Ho Chi Minh City unveils long-term urban and smart port development plans

Ho Chi Minh City is developing a comprehensive master plan for the 2025–2050 period, with a 100-year vision that focuses on strategic urban growth and infrastructure integration.

In the southern region, Tan Phuoc is being positioned as a core smart port urban area within the Cai Mep Ha Free Trade Zone ecosystem. This development aims to create a growth pole driven by maritime ports, logistics, industry, and the digital economy. The area serves as a vital connection point for National Highway 51, the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau expressway and railway, Ring Road 4, and the Long Thanh International Airport. Proposed development follows a five-layer spatial model: seaport-economy, industrial-supply chain, multimodal transport, energy infrastructure, and urban-ecology.

Simultaneously, the Saigon River is designated as a strategic central axis for the city's future spatial form. Under the proposed plan, which envisions a larger metropolitan area integrated with Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau, the riverbanks will serve as an international central core. The strategy aims to transform the Saigon River into a primary landscape axis, cultural space, and ecological corridor, featuring a network of parks, squares, pedestrian walkways, and marinas stretching from Cu Chi to Can Gio.