UN-Habitat Technical Assistance Report: Rapid Assessment of the Legal Framework for Urban Development in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

UN-Habitat, in collaboration with the Urban Development Agency under the Ministry of Construction, conducted a rapid assessment of Vietnam’s legal framework for urban development as part of the Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building project. The legislative analysis focussed on planning, housing, land, and local governance which identified key gaps, overlaps, and areas for reform. The assessment offers actionable recommendations to support the drafting of a new Urban Development and Management Law for sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient urbanization.

Drawing on UN-Habitat’s global legal assessment methodologies such as the Planning Law Assessment Framework and the Urban Law Module of the Law and Climate Change Toolkit, the report examines the technical elements such as planning at scale, land tenure security, affordable housing mechanisms, dispute resolution, and public participation. It also evaluates institutional coordination, decentralization, and the capacity of local governments to implement urban development policies. Key recommendations include the integration of urban climate resilience into legal frameworks, clearer provisions for informal settlement upgrading, improved land regularization and dispute resolution systems, and enhanced legal mandates for inclusive public participation and digital planning tools. The report further underscores the importance of creating a coherent hierarchy of laws and regulations that reinforce a national urban policy and spatial strategy.hous

By offering practical, evidence-based legal insights, this assessment provides a foundation for modernizing Vietnam’s urban legal system. It aims to support policymakers, legislators, and development partners in enabling more equitable, efficient, and robust urban governance that meets both national priorities and global commitments such as the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11.