Context
Ho Chi Minh City stands as the dynamic southern hub of Vietnam, positioned at the crossroads of critical ecosystems and international trade networks. Yet the city confronts mounting challenges: climate change impacts, flooding, and infrastructure strain.
On June 11, 2025, the Prime Minister officially approved the Ho Chi Minh City Master Plan Revision 2040, under Decision 1125. enCity proudly served as a strategic partner in shaping this transformative vision.
The plan encompasses nearly 2,100 km² of Ho Chi Minh City’s administrative territory, charting the city’s evolution into a “global, modern, and inclusive city”—a premier economic, financial, and service center in Asia that will drive growth and development across southern Vietnam and the entire nation.
Strategic breakthrough directions from enCity and Partners
I. Ecological convergence: harnessing nature’s power for sustainable development and adaptation
Strategy 1.1: Reclaiming green space, restoring and connecting regional ecosystems and green infrastructure
This strategy centers on restoring and conserving critical ecological zones, the Can Gio mangrove forests, Nha Be wetlands, and the Saigon River–Soai Rap corridor, while naturalizing and expanding green corridors along rivers, canals, and waterways to ensure drainage, water storage, and biodiversity functions. Agricultural lands in flood-prone areas will be preserved as integral components of the green infrastructure system, building climate resilience and enhancing urban adaptability. An integrated network of water regulation parks, riverside green corridors, and water reserves will be woven into the urban fabric as an ecological “sponge” blanketing the entire city.
Strategy 1.2: Unleashing nature’s power as the foundation for development
Develop through seamless integration of urban areas and waterways, positioning iconic centers and public spaces at river system confluence points to forge distinctive identities for each region. Two primary ecological-economic corridors—the Saigon River–Soai Rap–Long Tau axis and the Tau Hu–Saigon River–Rach Chiec–Rach Trau Trau axis—will anchor development for tourism, water transport, and port economy. Industrial, tourism, and entertainment activities will be intimately woven with water systems to fully realize the city’s natural assets.
Strategy 1.3: Embedding ecological character in urban design
enCity and partners have crafted urban design guidelines rooted in the distinctive ecological identity of six zones, defining settlement typologies including wetland urbanism, canal urbanism, agricultural urbanism, and coastal urbanism. New development areas will pioneer small-scale yet innovative, highly symbolic models, generating lessons for broader application while strengthening Ho Chi Minh City’s unique ecological urban identity for the future.
II. Talent convergence: uniting talent and human capital to create a thriving metropolis and magnetic destination for all
Strategy 2.1: Delivering living and working space for the broader workforce
This strategy prioritizes expanding urban development in elevated areas such as Cu Chi and protected areas like Binh Chanh and Nha Be, while enabling increased density in inner-city districts to meet housing and employment demands for the general workforce. A network of multifunctional urban centers will operate on the “15-minute mobility” model, linked by public transit to ensure rapid access to employment and essential services for residents. At city gateways, where abundant land and affordable prices prevail, large-scale urban centers will integrate housing, employment, and social infrastructure, helping redistribute population and ease pressure on the inner city.
Strategy 2.2: Delivering living and working space for elite talent and entrepreneurs
This involves identifying locations and crafting design directions for four high-value talent attraction models: Ecology-Oriented Development (EOD), Culture-Oriented Development (COD), Innovation-Oriented Development (IOD), and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Distinctive spatial forms and quality will create world-class destinations, elevating Ho Chi Minh City’s international competitiveness.
Strategy 2.3: Establishing modern business districts connected to regional transport and international gateways
This entails reserving land to develop compelling business districts that attract investors and generate substantial economic value. These centers must diversify land use, with residential, rental housing, and hotels capped at 20% of total area. All centers require direct connections to urban rail, inter-regional rail, and expressway networks to enable optimal mobility to the city center and airports.
III. Opportunity amplification: converging regional economic strength to become an international trade hub and creative, agile economy embracing every opportunity
Strategy 3.1: Strengthening regional connectivity, expanding the hinterland, and reinforcing regional center status
The city will complete inter-regional infrastructure by extending expressways, metro lines, and national railways into the center, strengthening direct linkages between Ho Chi Minh City and peripheral urban areas and regional industrial centers. Tan Son Nhat Airport will be repositioned as an airport urban center—a tourism and service gateway. Transportation investment will follow an integrated, multi-layered approach aligned with long-term development imperatives.
Strategy 3.2: Linking industrial zones with strategic logistics and inner-city transformation
New industrial zones will concentrate in downstream areas, particularly along Ring Road 3 and the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway, leveraging connectivity advantages to seaports and international airports. Concurrently, existing inner-city industrial zones will transform into innovation hubs integrating education, research, and high-value industries such as biotechnology and semiconductors. The objective is to propel Ho Chi Minh City beyond manufacturing toward becoming a regional center for high-tech production and innovation.
Strategy 3.3: Creating distinctive breakthroughs for peripheral centers
Cu Chi will emerge as a high-tech agricultural center featuring plant breeding research models and ecological tourism integrated with fields and waterways, while maintaining its strategic land reserve role for the city. Can Gio will serve as the nucleus driving the entire coastal industrial region, functioning as a financial center, conference and event hub, entertainment destination, and home to premium living spaces for world-class industry experts.
The master plan was developed by enCity in partnership with the Vietnam Institute for Urban and Rural Planning (VIUP), Southern Institute for Spatial Planning (SISP), and Green Space Co., ltd.
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