The downtown area of Ho Chi Minh City will be expanded into five quarters, with motorbikes and personal cars to be banned in the core area, according to a new urban plan by the city Department of Planning and Architecture.

According to the plan, which has been approved by the city government, the existing downtown area, covering District 1 and District 3, will be expanded to include an area along the Saigon River in District 4 and Binh Thanh District and the ports along Nguyen Tat Thanh Street and the Tau Hu-Ben Nghe canals. Specifically, the downtown area will cover 930 hectares including such wards as Nguyen Thai Binh, Ben Thanh, Ben Nghe, Pham Ngu Lao, and the parts of the Cau Ong Lanh and Da Kao Wards in District 1; Ward 6 and a part of Ward 7 in District 3; Wards 9, 12, 13 and 18 in District 4; and Wards 22 and a part of Ward 19 in Binh Thanh District.

Many streets in the area will become pedestrian streets and shopping areas, and the green area will be expanded by 70 hectares.    The area, which will have an expected population of 248,000 people and a land use coefficient of 3.8, will have trams, shuttle buses and waterway traffic facilities along canals. The department is working out a schedule for implementing the plan, which was created with consultation from Japan’s Nikken Sekkei Ltd.Five quarters Under the plan, the downtown area will be divided into five functional quarters as follows:The core quarter for trading and financial activities: This entire quarter will be located within District 1, including trading centers, hotels, tourist companies, administrative agencies and public service providers. Le Loi and Nguyen Hue Streets will become pedestrian shopping areas. Except for buses and other public transport services, motorbikes and personal cars will be banned from traveling into the area Le Loi Street will be expanded to 56 meters in width while its length will be extended to the back of the City Theatre and to the Ba Son Plant area. It will become a busy shopping center. Strict control will be enforced on the building of any works around places of high historical value such as the Office of the city People’s Committee, the Ben Thanh Market and The City Theatre.The cultural and historical quarter: Mainly located in the Le Duan Street area, including low-rise buildings such as universities, cultural centers, administrative offices, religious facilities and hospitals. A green area will be built in the area to create a large green space including the street, Thong Nhat Hall and the Zoological and Botanical Garden.The Saigon River’s western bank quarter: the river’s bank area that stretches to the Tan Thuan Bridge will become home to cultural centers, recreational facilities and public spaces.      The low-rise quarter: covers residential areas including villas that were built during French colonial rule. These buildings are considered important properties of the downtown area. Many streets and places in the area will be converted to pedestrian-only areas, including Le Loi, Nguyen Hue and Dong Khoi Street, the roundabout in front of Ben Thanh Market, and a part of Huynh Thuc Khang Street.   The near-downtown area: located next to the trading and financial quarter, where high-rises for offices and trade centers will be built next to the Ben Thanh railway terminal, along Ham Nghi Street, Ben Nghe Canal, and Nguyen Thai Hoc Street.