Vientiane could be one of the region's most livable towns in the future, if a new draft urban development master plan is put into practice.
The plan provides a vision for development until 2030, city planning experts announced yesterday.
The draft is expected to be finalised next month before being submitted to the government for consideration and approval.

Officials from the relevant sectors met in Vientiane yesterday to give their comments and opinions on the draft plan, which is supported by the government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Under the new master plan, Vientiane will be developed into several sub-centres to expand the town and reduce traffic congestion in the city centre.

Currently, Vientiane is facing severe traffic congestion due to the growing number of vehicles in the city centre, especially in the mornings, in areas where the most important government and private sector offices are located.
The new sub-centres will include KM 21, Thanalaeng, Dongdok, Naxaithong and Railway town, which will hold a station rail yard and operational facilities related to the Laos-China rail link, due for completion in 2015.

The new urban development policy involves improvements to the road network, public transport, conservation of historic and heritage buildings, restriction and refinement of building control regulations and the relocation of public facilities towards the suburbs.
Vice President of the Council of Science and Technology, under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Dr Somphone Dethoudom, said he greatly appreciated progress on the new plan.

“The plan sets the guidelines for the development of Vientiane until 2030 with the aim of creating a livable city that includes more public parks, drainage systems and roads,” he said.
Referring to parks, he noted that Vientiane currently has only 0.6sqm of public park per person, but according to international standards there should be 2.6sqm per person.
Vientiane has high economic and demographic growth potential and it is likely that urban areas will rapidly expand towards the suburbs along arterial roads without sufficient infrastructure.
This would create an urban sprawl with poor living conditions and inappropriate social services, and the pastoral charms of the city could be lost.
To counter this problem, appropriate measures must be taken promptly based on a comprehensive urban development plan.

The total area of Vientiane is 3,920 sq km, and its population was 795,000 people in 2009. The study predicts the capital's population will double by 2030.
The master plan stipulates the maximum height of new buildings in the historical town conservation zone to be 12m, and only 7m in the ancient site conservation zone, both found in the downtown area.
But in the new central zone and administration and trade central zone, beyond the present downtown, buildings can be as high as 26m.
Businesses can construct 50m buildings in the suburbs, but must meet special conditions relating to open space, green spaces, indoor facilities for public benefit and fire-proofing.

Thank you Japan.

Larb Dip wrote on 11^th Mar, 2011 at 4:28am:


Japanese will help build Vientiane city. They had help build and fund Mekong bridge, they had help Laos in many way with no string attach, they help build more then 100 school in Laos. My dad told me Japan want to help rebuild Vietiane for a long time. But Lao government didn't want to sign the agreement until now.  

I don't want to mean negative to my own birth place.How many master plan had draw up and how many have gone, because the government have no money.. All the master plane have done is free by the other country aid. To build something like that will need a lot of money....guess what! Laos government will still have to wait for other country to build for them..."There is no free lunch in this world" Who ever want to do it...will have to find what they can get more out than they've given.

Japan will help build and fund Vientiane development project. Laos government doesn't have lot of money. If they do some probably go to corrupt officials their salary is low.


Tee wrote on 11^th Mar, 2011 at 7:23am:

llX wrote on 12^th Mar, 2011 at 3:58am:

Why do we always need other nation to help us?  this is like being given fish to eat or teaching them how to fish" I think the teaching how to fish is better than being given just the fish.  Those favourites that other nation had given us over the years are far too much to repay. Where is our pride? What road are we heading? prosperous or more debt... !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laos, Lao people doesn't have much opportunity because Laos was always and is still control by foreigner power. Laos is under Vietnam for the past 35 year and I don't think they has our best interest at heart. They has their own agenda. That's why Laos is underdeveloped and behind it neighbor.

Larb Dip wrote on 12^th Mar, 2011 at 6:04am:


If you spent enough time here on a permanent or semi-permanent basis, you would see that that is patently not the case.

ALL THIS PESSIMISM IS GIVING ME A HEADACHE.