BackSociety » Development » [Photos] Saigon’s New Pedestrian Promenade Is Open For Business

Work has been completed on schedule for Saigon's new US$20 million pedestrian promenade on Nguyen Hue Street.


Related Articles:

As Saigon’s First Pedestrian-Only Street Prepares To Open, Details and Criticisms Emerge

Nguyen Hue Pedestrian-Only Promenade To Open This Month

[Photos] Hanoi’s Pedestrian-Only Streets Flooded With Vehicles


One of the street's two fountains.

According to the city’s Transport Department, the 60-meter wide street will be free from vehicles between 6pm and 11pm on Saturdays and Sundays and on holidays. Ngo Ba An, vice director of the department’s Urban Traffic Management Zone No. 1 said that the plan is to eventually make the promenade a pedestrian-only area 24 hours a day.

Entrance to the subterranean bathrooms.

The men's room that lies beneath the street.

“After people get used to the pedestrian street and the street boasts diverse activities and teems with life, it will be turned into a pedestrian-only square every night throughout the week, while it remains open to traffic on the two lateral sections in daytime,” he told Tuoi Tre, adding that it will only become a full-time walking street when it is connected to “several future pedestrian streets in the vicinity.”

We found a stroll along the promenade to be a pleasant one though we were fortunate to pick a day with cloud cover. A lack of shade combined with Saigon's sweltering heat would have us seeking cooler options on a sunny day.

As refreshing as it is to have walking street downtown, it seems to lack a certain character and buzz. There isn't anything particularly Vietnamese about the thoroughfare (save for the soviet-era propaganda songs blaring from speakers) and there is a noticeable absence of street vendors.

Rows of smart pillars can be lowered to allow for vehicles (that have special permission) to cross the boulevard.

While there seems to be consensus that Saigon needs more walking streets, some have recently criticized the location, saying that Bui Vien would have been a better choice.

“At first glance Nguyen Hue is similar to a walking street in Shanghai, but it's actually very different. The Nanjing Street in Shanghai is specialized in trading and services, while Nguyen Hue has mostly office towers and hotels,” said architect Ngo Viet Son.

“Meanwhile, Bui Vien also satisfies [sic] all criteria for a walking street with shops, services and sidewalk eateries,” he told the newspaper.

Hopefully the city will come up with some activities to liven up the street to give locals and tourists a reason to visit more than once.

Related Articles

in Development

$2bn Thu Thiem Eco Smart City Set to Break Ground This Year

A week after the city unveiled Thu Thiem Empire City, a project that will include Vietnam’s tallest building, a group of Asian developers have announced that they will break ground on its neighbor, th...

in Development

'House for Trees' in Tan Binh District

Vo Trong Nghia Architects, winners of ArchDaily’s ‘House of the Year’ award, is undoubtedly Vietnam’s leading sustainable/green design firm. One of their latest projects, ‘House for Trees’ was complet...

in Development

15 Projects That Will Change Saigon Forever: Part 1

The area between Bến Thành Market and the Saigon Opera House is undeniably the epicenter of changes to the city’s urban fabric with the construction of pedestrian promenades, subway stations, a n...

in Development

15 Projects That Will Change Saigon Forever: Part 2

The area between Bến Thành Market and the Saigon Opera House is undeniably the epicenter of changes to the city’s urban fabric with the construction of pedestrian promenades, subway stations, a new ad...

in Development

15 Projects That Will Change Saigon Forever: Part 3

The area between Bến Thành Market and the Saigon Opera House is undeniably the epicenter of changes to the city’s urban fabric with the construction of pedestrian promenades, subway stations, a new ad...

in Development

2.5 House: A Modest Dream Home in a Tan Binh Alley

Given the expenditure often required to build out a well-designed home, most of those featured on Saigoneer are anything but modest. That’s why we were particularly stoked to come across this small bu...

Partner Content