Transformations of public space in Hanoi’s peri-urban traditional villages, with Nhat Tan village selected as a case study
Abstract
Peri-urban areas in developing Southeast Asia are undergoing profound transformations. Formerly agrarian places surrounding fast-growing agglomerations such as Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, and Hanoi have become dynamic sites of encounter between urban and rural built forms, activities and ways of life. The resulting urban formations belie conceptions of a neat cleavage between city and countryside. Since at least the 1980s, rural traditional villages in Hanoi’s periphery have been absorbed into the urban fabric. The tightly bound community of traditional village life-based on religion, kinship ties and common use of space - has broken up. This paper outlines how public space in peri-urban villages has transformed - with the assumption that these changes are reflecting broader changes in the society. Relying on qualitative surveys and mapping, the research involved a case study of Nhat Tan village, a thousand-year old peach flower village strongly affected by Ciputra Hanoi (West Thang Long), the first new urban area in Hanoi. The research identifies emerging networks of public space that help to make the community resilient. The paper also contributes an initial exploration of the usage of the terms “public” space in the context of the contemporary Vietnamese city.
Keywords: Peri-urban, urbanization, globalization, public space, traditional village.
Received: September 19th, 2017; revised: October 27th, 2017; accepted: November 2nd, 2017
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