A number of experts have suggested developing a food street and a pedestrian zone near Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City to improve the magnetism and functionality of the area. 

The idea was put forward at a workshop on urban planning and management over the international airport organized on Thursday by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Architecture and the People’s Committee of Tan Binh District, which is home to the airdome.

Many delegates suggested that Tan Binh District increase its commercial space and create more tourism, entertainment, accommodation, and culinary services near Tan Son Nhat to make the most of the accesses leading to the airport.

Thach Phuoc Hung, a member of the Institute for Circular Economy Development (ICED), suggested Tan Binh authorities take advantage of its various attractions to develop economic activities that can better serve passengers and revitalize the neighborhood.

“It is possible to transform the roads around Hoang Van Thu Park into a pedestrian zone featuring culinary, cultural, and entertainment events on weekends,” Hung said.

“Meanwhile, Truong Son Street, where many famous northern specialty restaurants are located, can be turned into a Vietnamese northern food town,” the expert added.

Traffic expert Luong Hoai Nam responds to reporters at a workshop on the urban planning and management over the international airport in Ho Chi Minh City, December 23, 2021. Photo: Q.A. / Tuoi Tre

In the long term, they agreed that it is necessary to strengthen the connection between the area around Tan Son Nhat and other parts of the city by public transport means, such as rapid bus and metro.

Luong Hoai Nam, a traffic expert, proposed the construction of two elevated roads to increase the connectivity between Tan Son Nhat Airport and surrounding areas. 

Besides, one more terminal should be built in the north of the airdrome for the convenience of passengers going to and from Districts 12, Hoc Mon and Cu Chi and provinces in the northern part of the southeastern region.

A representative of the People’s Committee of Go Vap District proposed opening a new road adjacent to Quang Trung Street leading to Tan Son Nhat and recovering more than 52 hectares of leased land along that street to build more transit stations and yards for the transportation of passengers and goods.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport is the busiest airport in Vietnam, receiving 40 million passengers in 2019, far surpassing its designed capacity of 25 million passengers by 2020.

It serves passengers in Ho Chi Minh City as well as the rest of southeastern Vietnam.

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