Flexibility: an alternative development strategy in new urban areas in Hanoi

Wouter D. F. van Faassen

FLEXIBILITYan alternative development strategy in new urban areas in Hanoi.

The case of [Vietnam] [Hanoi] [Nam An Khanh]

FLEXIBILITYan alternative development strategy in new urban areas in Hanoi.

The case of [Vietnam] [Hanoi] [Nam An Khanh]

Wouter D. F. van Faassen master thesis Delft University of Technology

The assumption is that foreign-invested New Urban Areas have a place-breaking,

rather than place making effects: they disrupt the local sense of place

and mainly serve extraterritorial interests.

- Danielle Labbe, 2010

Flexiblity

an alternative development strategy in new urban areas in Hanoi.

Master thesisDelft University of Technology

Faculty of Architecture

Department of urbanism

Author Wouter D. F. van [email protected]

www.woutervanfaassen.nl

Studio Vertical Cities Asia

Master studio (U, A, BT, RE&H)

Chair of Urban Design, Urbanism

Chair of Complex projects, Architecture

Studio tutorsMitesh dixit |VCA Studio leader, Claus en Kaan architecten, Domain Office

James Westcott | VCA Studio tutor, OMA

Henko Bekkering | Professor Urban Design

Kees Kaan | Professor Architectural design

Mentor teamDr. Luisa M. Calabrese | Associate Professor Urban design

Chair of urban compositions

[email protected]

Dr. Lei Qu | Assistent Professor Spatial planning

Chair of Spatial Planning and Strategy

[email protected]

Keywords : Vietnam, Hanoi, flexibility, resilient urban development, new town, urban vitality, peri-urban, urbanism.

Juli 2014 Version : P5 Repository

Colophon

The assumption is that foreign-invested New Urban Areas have a place-breaking,

rather than place making effects: they disrupt the local sense of place

and mainly serve extraterritorial interests.

- Danielle Labbe, 2010

Vertical Cities Asia

This graduation studio competes in the Vertical Cities Asia international student

design competition. The results of the P2 are presented in Singapore as the com-petition entry in the Vertical Cities Asia student design competition. The Vertical

Cities Asia International Design Competition is organised by the National Universi-ty of Singapore (NUS) School of Design and Environment (SDE), and is sponsored

by the World Future Foundation (WFF) and Beijing Vantone Citylogic Investment

Corporation. Each yeas has a different location and theme but the same general

reseach on high density urbanization in Asia. After Everyone breaths fresh air

in Chengdu and Everyone Ages in Seoul, this years competion will focus on the

theme Everyne Harvests in Hanoi.

Competitors are design studios from the schools of Architecture and Planning of:

Asia

National University of Singapore (host)

Tsinghua University, Beijing

Tongji University, Shanghai

University of Tokyo

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Europe

Delft University of Technology

Eidgenssische Technische Hochschule/ ETH, Zrich

North America

University of California at Berkeley

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

The competition was launched on 1 January 2011, premised on the belief that a

new paradigm of high density compact urban development was necessary for rap-idly urbanising Asia, which is besieged by massive rural-urban migrations. Either

existing urban architectural models will continue to be recycled to accommodate

increasing populations with devastating effects on land, infrastructure, and the

environment or new models of urban architecture will be formed to take on the

specifics of Asian urban development (Vertical Cities Asia,, 2013).

[1sqm] [100,000 people] [Hanoi]A one square kilometre territory will be the subject of the Competition. This area,

to house 100,000 people living and working, sets the stage for tremendous re-search and investigation into urban density, verticality, domesticity, work, food,

infrastructure, nature, ecology, structure, and program their holistic integration

and the quest for visionary paradigm will be the challenges of this urban and ar-chitectural invention.

The site is located about 17km to the west of the city centre of Hanoi, Vietnam. It

is part of the peri-urban region of the Hoai Duc District that consits of rapidly ur-banizing villages and new large scale developments. It has the Thang Long Highway

running from east to west. The fourth ring highway from north to south has not

been constructed yet.

StudioThe objective of the competition is to seek a holistic solution or a new urban par-adigm for a rapidly growing Asian city which also faces the issues of sustainability

and quality of life that also addresses the notion of food production in Asian cit-ies. (Vertical Cities Asia 2013)

The TU Delft mulitdisciplinary studio will include students in their last year of

the masters studies in Urbansim and Architecture. Aspects that were researched

include future studies into: housing, mobility, environment, fysical and social

sutainablility, etc. The studio started in februari 2013 with the production of an

coprehensive contextual study that finally formed the research book.

The team for this years entry of TU Delft consisted of:

Alise Jekabsone (Architecture)

Brendan Bakker (Architecture)

Donatas Baltrusaitis (Urbanism)

Emilia Bruck (Urbanism)

Jaewoo Lee (Urbanism)

Joost Noorden (Architecture)

Marten Reijnen (Urbanism)

Michael Cerrone (Architecture)

Pim Schachtschabel (Architecture)

Saskia van Eijk (Urbanism)

Tomas Kalisnauskas (Urbanism)

Vaidotas Vaiciulis (Architecture)

Wouter van Faassen (Urbanism)

www.verticalcitiesasia.com for more infromation about the competition

The competion brief: Everyone Harvests

Every year a one square kilometre territory will be the subject of the competi-tion. This area, to house 100,000 people living and working, sets the stage for

tremendous research and investigation into urban density, verticality, domesticity,

work, food, infrastructure, nature, ecology, structure, and program - their holis-tic integration and the quest for visionary paradigm will be the challenges of this

urban and architectural invention. This new environment will have a full slate of

live-work-play provisions, with the residential component making up to 50% of the

total floor space. In the third of this series of competitions, the theme of Everyone

Harvests will be explored.

By year 2050, food production is projected to increase by about 70 percent globally

and nearly 100 percent in developing countries in order to meet the needs of the

worlds expected 9 billion-strong population (UN Food and Agriculture Organisa-tion).

However this incremental demand for food worldwide is facing growing challenge

with competition for land and water resources, with quarter of all land of the plan-et being highly degraded (United Nations). With projections of nearly 80% of the

world population to reside in urban centres by the year 2050, the brief is seeking

for potential solutions for an entirely new approach to urban agriculture. The pro-posals should provide visions for a sustainable production of a safe and varied food

supply that can first fulfil the basic needs of the daily food consumption of the city

and if possible, produce surplus that can support the needs of other cities as well.

The understanding of harvesting will be extended to include energy and water

resources. The solutions should seek to introduce innovative ways to effectively uti-lize resources, such as minimizing water, saving energy and their associated costs

related to urban agriculture. - Vertical Cities Asia, 2013.

002 Design of a cluster of high density city around a high speed rail hub.

003 Workmodel shows the gathered information in the stage of the desk analysis.

004 The VCA competition team of TU Delft at the symposium at the National University of Singapore.

005 Jury questions after the competition presentation.

007 Display of the models and posters at of the competition entry.

006 Sejima explains her findings in the jury.

008 Jury deliberation.

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1. Introduction

Project overview

1.1 Hanoi, Vietnamhanoi, the sitenew mega cities

1.2 Problem Fieldchallengewho do we built for?under pressurealternativethe case of Nam An Khanhproblem statementhypothesis: re-inventing flexibility

1.4 Research significancesocietal relevancescientific relevanceethics

1.3 Methodology

2. Theory

2.1 Issues of flexibilityfuture proof city designresearch structure

2.2 Definition of flexibilitychanging cultureunderlying reasonstypes of flexibilitybalance

3. Research

3.1 Transitions in Vietnamdemographyeconomyfamily lifetransportationconclusion

3.2 The inflexible cityspeculationvacancy and declinefrom supply to demandfrom an engeneered society to unpredictabilitycity planningmajor trends and challengescities of flux

3.3 Flexibility in Hanoimorphology: 3 types of cityorganization types of planningland ownershiptypologyurban transformation in Hanoiflexibility assesment

3.4 Changing villagesrural urban transformationcommunesvillage typologies

3.6 Research conclusion

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4. Design - framework

4.1 Design introduction

methodvertical cities asiapressing issuescompetition siterejectionsynthesis

4.2 Diagnosis Nam An Khanhon hold...site situation Q1 2013sudico plan for nam an khanhsurrounding villages

4.3 Rethinking Nam An Khanhwhy didnt it work?why Nam An Khanh?design aimsconcept

4.4 Strategy: spatial frameworkplace making and image buildingbring new users towards a new planning approachtowards mix of functions and user oriented planningtowards spatial integrationnew bussiness modelapplyed spatial strategy

4.5 Development strategyhow to make Nam An Khanh alive?public transportprogrammatic flexibilitybalancing the stakeholdershousing paradox

5. Design - neighborhoods

5.1 Yen Lung new villageprogram of Yen Lung garden plots in Yen Lungflexible zoning conceptparceling rulesgeneral development rulesshared responisbility forthe public space

5.2 Flexibility on villa plotsuser oriented developmentvariations on typologiesrules that foster flexibility

5.3 Arts and crafts neighborhooddiversitycollective developmenttraditional shophouse typologies

5.4 New suburban life suburban lifestyleurbanism as politicscase study: nam an khanhhow to live with quality ona construction siteis it possible to make a profit?applicability

6. Epiloque

6.1 Evaluationhypothesis evaluationcompetion evaluationcritiquedesign evaluation

6.2 Conclusions

6.3 Recommendations

I. LiteratureII. Image credits

III. Acknowledgments

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0 150 300 450 600 750km

Vietnam

0 150 300 450 600 750km

009 Location of Hanoi in Vietnam. The metropolitan area is located in the Red River delta.

China

Laos

Cambodia

Vietnam, Hanoi, Nam An Khanh.

Hanoi

010 Location of the 5x5 km competion site is marked by the black box. The red area shows the location of Nam An Khan. The test site for the final design.

Vietnam, Hanoi, Nam An Khanh.

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011 Hanoi is located in the Red River delta and surrounded by low mountain ranges. The site to be investigated is in the west of the city.

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Project overview

Flexibility, an alternative development strategy in new urban areas in Hanoi.

This thesis on flexibility is a specific project, on the case of Hanoi. Vietnam is

in a period of rapid transition; the economic growth of the last decade was

overwhelming and the population growth abundant. Most of this growth took place

in the largest cities; Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city. After the economic renovation

- Doi Moi - in 1986, Hanoi opened up towards the world: the culture became

more globally oriented and lifestyles of espacially the young generations started

to change. All these rapid changes brought uncertainty in the socio-economical

environment and therefore the possibilities for adaptations and modification in

urban planning and design became especially urgent.

Like in other Asian countries the massive urbanisation asked for new city

development. Hanoi implemented a sceme of new town development in ring

around the city; the new urban areas. This sceme fostered the purely profit driven

developers to build large blue-print extensions, that are mostly monotomous,

monofunctional and speculative in nature. The result is that the new urban

expansions in Hanoi do not respond to the needs of real users. Overproduction

of high end housing led to vacancy. Ghost towns have become a serious social,

financial and ethical problem in the urban extensions of Hanoi.

A future proof city is flexible; it keeps a balance between regulation/structure and

freedom or manouvrablility within it. But the ever increasing amount of deserted

construction land and vacant buildings, points out that urban development in Hanoi

is less flexible than necessary. The current model for urban development prooved

to be unsustainable and not resilient. Especially the commercial developments

were hit by the burst of the bubble in the market and the dropping real estate

prices. Dozens of new urban areas became vacant land or ghost towns.

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The hypothesis of this thesis is that a more incremental and more flexible planning

strategy is necessary as an alternative system for urban development, in order to

deal with the volatile nature of the economic and social resurrection of Vietnam.

This involves a strategy that fosters spatial integration and local economic growth

and enables real users to be a stakeholder in this process. It involves a strategy a

plan and a process that has the ability to be flexible. Nam An Khanh is a typical

example of a purely profit driven development in Hanoi that will serve as a test

site for the hypothesis.

Flexibility in urban planning and design can be coined as; The capacity of the

built environment to adapt to new conditions in society and economy. But also

as; The capacity for ready physical or functional alteration and the adaptation

of new uses. The theory showed that, flexibility is especially important in urban

planning and design when circumstances are uncertain. The rapidly changing

socio-economical and cultural environment in Hanoi create this uncertainty. Rapid

societal and economical change in developing countries therefore give flexibility

a different significance compared to developed countries. Underlying reasons vary

widely and are among others based in tradition, a strong need for certainty, new

opportunities that arise, and the (political need for) progress that now becomes a

new layer of modernity in urban design.

This thesis is endeavour to seek for an alternative; a more flexible and resilient

type of urban planning and design. A more incremental approach is necessary

with a better balance between the demands of the various stakeholders. Quality

of public space, adaptability, the interest of the people from the surrounding

villages, and the integrity of the city as a whole are values that need to get more

importance in the process of planning and design. Therefore, a new model of

corporation between Sudico (the developer) and the collectives is proposed, in

which collectives of home owners and entrepreneurs have a larger responsibility

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for the outcome of the design of property and public space. Sudico gets a position

as the site manager for the long term; land lease contracts (nl.: erfpacht) will

eventually give them their return on investment when property values increase,

providing them with an incentive for long term policy aimed at spatial and living

quality.

The current half finished situation of Nam An Khanh is taken as the basis for a

re-design, in this way testing the flexibility of the old plan. In this structure

adjustments are made in the water structure to give it better climate resiliency

and in the street network to get better connectivity to the surrounding areas.

New routes connect the villages to create the critical mass for a local economy and

are the start of (re-)development. Along the new routes special points (catalyst)

are placed as the start of development of 3 neighborhoods; Yen Lung new village

with a fresh food market hall, An Khanh crafts village with a regional arts and crafts

center, and Ngu Cau station as the local transit hub with TOD.

Considering the size of Nam An Khan (250 ha.), it would be impossible to develop a

project at once. Therefore large parts of the terrain need temporary use. Gardens

could give citizens a outdoor weekend retreat for the next 10-20 years. A fruit

orchard, is an inexpensive way of making a beautiful spring park, while providing

some jobs to the villagers. The remaining terrain can be used for events and

festivals, or even as research grounds for innovative agriculture. These temporary

uses help to build a good image of the location and attract people, and therefore

improve the conditions for new initiatives.

The designs of these neighborhoods are based on the concept of a strong

structure of main roads, water, parks and transit and a flexible infill of blocks for

development. The infill is regulated with a zoning that fosters a mix of uses and

typologies. The scale of developments is deliberately kept small to prevent large

accumulations of means. In this way the neighborhood can, in time, easily be

adapted to the changing needs. Each neighborhood has its specific flexible strategy

for development. The strategy does not only rely on prohibiting certain typologies

and uses, but more on allowing and even showing potentials for certain other uses

that are not directly in the plan. Sustainable development for the environment and

the community can in this way be an incentive for developers that want to build

more, or with special qualities.

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Many projects like Nam An Khanh are scattered around Hanoi, that face a similar

fate. The proposed strategy therefore has a wider applicability. But in fact, it

would be interesting for further research to test the strategy in other Asian

countries, since the type of new town in Hanoi are in fact a Asian (or even global)

phenomenon.tions of means. In this way the neighborhood can, in time, easily be

adapted to the changing needs. Each neighborhood has its specific flexible strategy

for development. The strategy does not only rely on prohibiting certain typologies

and uses, but more on allowing and even showing potentials for certain other uses

that are not directly in the plan. Sustainable development for the environment and

the community can in this way be an incentive for developers that want to build

more, or with special qualities.

Many projects like Nam An Khanh are scattered around Hanoi, that face a similar

fate. The proposed strategy therefore has a wider applicability. But in fact, it would

be interesting for further research to test the strategy in other Asian countries, since

the type of new town in Hanoi are in fact a Asian (or even global) phenomenon.

23

1. Introduction

This chapter will state the context with background information and describe the problem field - the resilience of contemporary new town planning and design in Hanoi and in Asia - resulting in a problem statement. A main research question and a set of sub-questions are derived from it.

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1.1 Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi, the capital van Vietnam, is a city with an urban core of 2.5 million inhabit-ants (GSO 2009) and is the site for this research. It is located in the North of Viet-nam in the Red river delta; a flat landscape with numerous meandering branches

of the Red river. The mountain ranges to the North and the West of the city pro-vide a moderate climate from October to March. The site for the VCA competition

is a 5 x 5 kilometer area located 17 kilometers west of the centre of Hanoi. It is

located at the outskirts of the the projected city border. Nowadays it is an area

full of villages, some specialized in certain crafts, others still agricultural. Most of

them are densifying and gradually becoming more modern and urban. But it is

also the construction sites for the most recent new town developments, resulting

in a patchwork of urban patterns. The recently constructed Thang Long highway

forms the connections between the old city and the satellite towns. The new ring

road will provide a fast connection to the airport and the new developed districts.

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012 Urban development at the urban fringe.

1.1.1 New mega cities

The mega cities Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh now emerge, and grow much faster

(population and urban area) than the smaller centers in Vietnam. The two cities

now account for 34% of the urban population of Vietnam (GSO 2009). After in-

itial modification and densification of the existing neighborhoods, expansion of

the city started to take place at the fringes of the city, where villages underwent

rurbanization. Even while spontaneous urbanization remains important, since the

years 2000, the central state has embarked on large-scale urbanization planning

with the goal of fostering economic development (Labbe 2010), and adopted a

policy of New Urban Areas (NUA) to guide its urban growth. The master plan for

Hanoi 2020 and vision 2050 designated large areas of agricultural land for urban

development (P&E 2010).

013 Vernacular housing in Hanoi is char-acterized by the dense urban fabric with a small grain size. It is diverse in typology and function, disected by large boule-vards and and a maze of small alleys.

014 Modern Hanoi: monotomous, generic suburbs, developed on a large scale. Succes is valued on the quality and safety of investment, and the progress of the developer.

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1.2 Problem field

Hanoi is an emerging mega city in South-east Asia, that has to put enormous effort

in housing the new millions, mainly immigrants from rural descendant (Geertman

2007; Labb 2001). Hanoi is therefore in a great need for new extensions to the

city to accommodate this growth. But, because of the speed of urbanization, the

power of purely profit driven developers and the capability and priorities of the

government, it remains difficult to design them in a resilient and sustainable way.

015 The construction of New urban ar-eas at the urban edge is an alien type of large scale city (VCA 2013)

31

A way that answers the needs of inhabitants instead of only the needs of investors

and project developers. A way that fosters long term benefits for the city. The gov-

ernment has currently only limited controll on developers. They have other more

urgent goals to focus on and leave much room to this sector.

challenge

NUA developments in Hanoi are not answering the real users needs in housing

but mainly serve as a finacial product for investement. Therefore, the resilience

of Vietnamese cities proofs to be a real challenge. Currently used models do not

have an answer on how to navigate between investment needs, housing needs

and a own cultural identity, in order to built a resilient city that is fit for the future.

Some politicians are now very much aware of this. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen

Sinh Hung spoke about it at the Vietnam National Urban Conference, November

6th-7th, 2009 (World bank 2012): Vietnam will have only one chance to get

urbanization right. If we fail at urbanization, we will fail at industrialization and

modernization. Nevertheless the current crisis in the housing market unveiled the

shortcommings of current practice; speculation, overproduction of certain high

market housing, shortages in affordable housing and a general lack of a sense of

place.

For who do we built?

Currently built large scale developments in the New Urban Areas are not answer-

ing the real - peoples and users - needs in housing, culture and lifestyle of the ma-

jority of the population. Top-down planning processes have created, like in other

Asian countries, a lack of variety in urban and architectural typologies, and spatial

separation of functions. The large scale of the developments, that are built with

standardized and mechanized construction methods, resulted in urban environ-

ments where its inhabitants are bound to their air-conditioned homes and cars.

They could be qualified as the Asian version of the (neo-) Corbusian dream. But

they are also the result of pure focus on pursuit of profit.

Flexibility in the built-environment in the sense of its susceptibility for modification

and alteration to changes in the environmental context and the needs of inhab-

itants, was till the economic reforms of the Doi Moi (lit.; renovation 1986) the

normal way of dealing with the ever changing environmental context in Hanoi.

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Urban transformations like densification, alteration of houses, subdivision of plots

can be found in most neighborhoods from before the year 2000, that in spite their

physical and infrastructural inadequacies seem to function rather well as a place

where people, communities, can work and live. But flexibility in the built-environ-

ment in recent developments seems to be absent, in the New Urban Areas. The

rapid growth that was formalized in the Hanoi, Capital Construction Master Plan

to 2030 and Vision to 2050 implies that by 2050 more than 60% of the city would

look and function like this (P&E 2010). This would be a nightmare scenario. The

city would be unable to adapt to the changing desires and lifestyles of its people

and the changing economy.

under pressure

Growth is now under pressure by the worldwide financial crisis, but urbanization

will most likely continue as projected because of changing family composition,

increasing whealth and anti over-population measures. Housing availability and

affordability becomes pressing in the large Vietnamese cities (Geertman 2007).

Migration and urbanization have increased over the last three decades and have

accelerated even more during the last decade (General statistics office 2009). Ex-

pansion of Vietnams largest cities takes place in two distinct ways; with new urban

areas and with self-help housing projects (Geertman, 2007). Rapid development

while maintaining local culture and identity remains an issue. The urge for moder-

016 Two typologies in this part of Splendora; Spanish villas and aparment towers.

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nity on the political agenda and speculative development by highly commercial

project developers have created soulless new urban areas that are only an im-

age of modern or sustainable design; mono-functional, little social interaction,

socio-economically segregated and based on a car and air-conditioning lifestyle.

These developments show no regard for local knowledge about sustainable, social,

environmental and culturally relevant, design solutions.

The overheated real estate market came to abrubt standstill in 2008, housing prices

dropped by 40%: the bubble created by speculative development and investment

bursted. Most commercial urban development was put on halt by a official decreet

of the government. Till this day, many projects remain unfinished, as empty land,

or as vacant buildings (VNRE 2013).

Alternative

So, therefore an alternative method that challenges the rigid top-down mo-

no-functional NUA designs, would be relevant to introduce. The lack of diversity

and multifunctionality of urban typologies are an important part of the problem.

And since typologies can directly be related to the process of development and

most likely new groups of future users, it could possibly provide urbanists the

tool to mitigate problems related to livability, cultural identity, diversity and future

resiliency of the city in a rapidly changing socio-economical context.

the case of Nam An Khanh

The design location, Nam An Khanh, is located at the edge of the city, and is sur-

rounded by a variety of agricultural-, crafts- and urban villages, and new devel-

opments. The New York based firm Perkins Eastman developed a master plan for

the greater Hanoi metropolitan area. The location was programmed by P&E as a

residential district, with a CBD along the highway. In the VCA competion the idea of

spatial division of function and typology based zoning was rejected.

The hypothesis of this thesis is that; with the introduction of, new urban typologies

and a more diverse mix of typologies ,an alternative more flexible model for urban

planning and design of new towns would be created and mitigate various other

problems. It can guide Vietnames cities towards a more resilient growth, in its

dynamic socio-economic context. Urban growth that is ingrained in local culture,

compact in its spatial layout, and that can give a unique identity. These new typol-

ogies will make it possible to spatially combine large scale construction and a small

scale, bottom-up approach of self-build housing.

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problem statement

Vietnam faces an emergent global culture, and rapid and massive ur-banization. The scale and speed of urban development in the new urban

area development model contradict with existing cultures and traditions

of adaptability and self-build housing. The two existing planning methods

in Vietnam have qualitative issues; self-help housing projects lack basic

infrastructures and physical quality while the massive new urban area

blueprint planning does not show any sign of urban life and self expression

nor urban development for real market demands: it lacks flexibility in every

sense. The resilience of massively expanding cities therefore becomes a

pressing issue. Future designs of new urban areas have to search for a

balance between mass production, master planning and traditional bot-tom-up building methods that fit to the local culture and traditions.

The hypothesis of this thesis is that; with the introduction of, new urban ty-pologies and a more diverse mix of typologies ,an alternative more flexible

urban architectural model for new urban areas will be created and miti-gate various other problems. It can guide South East Asian cities towards a

more resilient growth in a dynamic context, ingrained in local culture, com-pact in its spatial layout, and give a unique identity with meaningful space.

With these new typologies it can spatially combine large scale mechanized

construction and a small scale, bottom-up approach of self-build housing.

Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to propose a model for resilient urban

growth, that fosters flexibility from exiting Vietnamese building culture

but also embraces, mass production and foreign investment in new urban

areas, with the use of new typologies. The city of Hanoi is subject for this

research. The testing ground is a the new urban area Nam An Khanh. The

result is a master plan and a (re-)development strategy that offers flexibil-ity in plan and in process.

The main research question derived from this problem statement is: In

what way can flexibility, understood as the ability for modification and ad-aptation in plan and process, be incorporated in the contemporary urban

planning model and the urban design of new urban areas in Hanoi?

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1.3 Research significance

The introduction of an alternative model with could foster more flexibility in the

planning and design of new urban areas, constitutes an important change in mind-set towards more future proof city development. It involves an ongoing process of

creating awareness at all the stakeholders, including users, developers and inves-tors and the government. Integral design takes the resiliency and sustainability of

the city as a whole as the base, not profitability or production speed, which is a

new perspective in Asian new town design.

Societal Relevance

This thesis is an effort to investigate and mitigate the contradiction between the

short term aims of developers and investors (quick profit) versus the long term

benefits of urban development for the city and its inhabitants (sustainability,

livability, community). This is a contradiction that can be found anywhere in the

world where professional planning and development of buildings exist, but in

the Vietnamese context the consequences of a predominant focus on short term

financial and investment aims are pressing because of the scale of new develop-ment. Many new urban areas are or will become ghost towns, because they do

not meet real (users) needs. The underlying reason is the current system of supply

driven development (large developers) combined with a large share of investment

driven development. The lack of flexibility means that no other function or users

can be brought in easily, afterwards.

017 New town Gelemixo provides lux-ury housing. But only cascos are built. Investors own it, but no real users will occupy it.

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The lack of diversity in typologies and functions in new towns deepens the segrega-tion of socio-economic classes of its users. On the other hand it kills the liveliness

and the street life that can usually be found in Hanoi. In mono-functional districts

people do not have a reason anymore to make a walk. There are no destinations

other than the neighbors. The supermarket is far away, so one has no other option

than to take the car.

Scientific Relevance

This thesis aims to become a elaborate study on flexibility in New town design in

Vietnam. This project has its foundations in the scientific debates about flexibility,

that have been around since the 1960s as a reaction on rigid new town planning

in Europe and the United States of America. In Vietnam the New Urban Area

policy exists since the 2000s, so the debate about its qualities started recently and

involves more user participation in large projects, the quality of public space (is it

meaningful?), and room for spontaneity (Geertman 2007).

The design can be seen as a test case for an alternative model for new town de-velopment, and as a start for the debate about the current practice. Because of

the speed of the construction of NUAs, in recent years little time remained for

reflection on what was actually built. Therefore this thesis tries to offer a view

from a more distant perspective on the current practice of new town design in Vi-etnam. In the end it contributes to the body of knowledge about new town design

in Hanoi, by creating a database of know how about typologies.

Ethics

As urbanists we design structures that can last generations, or even centuries. We

should not presume that we know what is good or bad for next generations and

we should not presume that what is in fashion now, will be desirable later. It is

important to keep in mind that the city will change in the future. The position of

this thesis is in that respect that we should therefore design the city as a changing

structure. If flexibility becomes an integral part of a design, future generations can

always adapt it to the changing socio-economical context, without large penalty in

resources, effort or money.

018 Only 20% of the area of Hanoi is dedicated to roads. The structure of the city is therefore not suited to support much car traffic. The reason for the high mobility in Hanoi is the omnipresence of motor bikes (World bank, 2012). In-creasing car traffic poses a serious threat for the well functioning of the city.

37

1.3 Methodology

After a more general research into the most urgent spatial and socio-economical

threats and opportunities facing Vietnamese cities, and in particular Hanoi, a set

of a specific research question and five sub-questions lead to a investigation of the

problems of urban planning and development in Vietnamese new towns and to a

proposal for an alternative model.

In order to get sufficient knowledge to answer research question,

In what way can flexibility, understood as the ability for modification and

adaptation in plan and process, be incorporated in the contemporary urban

planning model and the urban design of new urban areas in Hanoi?

the following sub questions need to be researched. Each question is followed by

methods to research them.

1. What is the notion of flexibility in contemporary urban planning and design in

Hanoi?

Literature review, observations on location

2. What are the proplems or issues in the current urban architectural model, plan-

ning system and business model of new urban areas in Hanoi?

Policies study, spatial analysis, historical study

3. What spatial requirements can be derived form from the research on flexibility

and the urban architectural model for the spatial plan (policy) and the urban de-

sign (typology)?

Literature research

4. What would be a fitting program for the site. Which building typologie(s), and

development model(s) should be part of the framework?

Data analysis, research by design

5. With what ways or methodes could be most suitable for a master plan that aims

at flexibility in planning and design?

Review of other planning systems (specifically in

Pacific-Asia), research by design, site analysis

38

019 Competition site in the map of Hanoi 2050 vision.

existing city

Hoa Lac

Airport

CBD

Legend

existing villages

new urban area plansexisting city

Hoa Lac

Airport

CBD

Legend

existing villages

new urban area plans

39

020 The site is compact enough to be walkable, and large enough to become a community and a local centrality.

Design test site Nam An Khanh

2250 m2350 m 900 m

1400

m

1450

m

1350

m

Old town, Delft021 Old citadel Merchants quarter, Hanoi

023-027 After 9 years the Sudico development Nam An Khanh is still nothing more than a construction site with lots of empty land and some foundations and unfinished buildings. It is still considerred a financial success! But will it ever become an urban success?

028 Hanoi ghost towns. After the crisis many urban developments remained unfinished or vacant.

42

022 A never finished ghost town in the Gelemixo new town, bordering the site on the east side.

43

9 years of development in Nam An Khanh, and still no users, no life, no realistic future scenarios.

45

2. Theory

Flexibility has many meanings in daily life. This chaper will give the definition of flexibility clearify the importance and the issues of flexbibility in urban planning and design.

46

3.1 Issues of flexibility

3.1.1 Importance of felxibility

Since the Doi Moi policies, or economic renovations, in 1987, Vietnam formally

changed to a socialist market economy and adopted commercial spatial develop-

ment. For the next 25 years, Vietnamese cities are expected to grow at an annual

rate of 6%, with the result that the proportion of urban population will increase

from 30 to 50% (MoC, 2009), most of this growth will take place in large scale,

commercial urban developments. Such rapid growth inevitably leads to problems

with the balance between supply and demand, but it will also result in a changing

urban culture and changing needs and demands of users. Therefore, a certain de-

gree of adaptability and flexibility in planing and in designs gets a new and growing

significance. Future proof planning and design that anticipates these changes is

therefore preferable.

47

A new type of planning

However, according to several scholars especially commercial urban development

does not address the urgency of flexibility enough (Labb 2008; World bank 2012;

Geertman 2007). In the new Vietnamese cities, the diverse, small scale (collec-

tive) private initiatives are replaced by large scale, standardized, monotonous,

commercial projects. While the modernist syle planning mechnisms take over in

urband development, the mechanisms by which the people and authorities of

Hanoi plan to ensure the sustainable growth and development of the citys ter-

ritory, society, and space are still very much in the making (Labb 2010, p.15).

The planning approach results in a system in which the right to use land for

agricultural purposes is revoked by the government, concessions are granted to

private developers or privatized1 state corporations, and villagers are forced

to abandon their agricultural livelihood (Labb 2010, p.9). Thereafter, developers

try to maximize potential profit in the shortest amount of time. The qualities that

ensure long term success, adaptability and future change, are of less importance.

029 Childern playing at an abandoned construction site in Nam An Khanh with only the casco of villas.

48

Research question

Therefore, it is crucial to learn from the current state of knowledge about how

to foster flexibility in urban planning and design and to understand what is flex-

ibility and what key elements can make a design more flexible. Both in existing

locations, as in new urban designs. Therefore, this chapter aims to answer the

question, what spatial and conceptual requirements can be derived form from the

theoretical research on flexibility and the urban architectural model for the spatial

plan (policy) and the urban design (typology)?

3.1.2 Research structure

Although many studies have been made into the ever changing vernacular urban

patterns in Hanoi (Geertman 2007; Kraas 2008), remarkably, very little has been

written about flexibility in the new towns that surround Hanoi. Western authors

have written theoretical papers about flexibility in urban design, and many master

theses have written at Delft University of Technology about how to design flexibil-

ity in urban space making (Beelen, 2008; Leunissen, 2007; Van Leeuwen, 2012).

Others have addressed the phenomena of new towns in Asia (Keeton 2011), or

more specifically China (Den Hartog ea. 2010). Since Hanoi has a long tradition of

adaptation to various invaders and a sequence of socio-economical and political

systems, many transformations took place in the old city, but also in the peri-urban

villages. Therefore literature about the effects of uncertainty will be discussed.

Since flexibility is such a broad term, it is important to first discuss the definition

of flexibility and how it affects the daily life of people. Afterwards the concept of

new town planning will be further investigated as a basis for later reflection upon

030 A private townhouse under con-struction, next to the old traditional house in a village south of Nam An Khanh. Privately commisioned develop-ment results in more diversity in archi-tecture, unit sizes and functions.

49

Vietnamese new towns. In order to get a better understanding of the processes

of adaptation and modification in the existing district in Hanoi, a number of plans

will be analyzed, that reflect the various stages of development of Hanoi, and the

various reasons that people can have to make these changes.

3.2 Definition of flexibility

According to the Oxford Dictionary (2008) flexibility is 1. the capacity of being bent

and 2. the susceptibility of modification or alteration, the capacity for ready ad-

aptation to various purposes or conditions, but also the freedom from stiffness or

rigidity. The second definition is mainly used for the context of urban planning and

design. Van Leeuwen (2013, p.151) adds that most people presume that some-

thing is only flexible when adaptation or modification can happen without unac-

ceptable penalties in time effort, costs and resources. Two reasons for flexibility

can generally be found in every discipline; the need that derives from differentiat-

ed demands for the same product (Bouten 2008, p.24) and secondly uncertainties

and unknowns about the future (Abbott 2005).

3.2.1 Changing culture

Changes in the social environment, economic or political situation result in new

requirements for the build environment (Abbott 2005; Knox 2005 ). Places are

constantly under social construction by people responding to the opportunities

and constraints of their particular locality (Groth & Bressi 1997). Thus cultures and

lifestyles change more quickly in developing countries where rapid urbanization

and increasing purchasing power speeds up the pace of change in cities, therefore

creating more uncertainty. In this dynamic context cities are continuously being

shaped by their context; their identity, form and function being continuously rede-

fined (Fainstein 2001). This continuous process requires adaptations in the build

environment.

3.2.2 Underlaying reasons

The main underlying reasons for flexibility are uncertainties in the social environ-

ment, differentiated needs of people and sustainability, mainly as a byproduct of

durability and resilience (Bouten 2008, p.23).

50

Balance between certainties and freedom

People and organizations always have to maintain a balance between their certain-

ty and their flexibility to change in responce to changing external circumstances.

To much flexibility will affect certainty and continuity. People have a need for a

certain degree of predictability and transparency in their surrounding, they want

to understand and grasp what is happening. Law and policy give a legal certainty

to people; too much flexibility in regulations could undermine this certainty. Urban

planners and designers but also individuals (house owners) have to manage uncer-

tainties. Too much certainty leads to a lack of progress (Leunissen 2011, p.20), too

little certainty to chaos.

According to Abbott (2005, p.237-238) urban planning needs to respond to the

changing and uncertain social environment but [urban planning] is also a process

for changing that social environment and creating more certainty. Ed Soja (1980)

called this the socio-spatial dialectic.

Differentiated needs

In order to meet the differentiated needs of people (and the market) a tenden-

cy towards standardization and personalization of these standard objects can be

observed. All people have specific and differentiated needs but for more efficient

production and exchange of goods most products are to a certain extend standard-

ized. In order to remain functional in time, with possibly new uses or users, stand-

ardized options can for instance be over dimensioned, or have a spatial framework

that is adjustable to be fit for other needs. Jane Jacobs argued that (1961) urban

environments with multiple functions, mixed uses, a variety of building typologies

and a fine grain urban structure is better able to incorporate differentiated needs,

and is therefore more livable and resilient.

3.2.3 Types of flexibility

PProduct flexibility is the susceptibility of a product for ready adaptation and mod-

ification. It is related to the flexibility of the built environment, for instance the

To survive, organizations have to maintain a balancebetween their stability and their flexibility to change in

response to changing external circumstances

- Selznick (1948), Weick (1969)

51

buildings, roads and other infrastructure. Process flexibility is the susceptibility of

people, organizations, or regulations to adapt to changing circumstances. It is, in

urban planning and design, the ease to change plans during the process but also

the amount of room that regulations give for multiple options.

Functional flexibility is the susceptibility for change of the, envisioned, designed

or existing, functional program during its lifetime. For instance the conversion of a

shop into an office into a bike parking. Therefore it is tightly connected to flexibility

in regulations like zoning plans. Spatial flexibility is the susceptibility of modifi-

cation and alteration and the capacity of ready ad-

aptation to changes in quantitative needs of users.

Spatial needs can change for instance when a family

composition changes. The use stays the same, but

the built environment changes according to the

needs and desires of the users.

Time

Flexibility in urban planning and design has to be re-

viewed within a defined time frame and in a defined

spatial scale. Flexibility in every scale leads will lead

to to chaos, therefore every plan needs a certain

amount of fixed structure eather planned, or infor-

mal. In urban planning and design more fixed struc-

ture is found at the larger scale levels, for instance in streets and building blocks

or important infrastructure. Structural elements last longer, are more durable,

and change less often (Heeling e.a. 2002, p.16). Urhahn (2013) identified multiple

scales with increasingly long cycles renewal (xxx). He called them the heartbeats of

the city. Together they are part of the the complex and dynamic nature of the city.

Drawbacks

Sometimes flexibility is misused to deliberately leave things unclear. In this way

progress in the progress can be slowed down (Leunissen 2011). According to Buit

(1975) flexibility could be used as means to conceal underlying objectives of in-

volved stakeholders. In this way flexibility can originate from the needs of admin-

istrators or stakeholders to act freely and undisturbed by regulation. It can also be

the more implicit and formalized way of corruption or nepotism.

031 Larger scale levels have more persistence in the urban fabric (Urhahn 2013)

52

the window of vitality

Other fields like organizational science have developed models that show the mu-tual dependance of diversity and sustainability (Goerner e.a. 2009). High efficiency

generally offers little diversity, while a higher diversity could offer more sustaina-bility. Too much diversity, though, will lead to stagnation, the point that plans are

not realized anymore because of a lack of efficiency. The optimum is called the

window of vitality/viability. This is the point where diversity and sustainability are

in balance. A comparison can be made with the performance of cities, and plans

for urban development. Westerhof (2014) argues that urban planning and design

should offer two thrid diversity, and one third structure.

local context

The drivers behind flexibility in urban planning and design in Hanoi can be distin-guished as a mixture of tradition, a provided certainty, taken opportunities and a

strong sense of progress that now gradually forms a new layer of modernity. Spa-tially this mixture is not so well mixed after all. Rapid change in the environmental

context and therefore changing functional and spatial needs make adaptability

and resilience key issues for the existing city but even more for the rapidly expand-ing new urban areas.

Sustainability

Towards brittleness(Too little diversity)

Diversity

Greater Eciency

Optimal Balance

The Window of Vitality/Viability

Towards stagnation(Too little eciency)

Greater Resilience

?

Sustainability as a function of resilience and efciency (based on: Sally J. Goerner, Bernard Lietaer, Robert E. Ulanowicz. Quantifying economic sustainability: Implications for free-enterprise theory policy and practice. Ecological Economics, p.76-81, 2009)

Westerhof, E. (2014) Tweederde diversiteit en eenderde structuur is wat we nodig hebben. http://ruim-tevolk.nl/blog/tweederde-diversiteit-en-een-derde-structuur-is-wat-we-nodig-hebben/ retrieved on: 2014-06-04.

53

Tradition; Urban planning in Hanoi was always deeply influenced by Confucianism,

and can still easily be traced back in the (urban) villages and in the old citadel. The

paradigm of change and evolution are part of this tradition: the city of flux. Hanoi

has a greater persistence of traditional morphological forms, than any other major

city in South East Asia (Geertman 2007, p67). Villages, historic city center (only

surviving one in South East Asia), based on Confucian philosophy. The rubanized

traditional villages at the urban fringes are at a crossroads: hardly able to adapt to

the new context, still trying to hold on their culture and traditions.

Certainty; The bank infrastructure is still developing and therefore savings are

traditionally invested by people in real estate or gold. High urban pressure makes

a house a valuable investment (Reuser 2012). A house is considered a save invest-ment and a pension by many (Geertman 2007). A house should give some extra

income to its users with a small shop at the street, or by sub renting rooms, and is

therefore build with adaptation in mind.

Opportunity; New immigrants in the city face a massive housing shortage. Urban

informality is in many cases the only solution. A more structured form is self-help

housing that is now stimulated by the government. Urban rural conversion take

places at the fringes of the city. This rubanization goes along with a shift from

agricultural uses to crafts, small industry and production. Villages are densified

and expanded along roads with city typologies.

Progress and modernity; Hanoi faces a massive need for housing to absorb the

urban growht. Efficient, industrialized mass production is a solotion to provide

good quality housing for a price affordable that is affordable for the mass. The

current tax system provedes incentives for large area developments. Only land is

taxed as a single event. Therefore developers have no need for a future plan for

adaptability. Large scale high end development are prestige projects for the happy

few, but overprovision lead to ghost towns. No one is willing to take the loss and

the development does not allow for ready adaptation.

55

3. Research

sdhypothesis of this thesis is that rapid change gives uncertainty / ,,

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56

Demography

Source: CIA Factbook, accessed: March, 2013

10 x million

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Amsterdam

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Hong KongHanoi

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Ho Chi Minh City

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for housing, employment, healthcare and family life.

Source: database Worldbank, 2013

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Source: UN DESA, accessed: March, 2013

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58

Economy

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown from just over 2 billion US$ to over 120 billion US$ in the twenty years ater

the Doi Moi.

Source: CIA Factbook, accessed: April, 2013

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60

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01980 20001990 2010

Vietnam

GermanyThe Netherlands

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Source: CIA Factbook, accessed: March, 2013

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Since the Doi Moi, the main mode of transport has changed from the bicycle to the motor bike. Car-use is rapidly spread-ing, while public transport is still fragmented and low quality.

A new metro system is now under construction and will eventually also serve the site.

Hanoi 2014

total pop. 3.5 millionNUAs pop. 0.7 million (25%)density: 300 people/km2

urban villagestraditional townhousespopular housingnew urban areas= 100,000 people

/

IN THE NEXT DECADES HANOI WILL

Hanoi 2050

total pop. 10 millionNUAs pop. 6 milliion (65%)density 200 people/km2

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Power devision in development xStakeholders Perspective * x

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Blocks xNeighborhoods x



NEW URBAN AREA: SPLENDORA

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development area

villages

main river dyke

river

highway

Metropolitan scale

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connectivity and integration

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local community in neighborhoods

diversity in users, typologies and developers

strong framework, flexible infill

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Current immage

Generic suburb

boring

along the highway?western?

could also be in Korea

far from the city life

no amenities nothing to do

sleeptown

vacancyghosttowns

no community

posh

next to dirty villages

you need a car

exlusive

Future immage

thriving villages

strong community

diverse

close to work

innovative

town center

artistic and creative

oppertunity for ideas

next to the metro line

young people

all amenities close by

away from the chaos city at 10 minutes

safe for childern

bike use!

inclusive

People with innovative ideas

Age: 20-35 Income: 4/5

We have ideas. We have money. But we need a location where we can realize our ideas, where we can test new concepts

Youngsters from the village


We are looking for affordable social housing, close to our family in the village. But we are young modern people and do not want to live with our parents and grand parents in one home anymore. we have seen that in the western world young people live in apartments.

Families with childern


We came her because the city is often crowded and the heavy traffic makes it unsafe for childern to play on the street. Nam An Khanh provides a safe public domain with enough parks and gardens for childern to play outside. Schools and childcare are nearby.

New middle class

Local artists and craftsman


We have allways worked in the the crafts villages nearby, but life is difficult and hard over there. Here we will have more visitors and toursits with money that might want to buy something. And after all, it is a better environment to work here.

Collectives


We are looking for a specific way to live that we can not find in the city. We do not have the money to realize this dream alone, but with a collective we can make a really nice project in our way, that is still afordable.

New middle class

New middle class


We wanted to have a house with a garden. Since we have studied and started our own company, we have enough means to built a new comfortable house just outside the city. With our car we can easily to move arround, but our electric scooter is even better to use since everything is closeby.

Recreational/cultural visitors

Age: 0-75 Income: all

The food market, the blossom trees, the art and and crafts center - they are all amazing to visit. Maybe we will buy some nice art. It is a really nice location for a day of leisure. Even the amusement park is close by!

Gardeners from the city


We live in the city, but really need to escape the hot dusty and chaotic city now and then. Our garden in Nam An Khanh is our weekend retreat. Maybe we will once buy a house here, if we get te oppertunity to buy our garden plot.

New middle class

Village returners


Before the Doi moi we lived in a village not far from here. The sense of community was amazing. We allways missed that in the city. In Nam An Khanh we can live in a villages, but with all the conviniences of the city, like fast internet, potable water from the tap.

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A city is a place that can offer maximum freedom. Otherwise its incomplete.

- Ai Wei Wei on Beijing as a nightmare city

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MANY DEVELOPERS

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external imput

market demand

investor

investor

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blueprint plan Sudico real estate market

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investorscollectivesideas

small pocketsof Sudico housing

smart phone app for plots

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Sudico real estate market

users???

user???

Current model

Sudico vision andstructure plan

New model

plot by plot

development

166

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How can we design large projects without necessarily imposing uniform-ity and rigidity where variety and adaptability over time are desirable?

How can the big project nevertheless do justice to the small scale?

~ John Habraken, 1987 ~

1. new connections between districts

2. first phase of development connects villages

3. Temporary functions: placemaking, test site, publicity

169

4. urban center along main roads

5. multiple small and large developers to get more diversity

6. public parks as borders of wards

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Son Dong village has a long-standing history as a traditional handicraft village for carving statues, sculptures, and red lacquer trimmed with gold. The village has the distinction of recently being recognized by sculpts the largest quantity of statues and worshipping objects for buddhists.

Kim Hong village is famous of its specific genre and technique of woodcut painting used since 18th century. The art of making Kim Hoang painting is considered a symbol of traditional culture and aesthetic value of Vietnam.

Hau Ai is a former village known for making toys for Mid-Autumn festival.

Phu Vinh village has a history of over three centuries of traditional rattan handicraft, bamboo weaving and growing bonzai trees. The village stocks a wide variety of silk products, and ships goods all over Vietnam, as well as exported overseas.

Song Phuong and Tien Yen villages specialize in agriculture. The goods are exported to Hanoi and other cities. To make the production more efficient and sustainable for the people food needs in the area, villagers planted the fruit trees and vegitables along the river and along the national highways and provincial roads.

La Phu has been known as a capital city of their top weaving products that were offered to the King. Nowadays, La Phu is one of the richest handicraft village with woolen weaving for export.

Lai Xa village is the only traditional photographic village nationwide and was founded by Nguyen Dinh Khanh in 1892. Black and white photography was once the villages main industry.

HA NOI

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Agenda

2015 2045 20502020 2025 2030 2035 2040

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Metro Nam An Khanh

Metro Baoson park

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PLANNED PROGRAM BAR

FAR: 0.4total GFA: 1,200,000 m2

total number of dwellings: 4000total GFA amenities: 100,000 m2

FAR max.: 1total GFA: 3,000,000 m2

total number of dwellings: 5000total GFA amenities: 1,200,000 m2

villa

rental apartment

shopping centerschoolamenities

DESIRABLE PROGRAM BAR (max. scenario)

villarental apartment

popular housing

social housing

traditional typologies

retailproductionofficeschoolamenities

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Dpeople in the redevelopment

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instrument

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duser groups, so that the developer is not dependent on

large plots which only have

The strategy gives more certainty about the end users It results in a more balance

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The far future is too unpredi-accept that is only meaningful to make statements on the

Start without a detailed plan

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legendnew neighborhoods

center areas

fresh food market hall

recycling strategy of villa plots

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parks

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water

catalysts

phase 2

phase 2

phase 2pp

phase 3(temporary use: 35 ha

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tionMixed with small produced with small producwith small p ctMand home officeand home officend home o

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z>The market hall is the center of the Yen Lung new

neighborhood.People from all over An Khanh come

here to buy fresh vegetables and meat that comes

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market hall employs dozens of villagers and farmers.

On top of it are apartments with social and

d

mainly village returners and youngsters from the

on the German baugruppe) and built small

202

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70.000 m2

total area = 80,300m2footprint = 80,500 m2layers average = 2

GSI = 0.37FAR = 1.05OSR = 0.72

total area = 80.300 m2footprint = 0 m2layers average = 0

GSI = 0.00FAR = 0.00OSR = 0.00

total area = 80,300 m2footprint = 120.000 m2layers average = 4

GSI = 0.45FAR = 1.81OSR = 0.60

cemetery 12500m2 cemetery 12000m2

fresh food market 6500m2

farmland

vacant land

90.000 m2

cemetery 12000m2

fresh food m

Flexibility: an alternative development strategy in new urban areas in Hanoi

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