Tuesday, October 18, 2011

HCM city's High Rise buildings ruin environment

High-rise buildings ruin HCM city’s environment

October 19, 2011 about Uncategorized

The number of skyscraper projects in downtown HCMC is on the uptrend and the public is afraid the overwhelming presence of these structures will badly effect the city’s environment.

According to statistics from property firms, dozens of high-rise office buildings, shopping centers and hotels will be built on a number of main streets in the city center.
For instance, the scheme Ben Thanh Towers belonging to Bitexco Group is set to be constructed in front of Ben Thanh Market, a long-standing market with the southern gate considered the city’s symbol.
As planned, the towers will be built on an area of 8,600 square meters, bordering the four streets of Calmette, Le Thi Hong Gam, Pho Duc Chinh and Pham Ngu Lao in District 1. The towers, including two 55-storey towers of rental apartments, office spaces and shopping centers, are set to be finished in 2015.
Not far away from Ben Thanh Towers is Saigon Hospital located between Le Loi and Huynh Thuc Khang Street where a hotel project is scheduled to be built by Bitexco in the near future.
Meanwhile, Saigontourist Holding Co., and one subsidiary of Gemadept Corporation have plans to turn the 5,600-square meter area next to the above hotel project into a complex scheme with 30,000 square meters for office space and a five-star hotel with 400 rooms.
In front of this high-rise building project is the SJC Tower scheme with an estimated height of over 50 floors.
Singapore-based Keppel Land Ltd. Co., is deploying the second phase of the Saigon Center project with 45 floors next to the existing 25-storey building at the corner of Le Loi and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street. When in place, the building will be used as retail centers, office and apartments.
A 40-storey building is to be constructed next to the Eden complex at the corner of Le Loi-Nguyen Hue Boulevard, while the 40-storey BIDV building is under construction. The Times Square scheme with two 36-storey towers will be completed soon and the 68-storey Bitexco Financial Tower has just been opened recently.
In reality, the presence of high-rise buildings has gradually improved the cityscape in the center. However, there are concerns that the already horrendous transport situation will get even worse when these buildings are put into use and attract thousands of more people who go shopping and come to work on a daily basis.
An expert said that developing skyscrapers in downtown HCMC would create more pressure on the infrastructure system of transport, electricity and telecommunications, as well as traffic congestion and a polluted environment.
Since realty service businesses have mushroomed in the city center, the number of people flocking to the area is obviously on the rise.
This will likely create a great challenge for urban administrators to balance benefits of granting construction licenses for skyscrapers, transport infrastructure works and preserving the city’s symbolic architecture, the expert added.
SGT

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.