At the Conference on the Announcement of Hanoi’s 100-Year Master Plan and the 2026 Investment Promotion Program, the Hanoi People’s Committee officially presented a cooperation agreement on advancing Hanoi as a Creative City within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network to the Vietnam Association of Architects (VAA). The agreement was awarded alongside a series of cooperation commitments with ministries, government agencies, organizations, and strategic partners to support the implementation of the capital’s long-term development vision.
The conference marked a significant milestone in unveiling Hanoi’s comprehensive strategic vision and development framework for the next century, while also promoting investment attraction and mobilizing resources for the city’s sustainable growth. The cooperation agreement with the Vietnam Association of Architects reflects the city’s recognition of the architectural profession as a key partner in fulfilling Hanoi’s commitments to UNESCO, promoting the value of architecture and creative design in urban development, heritage conservation, and positioning Hanoi as a regional creative hub.
According to the agreement, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports will serve as the standing agency responsible for advising the Hanoi People’s Committee on the implementation of the partnership. The department will coordinate action plans, oversee implementation, monitor and evaluate progress, and submit periodic reports to the City People’s Committee. On the side of the Vietnam Association of Architects, the Association will designate focal units to carry out cooperation activities within its scope of responsibility, including Architecture Magazine and other affiliated organizations as assigned by the Association.
The two parties have agreed to establish a cooperative framework that leverages the role of culture, architecture, and design in shaping urban spaces; promotes interdisciplinary collaboration; preserves and enhances heritage values; and encourages innovation aligned with Hanoi’s sustainable development objectives.
The Vietnam Association of Architects will work closely with the city in fulfilling the commitments of Hanoi as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The Association will also support the mobilization of resources and encourage the participation of architects, designers, artists, and domestic and international organizations in creative initiatives, contributing to the development of Hanoi’s cultural and creative industries.
In the professional sphere, the two parties will collaborate on developing policies, mechanisms, and action programs for creative design; researching and piloting innovative models, ideas, and creative products; and supporting the development of creative design centers, commercial and cultural development zones, thereby gradually establishing a creative ecosystem that connects communities with cultural industries.
The agreement also aims to strengthen cooperation with other cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, mobilize domestic and international experts, foster creative entrepreneurship, expand international collaboration, develop creative human resources, and help bring Hanoi’s creative products to international markets.
In addition, both parties will jointly conduct research projects on urban planning, architecture, and cultural industries; organize domestic and international conferences, seminars, and forums; and develop training programs, capacity-building initiatives, incubation schemes, and accelerator programs for creative individuals, groups, and enterprises across the city.
One of the agreement’s key priorities is the joint development of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival into an internationally recognized event. Under the agreement, the festival will be jointly organized under the auspices of the Hanoi People’s Committee and the Vietnam Association of Architects, aligned with Hanoi’s strategic orientation as a UNESCO Creative City in the field of design. The festival will follow a long-term development roadmap and be held biennially, subject to practical conditions and development priorities in each phase, contributing to the goal of positioning Hanoi as the creative capital of Southeast Asia.
The Vietnam Association of Architects will contribute to the festival by proposing and advising on its professional content, guiding the integration of historical, architectural, and cultural heritage values into the program, strengthening connections with the cultural and creative industries, and mobilizing resources while engaging professional organizations, architects, designers, and artists from Vietnam and abroad. The festival’s initiatives, creative products, and activities will celebrate innovation and encourage design solutions that support the development of Hanoi’s cultural industries.
Beyond the Hanoi Creative Design Festival, the two parties will also cooperate in organizing a wide range of creative and cultural activities, including exhibitions, conferences, seminars, workshops, training courses, online competitions, and initiatives supporting the city’s network of creative spaces.
Based on recommendations from professional experts, the city will also consider mechanisms to recognize and honor organizations and individuals who make outstanding contributions to creative design and develop cultural products of significant cultural and economic value rooted in Vietnam’s traditional heritage.
© Vietnam Architecture Magazine
