Can you foreseen any problems Vientiane will face in the next coming 5 or 10 years from now ?
Urban development needs long term consideration
The inflow of people from rural areas into major towns in Laos is posing urban development challenges, said Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mr Sommath Pholsena.
Speaking at a workshop on urban development held at Lao-ITECC in Vientiane on Saturday, Mr Sommath said the rapid increase in population in Vientiane and other major towns in the country has resulted in unplanned urban development, posing obstacles for future development.
“Present developments are temporary and may be removed or amended in the future and this is an unsustainable situation,” he told the workshop of urban planners and representatives of construction companies.
“Sustainable urban development is an important issue which all of us must to pay attention to, and seek solutions to the current problems.”
The Association of Lao Architects and Civil Engineers (AL ACE) and Sustainable Urban Development workshop was held as part of the Lao Architects and Civil Engineers Expo 2010 from February 2 5 to 28.
The aim of the exhibition was to provide opportunities for construction related firms to showcase new architectural concepts, and construction materials and services. The event also aimed to promote sustainable development.
Mr Sommath urged urban planners to further research the history, nature and unique characteristics of cities before developing policies and regulations to manage urban expansion.
He said the development of Vientiane must be based on the city's particular circumstances.
The city is located alongside the Mekong River , which usually floods every 30 years or so and therefore there is a need to construct a high river embankment to prevent future flooding, he said.
Vientiane contains numerous wetlands, which store water in the rainy season and serve as natural water treatment areas, providing a system of natural ecological balance. The city also has plenty of green areas.
Development of the capital must protect the wetlands, otherwise large investments in facilities to store and treat water will be needed in the future, Mr Sommath said.
Vientiane contains many temples and French colonial era buildings, so construction of new houses and buildings must be in harmony with old buildings and styles. Modern style developments should take place outside of the old city area.
Mr Sommath said urban development should meet present needs but not create obstacles for the future.
Construction of offices and houses in Vientiane has rapidly increased in the past few years due to increasing demand for residential and industrial facilities. One major concern is that many people build houses without obtaining the required permission.
establish dominant lao language schools culturally. assimilation of all influx of immigrants.
on a lighter note.
traffic, infrastructure, water, etc... are some
my opinion:
*lao is still luckily young in traffic rules and regulations if we implement strong traffic rules now it will be a lot less head ache in the future.
*infrastrcture wise i say expand horizontally/ outward instead of expanding upward. vientiane still has a lot of land to expand might as well spread outward before we look above. be very resourceful with our surrounding environment
* more water tanks that will collect rain water, and develop water conserving technology like eco friendly water sputs etc. make most use of water.
