Vietnam Ministry of Construction plans smart city and underground space development

Vietnam's Ministry of Construction is developing strategic frameworks for national smart city development for the 2026–2030 period, with a vision toward 2035, alongside new plans for managing underground spaces.

Regarding smart cities, officials aim to establish a unified institutional, architectural, and data framework by 2030. The goal is to create a secure, interconnected urban data ecosystem by 2035 that serves as a resource for planning, investment, and urban operations. Current efforts focus on moving from research to practical implementation, though results remain uneven across different provinces due to fragmented data and disconnected infrastructure.

On the subject of underground space, the Ministry proposes shifting from managing individual construction projects to a holistic management approach. Current underground infrastructure, such as urban railways, tunnels, and parking lots, is often managed in isolation and lacks legal unity regarding deep-space rights. The proposed scheme seeks to treat underground space as a vital integrated resource, addressing bottlenecks in legal frameworks, three-dimensional planning, and spatial reservation.