Under a decision signed on January 6, HCM City will become a major economic, cultural, educational-training, and scientific-technological centre and will also hold a politically important position in the country.  

The HCM City Zone will comprise the current administrative boundary of HCM City plus seven adjacent provinces, namely Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Tien Giang, encompassing a total area of 30,404 square kilometres.

The city will have 19 districts, including the 13 existing ones, with a total area of 49,400 hectares and a population of 7.4 million by 2025.

In the six new districts, modern urban areas will be built to house harmonious social and technical infrastructure facilities. Underground parking lots will be built to meet the increasing demand of local people.

Sci-tech areas covering 800ha will be established in Thu Duc and nine other districts while industrial areas will be developed in the six new districts and Cu Chi, Hoc Mon, Nha Be and Binh Chanh districts.

Approximately 43,600 hectares of land in outlying districts will be zoned for agricultural production and ecological belts. Construction works will be banned along the corridors of the Dong Nai, Sai Gon and Nha Be rivers.

No urban areas will be developed in the Can Gio Nature Reserve and protected forests in Binh Chanh and Cu Chi districts.

The master plan also looks at upgrading the municipal traffic infrastructure, by developing elevated railway and metro lines and building 19 bridges spanning the Dong Nai, Saigon, Nha Be, Long Tau and Thi Vai rivers, to relieve the city’s current overloaded traffic system.

Notably, Tan Son Nhat Airport will be developed into a key transit point for aviation in the region and the world. Long Thanh International Air Terminal in Dong Nai province will also be expanded to service 100 million passengers a year.  

To cope with sea tidal surges, the city will develop sea dykes, upgrade the drainage system, separate waste water from the drainage system and dredge canals.