HCMC – HCMC authorities will this week appraise a plan for expanding the walking street of Nguyen Hue into a pedestrian thoroughfare encompassing the surrounding areas of Le Loi Boulevard, Ben Thanh Market and September 23 Park.

A meeting will be hosted this week by HCMC Chairman Phan Van Mai to discuss spacial planning, the implementation of construction plans, infrastructure improvement and management, and traffic organization in the city center.

The discussion will focus on planning, building, and organizing pedestrian zones at the city center comprising the main roads of Nguyen Hue, Le Loi, the surrounding areas of Ben Thanh Market and September 23 Park.

In late 2022, HCMC proposed researching a super pedestrian area project with an operating scale of 221 hectares at the core of the city.

According to Dr Vu Anh Tuan, head of the project, the pedestrian zone meeting international standards will become the city’s highlight to visitors upon completion.

The pedestrian thoroughfare, to be developed in phases, also comprises the areas of the Youth House and Turtle Lake, Pham Ngoc Thach Street from Turtle Lake to Le Duan Boulevard; the cultural and historical section including the North Dame Cathedral, the city’s Post Office, HCMC Book Street, other downtown streets like Dong Khoi, Cong Xa Paris, Ton Duc Thang, Mac Thi Buoi, Ngo Duc Ke, and Nguyen Thiep; and art performance space at Cong Truong Lam Son to the Opera House.