Several streets in downtown HCM City are likely to become exclusively pedestrian zones in the future, according to Huynh Xuan Thu, Director of the city's Planning Information Centre.
The municipal Department of Architecture and Planning (DAP) and Spain's IDOM have just completed studies on the arrangement and landscape design for pedestrian areas in the city centre, Thu says.
The plan aims to reduce the use of personal vehicles in the city centre and make it more attractive to tourists.
Under the plan, the city centre will have three pedestrian zones, the first of which will be marked by Tran Hung Dao, Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien streets in District 1, Thu says.
The second pedestrian area will comprise Ben Thanh Market and neighbouring streets, and the third, streets running along historical and cultural sites including Dong Khoi, Nguyen Hue, Le Loi, Ton Duc Thang, Ham Nghi and Le Duan.
Converting these streets into pedestrian zones will be a process implemented step by step with a pilot plan likely to be carried out on some streets including Bui Vien, Pham Ngu Lao and those bordering Ben Thanh Market.
The plan also envisages planting more trees, tiling old pavements, and introducing public transportation.
The DAP-IDOM study has also suggested measures to handle the use of vehicles belonging to people who live or work at the pedestrian zones.
Thu also says that more studies will be required before the plan can become a real project.