HCMC – The area of Ho Con Rua (the fountain of the turtle) and Nguyen Thuong Hien Street in HCMC’s District 3 are likely to become new pedestrian streets in the city, said Pham Thanh Kien, secretary of the District 3 Party Committee.
At a meeting with secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen on November 26, Kien revealed a plan to revitalize the urban landscape in District 3, according to the local media.
Ho Con Rua, which is located in the city’s downtown area and near the Notre Dame Cathedral, should be upgraded into a high-quality pedestrian area, Kien said.
As for Nguyen Thuong Hien Street in Ward 4, Kien said the street is famous for street food. Developing it into a pedestrian street will help ensure the quality of products and services and facilitate the trade activities of local residents.
The district will work with the relevant departments and agencies and ask for the municipal government’s approval over the plan next week.
At the meeting, chairwoman of the municipal People’s Council Nguyen Thi Le threw her support behind the plan, saying that the district should come up with solutions to develop the pedestrian street without affecting the daily lives and travel of local residents.
Director of the municipal Department of Planning and Architecture Nguyen Thanh Nha also backed the plan, adding that it has a high rate of success, as the development of small pedestrian areas is easier than that of larger ones.
He said District 3 has key streets such as Vo Thi Sau and Nguyen Dinh Chieu passing through, so the district should pay attention to intersections while developing new pedestrian areas to prevent traffic congestion.
At present, HCMC has two pedestrian streets: Nguyen Hue and Bui Vien in District 1.
Nguyen Hue Street became a pedestrian street in April 2015. It welcomes thousands of visitors daily and is the venue of many street festivals, parades, the flower festival during the Lunar New Year holidays and other community activities.
Meanwhile, Bui Vien Street became a pedestrian street in August 2017. It welcomes more than 1,000 guests on the weekends. Many catering, music and entertainment activities have been held on the street.
In July, the city passed a plan to develop an area in front of the Nguyen Tri Phuong Market in District 10 into a pedestrian area.
