Duc Trong’s Urban Transformation: Opportunities and Pressures

Each construction site has its own rhythm, yet they all point to a major question facing the locality: How will Duc Trong seize the opportunities presented by the new spatial development framework of Lam Dong Province?

New Opportunities for Growth in Duc Trong

A major opportunity for Duc Trong lies in the fundamental change in its position and development space following the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee’s issuance of Decision No. 2216/QD-UBND, approving the task of preparing a general plan for Duc Trong Commune with a long-term vision extending to 2050.

Covering nearly 14,900 hectares, the new plan aims to transform Duc Trong from a predominantly agricultural township or simple transit point into a green, smart and sustainable urban area, with agro-processing, logistics, administration and international trade as its key pillars. By 2030, the locality aims to achieve Grade III urban status, with a longer-term ambition to become a core urban center and international gateway associated with the province’s new administrative and political center.

This vision is underpinned by Duc Trong’s distinctive geo-economic advantages. Lien Khuong International Airport lies within the planned urban area, while the expressway connecting Tan Phu and Lien Khuong is under development, providing a direct link to southeastern Vietnam. The convergence of air transport, expressway infrastructure and the existing national and provincial road networks will create a multimodal transport corridor, significantly reducing the time and cost required to transport agricultural produce and processed goods to other provinces and overseas markets. This provides a foundation for Duc Trong to emerge as a modern logistics hub and airport city.

Nguyen Thi Quynh, a retired official who has lived in Duc Trong Commune for many years, expressed hope that the new planning initiatives would give local infrastructure a major boost, transform the commune into a satellite urban area that helps ease pressure on Da Lat, and stimulate development in surrounding areas.

From Planning to Implementation

However, the greater the opportunities, the greater the pressure to deliver. Even the most forward-looking urban plan will be difficult to realize if it fails to address conflicts with existing land use, roads and residents’ daily lives.

At the planning appraisal meeting, Standing Vice Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Hong Hai therefore emphasized the need to ensure the plan’s feasibility. He highlighted a fundamental requirement: land-use targets must be transparent, clearly defined and fully aligned with the province’s land allocation targets.

Implementation pressures are most evident in technical infrastructure. Rather than investing in a fragmented manner, major transport corridors must be designed to accommodate demand over the coming decades. High-voltage power lines running across the urban area must also be relocated to free up space for development. In particular, land reserves must be closely coordinated with key projects to ensure that investment can begin as soon as the plan is approved, without overlapping or conflicting legal requirements.

Challenges Posed by Major Projects

To translate strategic directions into a fully developed urban area, Duc Trong is undertaking and preparing to implement major projects requiring substantial investment. These projects will serve as a clear measure of the locality’s ability to mobilize resources.

One of the most prominent infrastructure projects is the former Duc Trong Administrative Center and Square project. Covering 232.68 hectares, it was first approved in 2011 but did not officially break ground until 2023. Since then, the plan has undergone several partial adjustments to better reflect actual conditions. The project’s lengthy preparation process highlights the considerable complexity involved in getting major developments ready for implementation.

The framework for the new urban area is now taking shape through a subproject to build roads and technical infrastructure. The project comprises 37 roads with a combined length of 16.6 kilometers, most of which have taken shape, while construction and completion work are continuing. This subproject alone requires approximately VND 980 billion, including more than VND 693 billion in construction costs and VND 290 billion for site clearance.

Another social welfare initiative recently received in-principle investment approval from the Provincial Party Committee Executive Board for the 2026–2030 period. The social housing project on land lot 20.2 is expected to require total investment of approximately VND 5.979 trillion.

Meanwhile, the province continues to carefully review ongoing and completed investments to ensure that resources are used appropriately and efficiently, avoiding waste, unfinished works and ineffective investment.

Above all, the greatest challenge in implementing the plan is meeting residents’ expectations. The family of Truong My Oanh, whose property is subject to site clearance for the new administrative center, said they were willing to support the government’s plans and surrender their land for development.

“The benefits outweigh the losses. This is about the future of our children and ensuring that this entire area can enjoy infrastructure and facilities that meet the standards of a modern, civilized urban area,” she said.

The planning task through 2050 has given Duc Trong an opportunity to become a new, modern and dynamic growth pole in southern Lam Dong. However, that opportunity will translate into lasting prosperity only if the locality turns its vision into decisive action, delivers projects on schedule and establishes an effective mechanism for allocating resources.