The National Assembly yesterday discussed the Urban Planning Bill, with most legislators agreeing on its necessity but opining the draft needs improvement if it is to meet practical needs.
Delegate Pham Phuong Thao from HCM City said her city now has 800 high-rise buildings and a number of new residential areas, but most have been built without harmonizing urbanization and socioeconomic development.
Another problem is that many urban projects are delayed for an unconscionably long time, but the bill does not address it, she said.
Tran Du Lich from HCM City said that the law should protect the interests of residents living in places earmarked for long-delayed urban projects.
Delegates agreed that the law should focus on the responsibility and role of provincial and district people’s committees in urban planning.
District level agencies should not have the authority for urban planning since they do not have the capabilities for it, they said. The authority should vest only in the provincial level agencies, they added.
To enable chief architects to perform their job, some delegates suggested that the role of chief architect and head of the planning department should be merged.
Delegate Tran Viet Dung said: “Having or not having a chief architect is not an important issue. The issue is whether the chief architect has the capability to perform his duties.”
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