Walking in the Old Quarter

The area of Hà Nội's ancient streets is rather like a triangle. This ancient section was laid out in an order with its streets bearing the names of the goods manufactured there.

Old architecture and rudimentary transport are two integral factors that give Hà Nội’s Old Quarter a distinctive character.

Recent increases in Hà Nội’s population and motorized transport have, however, turned the Old Quarter into a blockage in the city’s traffic system. Both locals and visitors find it increasingly difficult to navigate the Old Quarter, particularly on foot.

Clearly, regulation and redirection of traffic and creation of spaces for pedestrians are called for.

At the moment, the city authority is undertaking studies and considering various proposals for improving the traffic flow in the Old Quarter.

No projects have, however, been approved as the city is exploring the public opinion and evaluating the feasibility of the various projects. At the center of the issue is how to improve the traffic flow and pedestrian access in the Old Quarter without spoiling its distinctive character.

There exists a complex link between the interior space of the buildings in the Old Quarter and the pavements and roads on which they stand.

The vibrant street life of the quarter is the result of this mutual penetration of interior and exterior space, with merchants conducting business and eating meals with their families in front of their small shops amidst a constant flow of Vietnamese and foreign pedestrians, to say nothing of the noisy jumble of bicycles, motorbikes, taxies, private cars, delivery trucks and cyclos just a few feet away. Though most of the buildings of the Old Quarter have been renovated many times, obscuring their original structures, certain features remain. The famous “tube houses,” can run backward for 50 or 75 meters, with interior courtyards, storage rooms, and sleeping areas arranged in a straight line. Sometimes the “backdoor” of such a dwelling can be located a block away on another street. If the Old Quarter is to retain its character and historical authenticity, this relationship between interior and exterior spaces must be preserved, and the explosion of traffic volume must be controlled.

A comparative study of other cities’ efforts to deal with similar problems can shed some light on Hà Nội’s efforts to make changes in the Old Quarter. Amsterdam, Vienna and Nara (Japan) all have ancient quarters and all have successfully created networks of pedestrian ways within these districts; however, none of these cities’ ancient districts has the large population of Hà Nội’s Old Quarter and none is a hub of commercial activity either. What we learn from these cities’ experience is that pedestrians must be given a place to walk, stop, talk and shop; beyond that, the cases are so different as to make comparisons difficult. The examples from other cities suggest that it is possible to maintain the quality of urban life most effectively through mixed use. The hearts of many large cities have died when people stopped living in them, commuting in only to work. In such cases, crime rises and small commercial activities cease, leading to the kind of urban decay seen in so many cities in North America during the second half of the 20^th century.

Whatever solution is arrived at, it must take into consideration several facts: The network of pedestrian ways, whatever their final arrangement, must be built first and foremost for the sake of the inhabitants in the Old Quarter, not only for the purpose of attracting tourists. Also, the plan must be comprehensive, taking into consideration vehicle traffic throughout Hà Nội, mass transit, the need for urban green space and historical preservation./.

By Phạm Đình Việt