. Along with that, it will contribute to raising awareness of law enforcement, maintaining political security, social order and safety, promoting democracy, building a clean and strong grassroots political system, etc. Therefore, although it is not easy to meet the criteria of a civilized city, stakeholders still make efforts to realize each goal.
Ha Dong district authorities handled violations of space encroachment around Dam Khe Lake (Ha Cau ward) in August 2023.
According to the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment, a developed urban area must both be in harmony with other urban areas and have its own identity. For Hanoi, the easily recognizable identity is “green”, not only green in agriculture and forestry but also green in conservation areas and old inner-city areas.
According to this orientation, the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment recommends that the city continue to renovate, dredge, and treat pollution of lakes, ensure domestic water, and collect and treat solid waste on a weekly basis, implement solutions to reduce emissions. In addition, authorities need to coordinate the development, renovation, and reconstruction of public spaces, green spaces, and green belts of central urban areas. For its part, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment continues to plant more than 100,000 new trees/year, striving for an urban green construction rate of about 2m2/person, etc.
At the grassroots level, localities also strive to realize each criterion of a civilized city. From experience in implementing models of roads and streets meeting urban civilization standards, Long Bien District People’s Committee assigned wards in the area to build programs and projects and take responsibility for each route and street; maintain urban order forces on routes, streets, traffic black spots, and security and order. Thanks to that, many complex problems arising in public places are resolved promptly, helping the urban appearance become more and more spacious. Up to this point, Long Bien district has 62 of 90 roads and streets; 6 of 14 wards meeting urban civilization standards. Currently, the authorities continue to consider and evaluate 29 roads, streets and 2 wards named Viet Hung and Giang Bien to meet civilized urban standards, including many criteria similar to urban civilized criteria.
In Ba Dinh district, the implementation of 9 criteria in all fields to meet urban civilization standards is being seriously implemented by the People’s Committees of the wards. With easy-to-follow criteria, Ba Dinh district focuses on investment resources and mobilizes people’s participation, contributions, and support. With difficult criteria, party committees, authorities, and unions join in the implementation of 11 groups of basic tasks and solutions, with the focus being on strengthening urban management and preserving environmental hygiene, etc.
As the agency in charge of building a civilized urban model, the Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, Ms. Tran Thi Van Anh said that the implementation of civilized urban criteria needs to be integrated with urban civilized construction as well as the movement to build cultural life at the grassroots. In 2024, sectors and localities need to focus on building civilized cities; select typical wards and towns as points, then learn from experience and replicate, etc.
From the traditional foundation and inherent good values, it is keeping its fingers crossed that the civilized urban model will clearly shape the space and urban landscape in Hanoi to become increasingly bright, green, clean, and beautiful; culture and society are increasingly developing; people’s quality of life is increasingly improving.
Ha Hien