Editor’s note: Facing new challenges, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) needs a major shift in thinking — to restructure its ground space for more efficient use while expanding its vision into five new development dimensions: the sea, the sky, the underground, the digital, and the cultural. When these spaces are planned and connected in a coordinated way, they will not only ease the burden on the ground but also open up new horizons for a more dynamic, sustainable, and creative HCMC in the new era. Ground space, meaning the entire inland area of the city, has long been the foundation of life and development in HCMC. From a small riverside town along the Saigon River more than 300 years ago, the city has continuously expanded on the ground, becoming the country’s largest economic hub. Almost all human activities — from housing and transportation to commerce and industry — take place in this layer of space. However, the development model relying entirely on ground space has reached its limits. Overloaded infrastructure, chronic traffic congestion, housing shortages, and environmental degradation show that the ground space can no longer meet the demands of a megacity, especially after its merger with Binh Duong and […]