Adjusting provincial planning creates a solid foundation for sustainable growth

The merger of Phu Tho, Hoa Binh, and Vinh Phuc provinces has expanded the natural area, population, and development space, further diversifying socio-economic potential. This puts the new Phu Tho in a significant position: 15th in natural area, 11th in population, and 6th in economic scale among Vietnam’s 63 provinces and cities. In this new context, Phu Tho’s provincial planning is being adjusted toward a more synchronous, flexible, and practical direction to maximize the advantages of the three former regions, thereby shaping a sustainable growth engine for the entire province.

A view of Viet Tri Ward—the administrative center of the new Phu Tho province.

Each province had its own strategic orientation: Phu Tho as the hub of the Northern Midlands and Mountains with a focus on Ancestral Land culture; Vinh Phuc as a modern industrial and service growth pole; and Hoa Binh leveraging its mountainous landscapes and ethnic identities for eco-tourism and renewable energy. From July 1, 2025, the merger unified these into a single entity.

The development space now spans from dynamic industrial plains through historical midlands to culturally rich ecological mountains. This transformation demanded an urgent, holistic adjustment of provincial planning to ensure effective exploitation of each region’s potential while creating tight connectivity within a unified structure.

The Provincial People’s Committee has launched a plan to adjust the Provincial Planning for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. Mr. Tran Duy Dong, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, emphasized: "Planning adjustment is carried out through selective inheritance of suitable contents from the three previous localities, but it is not a mere mechanical addition. The new planning must reflect a new, expanded development space with a long-term vision, aligning with green, sustainable trends and regional linkage requirements."

In the planning process, the province requires a clear clarification of the driving role of each region, defining development functions aligned with long-term visions and strategic thinking. Simultaneously, it ensures seamless connectivity and synchronization across infrastructure, urban areas, industry, agriculture, and services. Integrated spatial thinking is prioritized to avoid fragmented, scattered, or disconnected development.

The adjusted planning also emphasizes updating new elements, such as strategic transport systems, expressways, ring roads, and inter-regional railways. It directs the development of high-tech and supporting industries, high-quality tourism associated with resource and cultural conservation, and the promotion of green and circular economies.

To date, the workload has been carried out scientifically and systematically, with specific planning options now basically complete. Regarding development space: Phu Tho serves as the new central engine of the Northern region, acting as a gateway connecting the Red River Delta with the Northern mountainous provinces. It has become a strategic link to the expanded Capital Region, playing a core role in industry-logistics-urban-service development and serving as a vital trade axis for the entire region. Furthermore, Phu Tho is a cultural-spiritual tourism hub, contributing uniquely to regional identity and driving sustainable growth.

The province has also identified 3 corridors (dynamic economic corridor, North-South economic corridor, East-West economic corridor), 1 ecological belt, and 5 development axes. Specifically: The Northern economic axis belongs to the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong dynamic economic corridor, connected to major transportation routes, urban areas, important industrial and service centers of the province and the northern midland and mountainous region. The central economic axis is connected to the North-South economic corridor, linking the North-South axis from Tuyen Quang - Viet Tri - Hoa Binh - Thanh Hoa. The Eastern economic axis is connected to National Highway 2C, Ring Road 5 - Capital Region, and the Western expressway. The Southern economic axis is connected to the Dien Bien - Son La - Hoa Binh economic corridor. Ecological economic axis connecting the western part of Viet Tri - Hoa Binh...Immediately after the merger, the provincial People’s Committee leaders requested relevant departments and localities to focus on reviewing and proposing adjustments to the planning, especially for industrial zones, clusters, electricity infrastructure, transportation, and urban areas.

Evaluating the new Phu Tho provincial planning, Mr. Genji Sato - Senior Advisor of ACUD Vietnam Construction Technology Joint Stock Company - said that clearly defining economic corridors, dynamic axes, and ecological belts reflects a modern development mindset. This structure not only increases the province’s competitiveness in attracting investment but also contributes to ensuring sustainable development through controlling urban expansion and protecting natural resources.

From the orientations and solutions, it can be seen that the adjustment of Phu Tho provincial planning after the merger is a strategic step with long-term significance for the province’s development. The new plan not only provides a basis for rational resource allocation and synchronous infrastructure development, but also opens up opportunities for the formation of new growth poles, promotes regional linkages, and improves the quality of growth. When implemented synchronously and effectively, the plan will become a solid foundation for Phu Tho to affirm its position as a regional center and achieve sustainable development in the coming decades.

Dinh Vu