The seminar aimed to discuss Vietnam’s vision and opportunities for sustainable urban development.

Addressing the event, Do Tu Lan, Vice Head of the Urban Development Department under the Ministry of Construction, said Vietnam’s urban system has expanded quickly in the past ten years.

However, she said, the system is now faced with many challenges such as inconsistency, shortage of housing, traffic jams, urban inundation, unaesthetic scenery, and poor management in dealing with globalization, climate change, and rising sea levels.

The bottom line is that Vietnam needs to apply new advanced information technologies in urban construction, management, and development with the aim of turning urban areas into modern, smart and environmentally-friendly ones.

Nguyen Minh Hong, Deputy Minister of Information and Communication, highlighted the importance of incorporating information technology into urban construction to create additional values and ensure sustainability for city dwellers.

Participants in the seminar agreed that there should be a broader vision for strategic solutions regarding the development of ‘smart buildings’ and ‘smart flats’ in Vietnam.