Establishing a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Policy for Urban Sustainability in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam : A Theoretical Model

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city and the economic center of Vietnam. It has a land area of 2,095 square kilometers with a population of 8.2 million. Its increasing population growth, rural-to-urban migration, high density development in the center, huge and increasing travel demand, insufficient road infrastructure and limited public transit, present an enormous challenge for its urban planners to develop an efficient and sustainable transportation system. A city built at sea level, its faces serious climate change issues as flooding and increased carbon use add to its environmental problems. This paper provides a theoretical model for the development of a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Policy for urban sustainability in Ho Chi Minh City. This model acts as a sustainable transportation planning strategy designed to produce vibrant neighborhoods with compact, walkable, mixed-use development centered on rail and bus transit systems. The paper addresses three basic questions. First, what is Transit-Oriented Development and how is it a model for urban sustainability? For this question, a recent research literature on TOD’s is undertaken within the framework of its relevance for establishing a TOD Policy for Ho Chi Minh City. Second, how does a TOD Policy offer a solution to urban traffic problems in Ho Chi Minh City? For this question, an in-depth review of transportation problems in Ho Chi Minh City is undertaken with an analysis of how TOD’s can provide a solution. And third, how can a TOD policy be implemented in Ho Chi Minh City? For this question, a pathway to how a TOD Model can be implemented for Ho Chi Minh is presented. This model discusses the present urban planning system; the tools that exist for a TOD policy to be implemented; and the barriers to that implementation. This research project was the result of a Fulbright Specialist Program Grant provided by the United States Government