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| The front page of this issue |
The Urban Development Law No. 18/2026/QH16, adopted by the National Assembly on August 24, 2026, and effective from October 1, 2026, introduces significant changes to urban governance and development. One key change is greater autonomy for urban authorities. The law establishes a framework for decentralization that links authority with jurisdiction, responsibility, resources, oversight of power, and accountability. This enables local governments to take a more proactive approach in selecting solutions tailored to local conditions and each stage of development.
For Hue, a heritage city with an ecological character and a polycentric urban structure, the new regulations provide a basis for the city to put its planning vision into practice in the coming years. According to the author, Hue’s modernization must go hand in hand with preservation. The Imperial Citadel, the Huong River, landscapes, lagoon ecosystems, and coastal areas are not only assets to be protected but also the foundation of the city’s development model. Therefore, new urban centers should be developed in ways that ease pressure on the urban core from traffic, construction, and services, while preserving ecological areas and scenic landscapes as the city reaches urbanization.
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| Information published on page 3 of this issue |
Against this backdrop, Le Tho has an article titled ‘Applying Mechanisms to Unlock the Potential of a Heritage City’. In an interview with the reporter of Hue Today Weekly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Suu, member of Hue City Party Committee and full-time Deputy Head of Hue City National Assembly Delegation, noted that the Urban Development Law provides more flexible governance tools rather than a package of incentives that automatically applies to every city. Hue City needs to clearly identify which mechanisms apply directly, which require further guidance, and which need a decision to extend their scope of application.
In addition to the above articles, Issue No. 91 of Hue Today Weekly features a range of other engaging stories, including ‘Keeping the Flame Alive’ (Hy Kha); ‘On-the-Spot Exports’ (Kim Oanh); ‘Healing Sounds’ (Hai Bang); ‘The season of Gray eel-catfish’ (Mai Hue); ‘Reviving Cultural Spaces’ (Nhat Minh); ‘Nguyen Thuy Trang - A Green Soul in Literature’ (writer Phung Van Khai); ‘Clearing Nets to Make Way for Migratory Birds’ (Hoang Trieu); ‘A Visit to the Ancient Capital’ (Thu Uyen); ‘The Soundproof Wall’ (Hoai Thanh); and ‘Hue Football and the Road Ahead’ (Han Dang)…