Road contruction is not enough
Head of Urban Management Office of Bien Hoa City Doan Van Dong said that the development of the two banks along Dong Nai River flowing through the city still concentrates on the construction of the two roads along Dong Nai river. It is the road along Cai River connecting Ha Huy Giap Street (Quyet Thang Ward) to Tran Quoc Toan Street (An Binh Ward) and the one along Dong Nai River from Hoa An Bridge to the border of Vinh Cuu District. Accordingly, after the construction of two roads, Bien Hoa will calculate the next planning and development of the two river banks.
According to architect Nguyen Manh Dung, Vice Chairman of the provincial Association of Architects, the development of transport is appropriate. These roads will be the axis connecting the tectonics creating the landscape on the riversides. However, to make the landscape a highlight of Bien Hoa city, constructing new roads is not enough. "The primary role of traffic is to connect. To create the highlight, the two sides of the river not only have architectural value but also have significant value for both tourism and community,"Mr. Dung said.
Making the Dong Nai River and the two sides become the highlight of Bien Hoa City requires a planning suitable for architecture, culture and community values.
Therefore, according to Mr. Dung, in parallel with the construction of traffic routes, Bien Hoa government should have a plan to arrange architectural space and landscape in association with these roads on both sides of the river. In that plan, it is necessary to specify the spacious areas for cultural activities, the backward areas to create the landscape and the venues for tourism. Mr. Dung said that, at present, the river bank along Han river of Da Nang has wide and versatile spaces to organize cultural activities. This not only helps local people have a recreational place but also promotes their values when tourists are also directly involved in these activities. "In the development plan of Dong Nai River, it is necessary to specify spaces and locations with specific functions and purposes," Dung said.
In addition, according to archcitect Dung, having a detailed plan will also help authorities to better manage the issue of the construction on the riverbanks. If there is no clear planning scheme, there is no detailed regulation on the distance to the river bank, architecture and elevation, etc. it is easy to break the landscape.
In particular, the land areas adjacent to the river are still considered as the "golden land" which investors always aim at to maximize profits. This leads to limiting the access of the majority of the citizens - who must be given priority to benefit from the values that the river brings. Currently, the river flowing through Bien Hoa city is too short in terms of space for people to have access to the river. Therefore, in order to become the highlight of the city, the important requirement is to have reasonable space. "There must be wide, open spaces with steps leading down to the river to connect the activities on the banks and the river, making people feel close to the river to maximize the value of the river in the creation of landscapes and urban space," Mr. Dung emphasized.
Architecture must support the development of cultural values
According to Vice Chairman of the Union of Science and Technology Association Tran Quang Toai, in the process of urban development, the conflict between preservation of historical and cultural heritage and the development of urbanization and industrialization always arises. Therefore, the process of urban development must always be linked to the preservation of the heritage and the promotion of its values. The development of the landscape along the Dong Nai River is no exception.
According to Mr. Toai, along the Dong Nai River, there are many national monuments. Particularly, Cu Lao Pho area has 21 religious institutions. Therefore, the urban planning and development must be closely attached to the preservation and promotion of the value of these relics in association with the development of eco-tourism, spiritual tourism. "The road construction along the riverside of Cai River must be associated with the monument of Nguyen Huu Canh Temple and Ong Pagoda, and create conditions to preserve and develop these two relics," said Mr. Toại.
Sharing the same point of view, architect Nguyen Manh Dung said that the advantage of Dong Nai River flowing through Bien Hoa city is not only the tranquility and the value of the landscape but also the cultural value. Along the river lie the cultural institutions and relics associated with the lives of the residences of the city. Therefore, the Dong Nai River and the two river banks are the ideal place to create a highlight for Bien Hoa. "The problem is to integrate culture into architecture, and then from the architecture we preserve and promote the development of culture. Doing so can turn this place into a highlight," Mr. Dung said.
Based on that point, Mr. Dung once again emphasized the importance of creating large and open spaces for the community that combine landscape architecture with cultural development. "We have festivals, religious activities not just for a certain period of time, but throughout the year. Therefore, if there are large spaces for the people and visitors to participate in such activities, it will bring in great value. Because these are cultural activities and practical characteristics of the local people so it is inherent that they have their own identity, "Dung said.
"Water Square" on the river
According to architect Nguyen Manh Dung, the river flowing through the city is less affected by inundation, high tides or floods; since the river surface is very wide, it is not only worth creating beautiful scenery but also can exploit the river surface to establish a "water square" to develop culture and tourism. "The river surface flows through TP. Bien Hoa is like a "water square", which is suitable for organizing cultural activities, festivals of activities associated with the water surface which are practical characteristics of the people of Bien Hoa. However, in order to establish a “water square", the two sides must have appropriate and synchronous spaces," Mr. Dung said.
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