Planning for Change: The Journey of Creating Livable Communities in Southeast Asia is a newly written Vietnamese edition, updated from the English publication Planning for Change, first published in Singapore. The book is authored by the enCity team, drawing on many years of hands-on experience across design, architecture, planning, infrastructure, and policy.
If you have ever wondered how Ho Chi Minh City’s metro network was first conceived, why certain routes were defended to the very end in professional debates, or how a single master plan can fundamentally change the way a city functions—Planning for Change offers a rare “behind-the-scenes” perspective. More than a book about planning, it tells the story of projects, people, and the decisions surrounding design, technology, policy, and community, all converging on a shared goal: creating a livable life.
What makes Planning for Change compelling is the way it pulls readers away from rigid technical jargon and leads them straight to the core question: how does a grand vision become a tangible, lived experience in everyday life? At times, this takes the form of the challenge of “positioning a city” within regional and global contexts, where the authors describe using analytical toolkits and evaluation frameworks to identify competitive strengths and structure urban form in ways that generate sustainable development momentum.
The professional landscape is portrayed from the broad strategic level down to fine-grained detail. Planning a metro network, for example, is not simply about drawing rail lines on a map; it requires working with data, forecasting models, and the future needs of millions of people. The book skillfully recounts a journey of building and continuously updating transport models over more than a decade to predict passenger demand, along with the pride of the enCity team in being entrusted to lead the planning of the metro network for one of Vietnam’s most important master plans. Behind every metro line lies an entire “ecosystem of decisions”—technical, policy-related, financial, and sustained by the perseverance of dedicated professionals.
Beyond major metropolises, Planning for Change also brings readers to lesser-known localities, where architecture becomes a language of care and identity. In Hoa Lư (Ninh Bình), a housing project for the armed forces is set within a heritage landscape, guided by a spirit of connecting nature, history, and contemporary life, and aiming toward a humane urban development model that harmonizes with the former capital’s scenery. Here, “home” is not merely shelter; it becomes a collective portrait of a community supporting one another to stand resilient through time.
From heritage regions, the book expands its scope to the Central Highlands with the Đắk Lắk Provincial Cultural and Arts Center— a public building envisioned as a new cultural symbol of Buôn Ma Thuột. Inspired by traditional festivals, the architectural concept adopts a circular layout with spiraling terraces that evoke images of ethnic communities gathering together. Beyond symbolic form, the complex integrates features such as musical fountains, an auditorium with an open backstage, and a rooftop open-air museum, positioning it as a cultural destination of regional significance.
On another thematic layer, Planning for Change directly confronts questions about technology and the future of the profession. As emerging technologies such as 3D printing transform modes of production, how will cities and urban planning adapt? Chapters on the “new era” present international examples—from proposals to restructure high-tech industrial zones in central Singapore to the Lim Chu Kang project, where high-tech agriculture is organized around circular economy principles, linking local identity with innovation.
“Production can now become part of the urban experience. We have seen this at Volkswagen’s factory in Dresden or Adidas factories in Germany—where you can talk with engineers, customize products, and witness the manufacturing process firsthand.”
— Dzung Do Nguyen, A New Era: 3D Printing and Technologies Shaping the Future of Planning
The greatest value of Planning for Change lies in helping readers realize that a livable city does not emerge by chance. It is shaped by countless choices—about urban structure, infrastructure, data, public space, cultural facilities, housing, and innovation ecosystems. Even when discussing urban management technologies, the book maintains a hands-on, practice-oriented spirit, illustrated through examples such as real-time planning and land management platforms that support data analysis and intuitive decision-making.For practitioners, Planning for Change rekindles the familiar feeling that every drawing carries a story. For students, it opens up a broader professional map where design, architecture, planning, technology, and community are deeply intertwined. And for anyone curious about the city they live in, the book answers a very human question: who quietly designed the things we pass by every day—and how did they do it?
The book is available at Alpha Books bookstores starting 22 December:
Hà Nội:
Read Station Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, 155 Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, Phường Láng, Hà Nội
Phố sách đường 19/12, phường Trần Hưng Đạo, Hà Nội
TP.HCM:
Read Station Nguyễn Thái Bình, 311 Nguyễn Thái Bình, Phường Bảy Hiền, TP.HCM
Đường sách Nguyễn Văn Bình, Phường Sài Gòn, TP.HCM
Online:
https://omegaplus.vn/kien-tao-thay-doi-hanh-trinh-kien-tao-nhung-cong-dong-dang-song-o-dong-nam-a
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