Street redesign key to green transition: experts

Henriette Vamberg, Managing Director at Gehl Architects, speaks at the seminar on Thursday. — VNS Photo Lê Việt Dũng

HÀ NỘI — Streets, which typically occupy four-fifths of a city's open space, offer ample room for green transition and transport optimisation, according to Henriette Vamberg, Managing Director at Gehl Architects, a Denmark-based urban research and design consulting firm.

Henriette Vamberg was speaking at the seminar 'Green Together - Green Urban Transition - From Denmark to Vietnam' held by the Embassy of Denmark in Việt Nam in collaboration with ASHUI Company, in Hà Nội on Thursday.

The designer highlighted the Shanghai Street Design Guidelines, co-developed by Gehl Architects and Shanghai Urban Planning Institute in 2016 to enhance street functionality and livability.

The guidelines have transformed the city's streets from an infrastructure element purely for movement to a liveable public space, significantly impacting urban planning in China.

She said the firm has also developed street design guidelines in New York and other cities, focusing on creating better streets for various users.

In New York, the Gehl team has collaborated with the city government to redesign Times Square, initially as a temporary measure to test public acceptance and impact on traffic flow.

"The measure has improved travel time for vehicular traffic by 17 per cent, reduced traffic accidents by 63 per cent and increased stationary activities by 84 per cent," she said.

Speaking during the forum at the Hà Nội Temple of Literature, she said Copenhagen has gradually improved its city centre by creating a network of diverse open spaces, including revitalised waterfronts and greening rooftops.

Cao Hoàng Hải, Director at enCity, described Singapore's multi-tiered planting system, which recreates rainforest environments to enhance biodiversity and fosster a unique urban identity.

Singapore, he said, also has 49 ecological corridors that connect four nature reserves and countless parks within the city, creating walking connections between nature and urban spaces.

Singapore's Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises Programme was also mentioned, which promotes greening in urban areas, especially high-rise buildings.

Under the programme, high-rise buildings in the city centre must comply with the green plot ratio, providing green areas four times the total plot area.

As HCM City is a transitional point between ecosystems and terrain regions with different flood risk levels, he suggested the city function as a natural 'sponge' to regulate upstream floods and rising sea levels.

Nguyễn Hoàng Phương, an expert from Net Zero Vietnam, suggested a fee system for vehicles entering Hà Nội's centre. The proceeds, he said, can be used to invest in green infrastructure such as electric buses to promote green transition.

He also mentioned the Low Emission Zones (LEZs), which will be piloted in Hoàn Kiếm District, requiring the local government to take tough measures to control air quality.

He underlined the 'polluter pays' principle in financing environmental efforts, saying that government money alone is insufficient to cover pollution costs and those who produce pollution must bear the costs of managing it.

"We need a standardised system for measuring motorcycle emissions and a mechanism to curb the emissions," said Phương.

The expert also mentioned the Hoàn Kiếm Net Zero Award, co-developed by his company and Hoàn Kiếm's government, which will be given to initiatives on green transportation, waste management, green energy, and environmental awareness. — VNS