Cases of urban and rural planning involving the scope of planning and boundary of administrtive units in Vietnam

Cases of urban and rural planning involving the scope of planning and boundary of administrtive units in Vietnam​ (Image from the internet)

On November 26, 2024, the National Assembly of Vietnam passed the Urban and Rural Planning Law 2024, effective from July 1, 2025.

Cases of urban and rural planning involving the scope of planning and boundary of administrtive units in Vietnam

According to Article 5 of the Urban and Rural Planning Law 2024, the following cases of urban and rural planning related to the planning scope and administrative unit boundaries in Vietnam shall apply from July 1, 2025, consisting of 8 cases as follows:

(1) In case the administrative boundaries of a city, district-level town, commune-level town, district, or commune are entirely within the planning scope of an economic zone, national tourist area, the general planning for the economic zone, national tourist area must fully reflect the development orientation of the city, district-level town, commune-level town, district, or commune without having to separately prepare general plans for each city, district-level town, commune-level town, district, or commune.

(2) In case the administrative boundaries of a city, district-level town, commune-level town, district, or commune and the planning scope of an economic zone, national tourist area overlap, when preparing general planning for a city, district-level town, commune-level town, district, or commune, economic zone, national tourist area, it is required to ensure synchronization and consistency between the contents of the plans in the overlapping areas.

(3) If an economic zone, national tourist area is entirely within the administrative boundaries of a city, district-level town, the general planning of the city, district-level town must fully reflect the contents of the general plan of the economic zone, national tourist area without having to separately prepare a general plan for the economic zone, national tourist area.

(4) If an economic zone, national tourist area is entirely within the administrative boundaries of a district, the general plan for the economic zone, national tourist area is prepared without having to separately prepare a general plan for the district. The remaining area of the district (if any) will be prepared as a general plan for a commune, commune-level town.

(5) In case a city is a grade-I urban area or a new urban area with a projected population size equivalent to a grade-I urban area within a central-affiliated city, the general planning for the central-affiliated city must fully reflect the contents of the general plan for the grade-I urban area, new urban area with a projected population size equivalent to a grade-I urban area without having to separately prepare a general plan for the grade-I urban area, new urban area with a projected population size equivalent to a grade-I urban area within a central-affiliated city.

(6) If a city, district-level town, commune-level town, district, or commune is oriented to adjust administrative boundaries in provincial planning or general planning of a central-affiliated city, general planning shall be carried out according to the expected adjusted administrative boundaries.

(7) If a district, commune is oriented as a new urban area, no general planning for the district, commune is prepared, but general planning for the urban area is consistent with the administrative urban unit oriented to be established.

(8) If a district within a central-affiliated city has more than 50% of its natural area oriented for urban development according to the general planning of a central-affiliated city, no general planning for the district is prepared, but subzone planning for the area oriented for urban development according to the general planning of a central-affiliated city is prepared. The remaining area of the district is prepared as a general plan for a commune.

More details can be found in the Urban and Rural Planning Law 2024, effective from July 1, 2025.

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