Endangered Street Life: Building Frontages and Street Activities in Hanoi

Abstract

Hanoi is presently undergoing a vast metamorphosis. The whole city seems to be under construction, and its population is increasing by about 200,000 inhabitants every year. This growth has a major influence on the city’s housing stock and its condition. The demand for city dwellings has increased sharply in the last years. A good deal of construction is going on in the suburbs but, in the city center, an unbelievable “implosion” of construction is taking place. This “implosion” has profound impact on city life. One- or two-story traditional and French colonial-type buildings are being demolished and replaced by new five-, six-, seven- or even eight-story buildings. Additional building volumes are being constructed on these same urban lots. Due to the narrowness of traditional lot dimensions, the construction has a tremendous influence on the relationship between the residents and the street, as well as between the residents and the social space.

This chapter is the first account of research sponsored by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) — Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Youth Program — Architectural Research Grant. Two universities were involved in the research: the Hanoi University of Civil Engineering and Université Laval, Québec, Canada. The research was planned by André Casault and Pierre Guertin, both of whom are professors at the Canadian university. It was coordinated on site by Professor Casault and Professors Doan Nhu Kim and Ngô The Thi, both from the Hanoi University. Four young Canadian researchers — Anne Boisvert, Isabelle Plourde, Léïc Godbout and Nelson Ruel — spent two months working in Hanoi. They were assisted on site by Tô Kien, a Hanoi University of Civil Engineering student.