The Imperial Citadel, the riverside areas, the Western Quarter, and the student areas are the four proposed models for study, aiming to tap into the potential of culture, heritage, tourism, and services while expanding Hue City’s economic development space.

Resolution No. 10-NQ/TU, dated October 12, 2026, issued by the Standing Board of the Hue City Party Committee on the development of Chan May - Lang Co urban area through 2030, with a vision to 2045, sets out a strategic direction: establishing a southern growth pole, expanding the city’s development space, and strengthening regional connectivity. For Hue, this is a step toward turning its locational advantages, natural resources, and scenic landscapes into development capacity, while fostering complementarity between the heritage city and the coastal urban area.

Once abandoned and severely deteriorated, several heritage sites in Hue have been ‘brought back to life’. Beyond helping preserve the values associated with their original owners and local communities, these structures have become cultural spaces, contributing to the character and identity of Hue heritage city.

On October 14 in Hanoi, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Hue City People’s Committee signed an Action plan for cooperation on the development of culture, sports, and tourism through 2030. Hue City is the first locality to sign such a cooperation plan, aiming to tap into the potential and advantages of the city as a heritage city, a Festival City, and a distinctive cultural center of Vietnam.

On October 14, the Department of Science and Technology, the standing board of the Organizing Committee for the 2026 Hue City Creative Startup Competition, held the semifinal round for 30 outstanding projects selected from the preliminary round. This semifinal round was held under the theme ‘Promoting Cultural Heritage Values in the Digital Economy’.

With a new approach that shifts from ''preserving and exploiting individual monuments'' to ''connecting and leveraging the entire heritage system,'' the Project titled ''Leveraging the Value of President Ho Chi Minh Relics in Hue City for Tourism Development (2026 - 2030)'' (hereinafter referred to as the Project) also aims to address uneven heritage promotion and the lack of system-wide connectivity among historic sites.

As Hue moves toward its goal of becoming a distinctive heritage city and a major cultural and tourism hub for Vietnam and Southeast Asia by 2030, external relations, particularly cultural diplomacy, are taking on a strategic role. This is what Vice Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang announced about how Hue can turn its cultural ‘soft power’ into a driving force for sustainable socio-economic development.

On the afternoon of 30/9, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of Hue City People's Committee Le Tri Thanh led a survey of several heritage sites and cultural spaces to assess their current conditions and study ways to promote their historical, architectural and landscape values.

On the afternoon of September 19, Hue City People’s Committee held a meeting to review the organization of Hue Heritage and International Music Festival - Hue Wonderverse Music Fest 2026. Vice Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang chaired the meeting. The meeting was also attended by representatives from relevant departments, agencies, and units.

Changes in planning, infrastructure, and development space as Hue became a centrally governed municipality are opening up more room for the real estate market. However, experts said that this potential can translate into real value only when projects link to infrastructure, user demand, and the characteristics of a heritage city.