- The People’s Council of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has issued a resolution guiding transit-oriented development.
- The landmark policy will remove barriers and accelerate investment focused on the city’s urban railway metro network.
- GCIEP collaborated with the government throughout this process, facilitating knowledge exchange with decision-makers and providing technical inputs.
A GCIEP-HCMC delegation visit the metro in 2024, prior to public opening.
On 29 August 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) People’s Council officially issued Resolution No. 38 on the Formulation, Appraisal, Approval and Adjustment of Urban Development Planning Following Transit-Oriented Development in Ho Chi Minh City.
As the first city-level TOD-related resolution in Vietnam, it represents a turning point in policy and should remove barriers and accelerate investment in the city’s urban railway metro network and alongside it.
Vietnam’s rapid urbanisation and climate vulnerability has led to significant transport and urban infrastructure challenges, particularly in major cities like HCMC. While metro rail projects are underway, delays and funding constraints hinder their progress, where a lack of integrated urban planning has resulted in sprawling, uncoordinated development, straining infrastructure and increasing vulnerability to climate change impacts, such as flooding.
Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach which incorporates TOD, smart city solutions and improved coordination between national and city-level authorities.
The Green Cities, Infrastructure, and Energy Programme (GCIEP) has partnered with the city government to strengthen the policy enabling environment for TOD. Notably, GCIEP has facilitated knowledge exchange with decision-makers and provided technical inputs to the HCMC Department of Construction (DOC).
This has supported the People’s Council of HCMC issuing a new resolution that provides detailed guidance on a national-level policy relating to metro development in HCMC and Hanoi (Clause 1, Article 6 of Resolution 188/2025/QH15). Crucially, the new resolution sets out clear procedures for preparing, appraising, approving and adjusting TOD area plans.
In a statement, the HCMC DOC recognised the “contributions of the Consulate General of the UK and the GCIEP team in supporting and finalising the reports,” adding: “We look forward to continued cooperation and support … to propose specific solutions for implementing TOD areas along urban railway lines in Ho Chi Minh City.”
The GCIEP Vietnam team would also like to express their sincere appreciation to the HCMC DOC for their dedication and commitment to working with GCIEP, especially in the context of a rapidly evolving policy and urban development landscape.
Looking ahead, GCIEP will deliver a capacity-building workshop at the end of September, bringing together officials from Hanoi and HCMC to exchange experiences on TOD implementation and learn from international experts.
The UK’s Green Cities, Infrastructure, and Energy Programme is tackling climate change and extreme poverty by accelerating the delivery of sustainable green cities and climate-resilient infrastructure.
Published
23/09/25