The Hanoi People’s Committee has approved a new long-term master plan aimed at transforming the Vietnamese capital into a multi-center metropolitan region through large-scale transport infrastructure expansion, transit-oriented development and Red River urban redevelopment. The plan outlines strategic infrastructure corridors, new urban growth poles and regional transport connectivity initiatives designed to address congestion, population growth and aging infrastructure.
The master plan proposes the development of nine major growth poles, nine regional centres and nine strategic development corridors linked through ring roads, expressways and mass transit systems. Priority projects for the 2026–2030 period include the completion of Ring Roads 4, 4.5 and 5, upgrades to major radial highways and the construction of additional bridges across the Red, Duong and Da rivers. Hanoi also plans to prioritise Metro Line No.1 connecting Ngoc Hoi and Yen Vien, along with the proposed Line 1A linking Ngoc Hoi Station to the city’s planned second airport. The strategy adopts a transit-oriented development model, with future urban expansion concentrated around metro lines, railway stations and transport hubs.
The Red River corridor forms a central component of the new urban strategy, with plans to redevelop riverbank areas into cultural, ecological and urban spaces while maintaining flood-control functions. Authorities estimate that the population along the river corridor could reach 1.2 million by 2065. The broader plan also includes environmental resilience projects such as wastewater separation systems, flood-control reservoirs and river restoration initiatives. Hanoi aims to position itself as a national innovation and high-technology hub through the development of research centres, AI infrastructure and digital economy platforms linked to major development zones including Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park.