Developing public spaces in urban areas

Dubbed as a “livable city”, Da Nang has made its mark with outstanding achievements in planning, infrastructure and quality of living environment. One of the factors contributing to the appearance of the city is public space.

APEC Park has gone beyond its role as a “check-in” spot to become a multifunctional public space, hosting many activities such as exhibitions, seminars and community exchanges. Photo: DANG MINH

More than just an auxiliary part or the remaining space between architectural works, public space is a core element that contributes to shaping urban identity and connecting the community.

From the remarkable effort...

Da Nang has made many efforts to invest in and form public spaces, typically APEC Park, East Sea Park, 29/3 Square, Bach Dang walking street or coastal sidewalks along Truong Sa and Vo Nguyen Giap streets... These places are not only tourist destinations or places to organize cultural and artistic activities, but also community living spaces, where people can relax, meet and connect in daily life.

In particular, APEC Park has gone beyond its role as a “check-in” point to become a multifunctional public space, where many activities such as exhibitions, seminars and community exchanges take place.

The space along the Han River, the "backbone" of the city, has also been invested in thoroughly with a system of walking paths, pedestrian streets and riverside parks, contributing to improving the quality of life and expanding outdoor living space for urban residents.

In 2025, the city will continue to affirm its determination to develop public spaces through large-scale projects. Of which, the 29/3 Park renovation project will be invested with nearly 673 billion VND, aiming to build a model ecological, cultural, and community space.

At the same time, two important projects, the City Central Square (area of more than 16 hectares) and the Han River Park (investment capital of nearly 1,400 billion VND) have also been approved, expected to create more green highlights and open spaces, connecting key urban areas of Da Nang .

...to the "bottlenecks" that are not easy to remove

The process of developing public spaces in Da Nang has achieved many successes, but also faces many challenges, especially in the context of rapid urbanization.

According to Dr. Architect Tran Dinh Hieu - lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture (University of Science and Technology, University of Danang), one of the core problems is the lack of initial planning in old residential areas, leading to public spaces being arranged in a patchwork manner, developing in a "natural" way - taking advantage of any remaining land. Under the pressure of urbanization, these areas only focus on upgrading transport and housing infrastructure, while neglecting community institutions such as playgrounds, parks or small squares.

Traditional public spaces such as communal houses and community centers have not received adequate attention, resulting in residents’ needs for activities and meetings not being met. In addition, the current design of public spaces is still quite monotonous, lacking in amenities and has not mobilized the participation of the community and experts right from the planning stage.

According to Mr. Tran Dinh Hieu, public space is not an empty space, but a living part of the city. Therefore, planning needs to be oriented from the practical needs and cultural activities of residents and tourists.

If these spaces are not properly invested and exploited effectively, it will not only waste land area but also negatively affect the landscape and urban aesthetics. He also warned of the situation of "concretization" when the design uses too many industrial materials, which is not in harmony with the landscape and local identity.

Despite its natural advantages of rivers, seas and mountains, Da Nang has not yet effectively exploited these factors in public space planning. “Public spaces should be associated with the coast, river banks, interspersed in residential areas, that is the way to create a distinct urban identity for Da Nang,” Mr. Hieu emphasized.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Cuu Loan - Vice President and General Secretary of the Danang Urban Development Planning Association said that current public space projects are still formalistic, lacking actual surveys and dialogue with the community. "As a result, many projects are ineffective, even destroying the existing landscape" - Mr. Loan commented.

Economic pressures and the need for urban expansion have also caused public space to increasingly shrink, giving way to commercial projects. Many lands that once served the community have been converted to other uses, causing an imbalance between economic benefits and the quality of life of residents.

Need a strategy to develop public spaces

Experts believe that Da Nang needs a people-centered public space development strategy based on the foundation of “connection and co-management”. Accordingly, some key solutions include: planning public spaces according to a reasonable access radius; prioritizing the reuse of unexploited public land funds for public spaces; integrating cultural, educational, and tourism elements through organizing activities and events in public spaces.

In particular, the “co-management” model with the participation of the community, businesses and government will help public spaces meet practical needs, thereby improving efficiency and sustainability.

Many experts also share the view that the development of public spaces in Da Nang needs to be based on modern urban thinking, combined with learning from international models. On that basis, the city can build principles for designing multifunctional, creative, and sustainable public spaces, contributing to shaping the urban identity in the new context.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/phat-trien-khong-gian-cong-cong-o-do-thi-3299580.html