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“A sustainable urban plan must combine a modern vision with respect for existing values,” reads the closing line of an emergency petition .

The Latest: Following the issuance of Notice No. 467 on May 6 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Hà Nội People’s Committee—which outlined an agreement to gradually relocate and replan all residential areas outside the dike system for the Red River Scenic Boulevard Project—residents of Hà Nội are pushing back.

Citizens of Hồng Hà Ward are circulating an emergency petition demanding authorities halt the "complete clearance" of their neighborhoods.

Simultaneously, on the morning of May 11, the Hà Nội People’s Council unanimously approved revised investment policies for the megaproject, lowering the total investment capital to approximately 736.963 trillion đồng (USD$28 billion) and reducing the affected administrative areas from 19 to 16 communes and wards, explicitly excluding Vĩnh Tuy, Hoàng Mai, and Vĩnh Hưng.

The Details: Hồng Hà Ward , Hà Nội’s largest inner-city ward, covers more than 15.09 square kilometers with a population exceeding 123,000 people and was formed through the merger of Hoàn Kiếm, Ba Đình, Tây Hồ, Hai Bà Trưng, and Long Biên districts. It is a primary target of the clearance.

In their petition sent to senior party and state leaders, relevant government agencies, and media organizations, residents requested clarification on "signs of irregularities in financial management, land use, and proposals to preserve the existing residential community."

They are urging authorities to clarify geological and public safety risks, financial and investment risks, and the irrationality of altering existing urban structures.

The citizens proposed several key demands:

Excluding stable residential communities from "complete clearance" plans.*

Relocating residents only in cases genuinely necessary for essential infrastructure construction or in areas facing high flood risks confirmed by independent hydrological assessments.

Conducting independent appraisals of the reciprocal land fund and clarifying land pricing methods.

Ensuring transparency and public consultation.

Requiring investors to publicly demonstrate their financial capacity.

Citing Article 7 of the 2013 Law on Citizen Reception and Article 13 of the 2022 Law on the Implementation of Grassroots Democracy , residents requested a written response within seven working days.

The petition has gone viral; in the Facebook group "Red River Boulevard—Riverside City—Information Sharing, " one post received more than 1,300 reactions, nearly 300 comments, and 131 shares as of the afternoon of May 11.

Other posts have spread through groups such as " Tứ Liên Residents – Hồng Hà Ward, " " Hà Nội Residents Association—Red River City Planning; West Lake, " and "Latest Red River Scenic Boulevard Project. "

The Background: The Red River Scenic Boulevard Project is one of Hà Nội’s major strategic megaprojects, aimed at redesigning urban space along the river.

On Nov. 17, 2025, the government issued Notice No. 626 to support an 11% growth target for the 2026–2030 period. The Hà Nội People’s Council approved Resolution No. 498 on Dec. 14, 2025, detailing a project spanning roughly 11,000 hectares and requiring the clearance of about 2,100 hectares of land with a preliminary investment of 855 trillion đồng.

On Dec. 17, 2025, the Hà Nội People’s Committee issued Decision No. 6281 , approving an initial consortium of investors including Đại Quang Minh Real Estate, Văn Phú – Giảng Võ Investment, MIK Group Việt Nam, Trường Hải Company, T&T Group, and Hòa Phát under a public-private partnership (PPP) build-transfer (BT) model.

The project officially broke ground in Phú Thượng Ward on Dec. 19, 2025, with a completion target of Feb. 3, 2030.

However, by May 2026, MIK Group, T&T Group, and Văn Phú had withdrawn. Remaining investors stated the project area had expanded to around 11,400 hectares, with expected land recovery reaching 8,000 hectares and site clearance costs estimated at 290 trillion đồng, prompting the May 11 revisions.

The project is now expected to be implemented between 2026 and 2038, with Đại Quang Minh, Trường Hải, and Hòa Phát serving as principal investors.

Furthermore, recent legislation has granted local authorities unprecedented control. On Dec. 11, 2025, the National Assembly passed Resolution No. 258 , which took effect on Dec. 12, 2025, granting the chairman of Hà Nội broader authority to proactively approve projects and recover land. On April 23, 2026, the revised Capital Law granted Hà Nội an additional 199 "special and breakthrough" powers.

Why It Matters: As of March 24, Hà Nội authorities had received more than 8,300 public comments, including nearly 7,000 submitted electronically, warning that relocating densely populated communities would destabilize social welfare systems.

Residents have expressed concern over what they describe as low-cost land recovery, perfectly encapsulated by the closing line of the emergency petition: "A sustainable urban plan must combine a modern vision with respect for existing values."

Furthermore, some social media accounts claim that many residents have already signed the petition. However, the exact number and identities of signatories, as well as the expected submission date to relevant authorities, remain unknown.

Lê Sáng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on May 12, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights of the English translation.