Under Hanoi’s 100-year Capital development vision, underground space is planned as an interconnected urban structure closely integrated with the urban railway (Metro) network, helping reduce pressure on surface infrastructure.
1. Scientific Depth Zoning
- 0–15 m: Public-use facilities, including pedestrian walkways, parking areas, technical infrastructure, and Metro entrances.
- 15–30 m: Engineering infrastructure, including deep-level Metro lines, disaster prevention facilities, and utility corridors.
- 30–50 m: Core infrastructure, including large-scale underground water storage facilities, critical utility systems, and security and defense infrastructure.
- Below 50 m: Strictly controlled reserve zone.
2. Area-Based Development Strategy
- Historic urban core: Priority will be given to underground development due to limited surface land availability, with restrictions around historical and heritage sites.
- South of the Red River: Focus on transportation infrastructure and large-scale underground parking facilities.
- North of the Red River: Priority for transportation hubs, underground commercial streets, and river-crossing tunnels.
- Long Bien and Gia Lam: Development of smart underground spaces integrated with data centers.
3. Implementation Roadmap
- 2026–2035: Complete the legal framework and comprehensive underground-space planning.
- 2035–2045: Achieve an underground development rate of more than 20% in central urban areas.
- 2045–2065: Increase the rate to 35–40%, accompanied by significant expansion of underground commercial and logistics activities.
- After 2065: Operate and optimize the entire “second urban layer” through digital technologies.
In the future, Hanoi will expand not only horizontally but also vertically, creating a more flexible urban structure and moving toward a modern and sustainable city.
