Lam Dong (VNA) – The dizzying rate of urbanisation in Da Lat, a resort city in the south central region founded by the French, has tarnished its natural beauty, sparking concern among architects and local residents.
Architects from HCM City’s Architecture University, Vietnam’s Association of Architects and the Institute of Urban Planning sat down with policymakers on August 28 at a conference held in the city to discuss how to preserve the city’s natural beauty.
Experts spoke about alternative plans for the next 22 years, focusing on how to preserve and nurture the city’s 100-year-old reputation as one of the country’s greenest and most romantic spots.
Speakers raised concerns about the alarming number of big-budget construction projects gaining approval from the local authority, pointing out that many forested areas are being destroyed to make way for many of the projects.
The province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, for example, has allowed the Tam Ha Ltd Company to cut down 885 oil pine trees in a 36,959 square-metre forest in the city’s Ward 10 to build a tourism site.
According to local residents, who were recently informed about the decision, the decision is self-defeating since the region’s attractiveness will be diminished as the forest lies on the scenic Mimosa Hill.
Most experts at the meeting agreed that the use of natural resources must be done in a sustainable way.
Celebrated architects like Pham Tu, Vu Viet Anh and Pham Thuy Ai all said that development combined with the city’s thick carpets was the key to sustainable prosperity.
If not, tourism could be adversely affected by pollution and an unattractive landscape, they said.
Da Lat could end up being a city with forests instead of one hidden within forests, one speaker said.
According to Khuong Van Muoi, vice president of the Vietnam Association of Architects, the city’s urbanisation should be based on the natural characteristics of the Central Highlands, which is steep and hilly.
The growing number of sky-scrapers also threatened to damage the city’s famous French architectural style, he said.
Architect Luu Duc Hai, head of the Ministry of Construction’s Urban Planning Department, said he was strongly against the sprawl of buildings in the city.
The local authorities should not license buildings or apartment buildings that have more than five floors because their style does not fit the surroundings,” said Hai.
Speakers concluded that Da Lat needed to preserve its existing properties, its lush green landscapes, cool climate and unique architecture, instead of destroying its forests and adopting an unsuitable style not benefiting the so-called city of flowers, famed for its many French villas and picturesque views.-Enditem
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