HCM City is drafting plans to develop the new Thu Duc City into a knowledge-based economy with a highly skilled workforce by 2030.

The plans envisage developing Thu Duc into the country’s largest innovation hub with well-trained human resources.

They will also address critical problems related to pollution, traffic congestion and lack of affordable housing among others.

A roadmap will soon be developed for this.

HCM City targets attracting 50,000 people to live and work in Thu Duc by 2025, including 20,000 engineers and other experts.

Residents, including teachers and lecturers at universities and research institutes and experts working in technology zones, need to have proper housing, a secure living environment and other facilities such as parks, schools, hospitals, and public transport

It wants 25 per cent of the Thu Duc’s population to use public transportation, and it will improve public transport, including BRT lines.

It will complete major transport infrastructure projects such as Ring Road 2 and National Highways 13 and 3.

HCM City established Thu Duc City in early 2021 by merging districts 2, 9 and Thu Duc, the first city to be under the jurisdiction of a centrally run city in the country.

It spreads over some 211.5 square kilometres and is home to more than a million people.

It is expected to account for a third of HCM City’s economy, and thus 7 per cent of the country’s economy.

HCM City authorities have extensively sought advice from foreign experts and investors in technology, finance and urban development for building the new city, and studied the experiences of major cities in other countries. — VNS