ForUm for Urban Future in Southeast Asia Public Space & Governance

Public or Semipublic-Semiprivate ?:
The Dilemma of Sidewalk in Vietnam

Dr. To Kien Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Kyushu University, Japan Lecturer, National University of Civil Engineering, Vietnam

Acknowledgment
Dr. To Kien Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Kyushu University, Japan This studyUniversity and presentation has been Lecturer, National of Civil Engineering, Vietnam

supported by the generous funds from German

Academic Exchange Foundation (DAAD) for the attendance of this Seminar, and for
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) for the surveys of this research

My current Postdoctoral research (Kyushu U.)

Main track
1. Asian urban spatial compactness and high density residential areas 2. Asian street space, street activities, sidewalk usage and temporal changes 3. Urban person trip survey and travel habit related to Asian compact city form 4. Vendor-shopping as alternative shopping pattern and its effectiveness

Supplemental interests 5. Comparative study of high density Chinatowns in Southeast Asia 6. Housing and community development, community-based planning 7. Gated community and socio-spatial polarization 8. Public and Semi-public spaces 9. Asian urban fringe development, urban governance, Asian Urbanism

General theoretical background

Conceptual benchmark 1:

- Public Life / Public Space

Dr. To Kien

3 basic type of life/space

- Community Life/ Community Space Postdoctoral Research Fellow, - Private Life/ Private Space Conceptual benchmark 2:

Kyushu University, Japan Lecturer, National University of Civil Engineering, Vietnam

Conventional standard sidewalk (SW)
S H

- Legality: Sidewalk (SW) is public (public owned/accessible) - Main designated function: Walkway for pedestrians

- Basic SW space participation: SW + Stakeholders (SH): Pedestrian D T O O + Designated objects (DO): Street furniture (Bench, Trash Bin, Power/Light Poll, etc.), Tree (where applicable), Caf/Restaurant (specific cases) + Temporary Obstacles (TO) : Yes, but should be limited + Permanent Obstacles (PO): None

Characteristics of SW in Asia
SW includes all 3 types of life/space: Public, Community, Private

Dr. To Kien

Compared with Western/High-industrialized countries: SW mainly for justResearch Public, rarely for Community or Private Postdoctoral Fellow, Kyushu University,

Japan Lecturer, National University of Civil Engineering, Vietnam

Temporal change of space usage

- Space usage changes by hours, or by days (weekdays, weekends) - My new keyword of research (my own term, new approach): 4D

4D = 3 (spatial) Dimensions + 1 (temporal) Dimension

- Examples of new terms: 4D spatial planning, 4D urbanism, 4D urban governance, etc.

SW scenes in different Asian cities

Some pictures from

My surveys in Asia
during the last 5 years

Singapore

Bangkok

Yogyakarta

Kuala Lumpur

Melacca

Fukuoka

Seoul

Taipei

Historical review: SW in Hanoi in the past

Historically, there used to be no sidewalk in the old Vietnamese cities.

It was firstly designed and built during the French colony in the late 19 th
Century as a product of Western urban design standard. Before and shortly after the Economic Reform (or Doi Moi) in 1986,

there were already living and commercial activities on the sidewalk due
to traditional lifestyle, yet not very intense. Thus, it was mainly used in

the conventional way.

Only since the enhancement of the economic development during the mid-90s and the economic boom after the year 2000, the sidewalk in

Hanoi as well as other big cities has been getting busier, more utilized,
more participated and more occupied.

Ca. 1900

1920s

1940s

1980s

Introduction of current SW situation in Vietnam

The sidewalk in Vietnam is a cramped and shared space of a wide range of users (e.g. pedestrians, shop runners, local residents, service users, customers, etc.) and objects (e.g. street furniture, commercial-related obstacles, personal stuff, parked vehicles, etc.). The foremost and most interesting example of this situation is the case of Hanois Old Quarter (HOQ). In Vietnam, technically and legally speaking, the sidewalk is a public space designed and reserved for pedestrians following conventional model. But in reality, the sidewalk is actually a semipublic-semiprivate space used in a much more complex and controversial manner, and thus, becomes an urban governance dilemma. Many regulations for sidewalk usage and management have been launched from time to time, but no effective solution has been found so far.

Characteristics of SW in Vietnam (Case: HOQ)

Characteristics of SW in Vietnam (Case: Hanois Old Quarter-HOQ)

includes all Asian characteristics with even more intensification & chaos

Vietnam: A country of motorcycle

Dr. To Kien

=> Dense motorcycle parking on SW

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Kyushu University, Japan Lecturer, National University of Civil Engineering, Vietnam
Disorder of walk path on SW: Disorder zic-zac cramped remained space for walking or even no space left for walking

Typical street space in Hanois Old Quarter

(Sidewalk usage is subject to change by law)

Spatial territory of research interest (Expanded street-front space)

Street-front space

expanded Street-front space

Street space

A: shop house & expanded shop space to sidewalk; B: Pedestrian walk path; C: Bike/Motorbike parking

D: Vendors temporary stop space E: Customers temporary stop space F: Carriageway

expanded Street-front space = Street-front space (Sidewalk & above) + Street-front rooms + side part of carriageway

COMPERISON of street-front spatial usage

Common model vs. Hanois theoretical model Spatial and temporal analysis
Walkway Walkway Street (Carriageway)

Shop depth 5m
Shop width 6m

Shop depth 5m 3m

Tree

Tree

Sidewalk 3m
Spatial territory of research interest

Sidewalk 2.5m
Spatial territory of research interest

Temporary-stop vendor

Common model

Hanois theoretical model

Street (Carriageway)

3m

Comparison of street-front spatial usage

Conventional model vs. Hanois theoretical model Spatial and temporal analysis

Depth 5m

Depth 5m+Extension

22h-24h 20h-22h 18h-20h 16h-18h 14h-16h 12h-14h 10h-12h 8h-10h 6h-8h 4h-6h 2h-4h 0h-2h

22h-24h 20h-22h 18h-20h 16h-18h 14h-16h 12h-14h 10h-12h 8h-10h 6h-8h 4h-6h 2h-4h 0h-2h

Conventional model

Hanois theoretical model

Theoretical model of a sample shop & shop-front space in Hanois Old Quarter
Pedestrians Pedestrians

depth 4m

1.5m
Money Exchange

2.5m

Temporary-stop vendor
Carriageway (average riding speed 25km/h)

1m

0.9m Sidewalk Extended display

The rear part of a tube-house (dwelling, yards, kitchen, toilets)

Motorbike Parking

Jewelry shop
Display

1m

1m

Tea stall Under The tree

Limitation of street space (Also public and private)

Semipublic Space

Illustration image

Dilemma of SW in Vietnam (Case: HOQ)

Stakeholders: Those who BENEFIT: Shop-owners, business-owners, shop-keepers, temporarily stopped vendors, street-front residents, local residents & external customers who use the commercial services, local authority

and regulation enforcement teams who corrupt, artists, culturists and

cultural-oriented tourists, and any citizens who dislike visual order

Those who SUFFER: None-street-front residents, local and external

pedestrians, traffic attendants, accident victims, fire-protectors,

law-makers, and any citizens who dislike the visual chaos. Mixed type: Mixed of the 2 above

Dilemma of SW in Vietnam (Case: HOQ)

Obstacles:

Trees, street furniture (power pillars, trash bins, etc), parked bicycles and motorcycles, shop furniture, etc.
Activities: Walking, Bicycle and motorcycle parking, merchandise displays, food stalls and tea stalls, children playing, communication place, etc.

Influential factors:
- International and regional context - Traditional living culture - Habitual lifestyle - Education and common consensus - Market economy - Law, regulations and policy To balance all aspects and satisfy all stakeholders is difficult, and is a dilemma.

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Some pictures from

My surveys in HOQ
during the last 10 years

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Survey component 1:

Documentation of SW usage
(sample plan, elevation)

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Plan of Ta Hien Street

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Elevation of Hang Dao Street

ca.30m

Street portion Street section

Street corner

A
B C D

Arterial main streets

Secondary arterial main Streets, also former China town Small street, Alley Typical compact street corner

B C D

E G F
H

Peripheral Arterial main streets Caf Street

E F

Citys Heart Main streets

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Survey component 2:

Residential questionnaire test

(Showing some data)

Survey stakeholders: residents, shop owners, shop keepers, customers, local authority

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Survey component 3:

Temporal change of SW usage

(2 observation surveys: day-scale & hour-scale)

Early morning

Noon

Afternoon

Evening

Late evening

Night

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Hour-scale survey: - Location: 1 ma May St, HOQ (In front of Align Caf) -Survey time: 19h00 19h50 (19 Dec 2009, Saturday) - Big event of the day: None

- Sidewalk width: 2.8 m - SW condition: bike parking

- Form of vacant passage: Zic-zac

19:00

19:00

19:03

19:25

19:37

19:49

Sub-conclusion of the survey:

- Temporal change is a very interesting and essential issue of urban spatial studies of Asian cities - In some cases, the changes happen very quickly (like the case of vendor stopping), so the space usage efficiency is very high

D
LOCATION

1
7

4 5 6

Little Hanoi
2

Territory for measurement

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Survey component 4:

Pedestrian behavior
(sample data)

Case study: Hanois Old Quarter

Survey index

- Location: 53 Hang Ngang St, HOQ

- Survey time: 16h30 17h30 (17 Dec 2009, Thursday) - Big event of the day:

A Southeast Asia football match to be held at 19h,

in which the Vietnamese team plays - Sidewalk width: 3.4 m

- SW condition: bike parking

(1.8m width vacant passage left for walking) - Length of vacant passage: app. 25m

Observation location

312 /hour 303 /hour

No. of pedestrians on roadside No. of pedestrians on sidewalk (Many are foreigners)

49%
51%

Sub-conclusion of the survey:

- Walking on the roadside has become a habit of local people

despite rather favorable sidewalk condition - The higher percents of foreigners to walk on sidewalk showed the habitual cultural aspect of the issue

Conclusion
Dr. To Kien and functionally reserved Unlike conventional SW technically designed for pedestrians and street furniture, the SW in Vietnam is a semipublic -semiprivate space (or temporarily private public Japan space) Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Kyushu University, used, utilized and occupied by a wide stakeholders with a Lecturer, National University ofrange Civil of Engineering, Vietnam number of activities, and by different obstacles.
Through the case of Vietnam, especially the interesting and typical case study in Hanois Old Quarter, the research has shown the complexity of sidewalk usage in Vietnam and its dilemma.
It has urged that sidewalk usage should not only simply assessed by the conventional technical concept and perception since its birth, but should also be assessed and/or reassessed from the local context, with a broader interdisciplinary point of view considering different stakeholders and factors, different merits and demerits broadly impact on the society. In short, it urged the need for reconceptualization of Street and Street space.

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