Resolution No. 05/NQ-TU of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee has outlined the most basic and general directions for Thanh Hoa City, with the future by 2030 being "one of the 5 leading provincial cities in the country, an important driving force contributing to making Thanh Hoa province a new growth pole in the North of the Fatherland". And further, by 2045, it will be "a rich, civilized, modern, model city of the whole country". To realize this great goal, merging Dong Son district into Thanh Hoa City and establishing wards in Thanh Hoa City is an inevitable and necessary trend, not only creating a premise to promote the development of the provincial capital but also suitable for the integration process, reaching the future of the whole Thanh Hoa province.
Appropriate and inevitable trend
Thanh Hoa City is a land rich in historical and cultural traditions. After 220 years (1804-2024), from the provincial capital of Thanh Hoa, with the main area of the old Dong Son district, the city has continuously developed through stages, becoming a town, a city during the French colonial period, then a type III, type II and type I urban city under the province today. Through many times of expanding administrative boundaries, many neighboring communes of Dong Son district have been merged, becoming communes and wards of Thanh Hoa City.
Thanh Hoa City has an important position for Thanh Hoa province and the North Central region; plays the role and position of the political, administrative, economic, cultural, scientific - technical and national defense - security center of the province, the gateway connecting the key economic region of the North with the North Central region, the exchange hub of Thanh Hoa province with the whole country. In recent years, with the attention of the Central Government, the province, the entire political system, the business community and all classes of people, the city has united, strived to overcome difficulties, and built a city that develops rapidly and comprehensively. Up to now, Thanh Hoa City is considered one of the most attractive and dynamic cities in the North Central region and the South of the Red River Delta.
In addition to socio-economic development, after more than 15 years of implementing the Master Plan for Thanh Hoa City Construction to 2025, with a vision to 2035 according to Decision No. 84/QD-TTg dated January 16, 2009 of the Prime Minister; 12 years of adjusting and expanding administrative boundaries according to Resolution No. 05/NQ-CP dated February 29, 2012 of the Government, shortcomings and limitations that need to be adjusted have been revealed. These include uneven infrastructure quality, infrastructure connections between inner-city and suburban areas, new urban areas with old urban areas that are not synchronous, and have not met and kept up with urban development requirements. The central role, driving force and influence of the city on the development of the whole province are not clear. In particular, the city no longer has much space for urban development to continue arranging industrial parks, industrial clusters, commercial - service establishments, production - business, urban residential land, entertainment areas... Meanwhile, the city's population is increasing, so it cannot ensure the city's development needs in the future.
Faced with new developments and rapid urbanization, it is necessary to adjust some of the city's development orientations to suit the general trend and practical requirements. And, to realize the goal of "Building and developing Thanh Hoa City to become an economic, cultural, service, health care, education and training, sports center of the North-South and North-Central regions; a transitional urban area between key economic regions of the country; providing high-quality human resources for the province and the country", merging Dong Son district into Thanh Hoa City is very necessary, in line with the development trend of urban areas in Vietnam as well as the world today, which is to merge and expand space to accelerate the development speed.
Dong Son is a district with a small natural area and population, not meeting the standards of a district-level administrative unit. In recent years, the remarkable development of the economy, infrastructure and changes in the urbanization process have posed many new problems for the Party Committee and government of Dong Son district to solve. More importantly, the rural government management model is no longer suitable for the socio-economic development and rapid urbanization in the area. Therefore, merging Dong Son district into Thanh Hoa city is a premise for organizing urban government, meeting development requirements and contributing to innovation, streamlining the organization of the political system, operating effectively and efficiently.
The merger of Dong Son district into Thanh Hoa city is in line with the policies and directions of the Central Government and Thanh Hoa province; is a step to concretize the Thanh Hoa provincial planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2045 and the Thanh Hoa urban master plan to 2040 approved by the Prime Minister to concentrate resources, accelerate the urbanization rate, and create an open dynamic area for the city to develop. It is also cultural and historical compatibility when Thanh Hoa city previously started from Thanh Hoa town, established in 1889 under the edict of King Thanh Thai, from 7 villages belonging to Bo Duc and Tho Hac communes, Dong Son district. It is also suitable for urban development space because after the merger, the urban development space will be expanded in association with the North-South expressway intersection, so that the city can connect with the new national arterial roads; at the same time, promote the connection with the western mountainous region of the province.
With the direction, orientation and active support of the province, functional agencies in the province, effective coordination with central agencies, on October 24, 2024, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 1238/NQ-BTVQH15 on the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels in Thanh Hoa province, period 2023-2025. Accordingly, the entire natural area and population of Dong Son district will be merged into Thanh Hoa city and wards will be established in Thanh Hoa city. This is an important legal basis, a milestone opening a new period of higher, stronger and more comprehensive development for the city in the future.
As a person who has made many positive contributions to the project of merging Dong Son district into Thanh Hoa city and establishing wards in Thanh Hoa city, Mr. Hoang Van Hung, Head of the Urban Management Department (Thanh Hoa city) said: “With a large land fund, investment resources are not scattered, Thanh Hoa city after the merger will have many conditions to develop synchronous and modern infrastructure, develop industry, trade - services, tourism, healthcare, high-quality education. At the same time, it creates a premise to organize and expand the management scope of urban government instead of rural government, contributing to innovating the management and operation methods of the government apparatus in the direction of urbanization to meet the requirements and tasks set out, especially in the field of urban order management, construction order, land management. The organization of the apparatus is also arranged in a streamlined direction, reducing focal points, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the political system. In addition, merging Dong Son district into Thanh Hoa city will be a "lever" to promote economic development in a modern and sustainable direction, enhance regional and inter-regional connectivity, reduce pressure on land for development and the current concentrated population in urban areas.
Thanh Hoa City's urban expansion
The orientation of Thanh Hoa urban master plan to 2040 identifies "Rung Thong town and Dong Thinh, Hoang Quang, Hoang Dai communes as wards in the inner city area, an expanded urban area of Thanh Hoa city". In particular, Rung Thong town is an area for developing new residential areas combined with mixed-use service works in the areas on both sides of National Highway 45 and National Highway 47. Dong Thinh commune is an area for developing industrial and service urban areas in the West of Thanh Hoa city; where urban service, commercial, housing and industrial zones are located, linked to the development axis from Thanh Hoa city to Tho Xuan airport. Hoang Quang commune is oriented to be a new urban area with synchronous technical infrastructure and social infrastructure belonging to the new urban area in Hoang Quang commune (Thanh Hoa city) and 2 communes of Hoang Thinh, Hoang Loc (Hoang Hoa). Hoang Dai commune is oriented to be a model landscape urban area along the banks of the Ma river.
In recent years, Rung Thong town and Dong Thinh, Hoang Quang, Hoang Dai communes have experienced rapid socio-economic development; the technical infrastructure and social infrastructure systems have been invested synchronously and modernly, gradually forming urban space in the area. Socio-economic changes and the urbanization process pose many new issues for these localities to solve such as: Economic management; management of construction planning and architecture; management of technical infrastructure; population management; landscape and environmental protection... Therefore, the current government management model is no longer suitable, it is necessary to establish wards, creating a legal premise for establishing a suitable management apparatus organization model.
Resolution No. 1238/NQ-BTVQH15 of the National Assembly Standing Committee decided to establish 4 wards of Rung Thong, Dong Thinh, Hoang Quang and Hoang Dai on the basis of the original status of natural area and population size and officially took effect from January 1, 2025. The establishment of 4 wards in Thanh Hoa city has brought many positive impacts. In terms of socio-economics, it will contribute to accelerating the growth rate, shifting the economic structure towards industry - handicrafts, trade and especially services, creating many jobs for workers, actively contributing to the socio-economic development of the ward, the city and improving the living standards of the people. When becoming an expanded urban area of the city, the infrastructure system will receive synchronous investment attention, especially the urban infrastructure system, transportation, health care, education and cultural institutions. Regarding state management, the new ward government model will help improve state management, solve problems faster and more effectively, and create conditions to improve the capacity and quality of cadres and civil servants in performing public duties. The process of building and developing wards will also create changes in both material and spiritual aspects for the people. People will have access to and enjoy full services with higher and more diverse standards, and the cultural and spiritual life of the people will be improved.
Along with the establishment of 4 wards, Thanh Hoa City will merge Tan Son Ward into Phu Son Ward to create conditions for the new administrative unit to expand space for development and focus resources on infrastructure investment and socio-economic development. Thus, after the arrangement, Thanh Hoa City has 47 commune-level administrative units, including 33 wards and 14 communes.
With the high determination of the Party Committee, the government and the consensus of cadres, party members and people of all walks of life in the two localities, the merger of Dong Son district into Thanh Hoa city and the establishment of wards in Thanh Hoa city opened an extremely important milestone for the new development period of the city. Thereby, contributing to putting Thanh Hoa province in the group of leading provinces in the country - a new growth pole in the North of the country.
Article and photos: To Phuong
Lesson 2: Agreeing with the Party's will and the people's heart
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