International Workshop “Finding Thanh Da Peninsula Identity – An Urban Climate Adaptive Park”
A Journey to Shape a Climate-Resilient Urban Identity for Thanh Da Peninsula
From October 6–10, 2025, the Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM) – University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), in collaboration with AVANS University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), successfully organized the international workshop “Finding Thanh Da Peninsula Identity – An Urban Climate Adaptive Park” as part of the International Smart Urban Design Studio 2025.
The event brought together 56 students (including 20 Dutch students and 36 Vietnamese students) and 6 lecturers from the Netherlands, India, Guatemala, and Vietnam. Together, they explored strategies for urban design and climate adaptation for Thanh Da Peninsula – a unique site in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, embraced by the Saigon River.
Thanh Da – The Land Between Rivers and Urban Transformation
Covering an area of approximately 426.9 hectares, Thanh Da Peninsula is located in Wards 27 and 28, Binh Thanh District, less than 5 kilometers from downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Surrounded by the Saigon River, Thanh Da holds a strategic position and significant potential for urban development. However, it remains a “blank spot” in the city’s structure—characterized by fragmented settlements, insufficient infrastructure, and low-lying terrain highly vulnerable to flooding.
Like many low-lying coastal megacities in Southeast Asia, Ho Chi Minh City faces severe challenges from climate change, tidal intrusion, and land subsidence. Rapid urban expansion and increased impermeable surfaces have reduced the city’s natural infiltration capacity, intensified surface runoff, and worsened flood risks.
Against this backdrop, the workshop aimed to redefine Thanh Da’s identity—not merely as a new development zone, but as a climate-adaptive waterfront city, where humans, nature, and technology coexist in harmony.
Design Thinking: Between Identity and Climate Adaptation
Thanh Da requires a comprehensive urban strategy that both responds to future environmental risks and preserves its distinctive local character.
The workshop’s goal was to help students recognize that:
“A sustainable city is not one that resists nature, but one that learns to live with it—adapting and evolving in harmony with natural systems.”
Based on this philosophy, the workshop introduced four Urban Design Themes:
Urban Wetlands and Waterscape – Designing urban landscapes based on aquatic ecosystems and flood-prone terrains.
Urban Archipelago – The “urban islands” model that connects communities through green and soft infrastructure.
Urban Hybrid Garden – Integrating ecology and infrastructure into hybrid green spaces combining environmental and urban functions.
Urban Foodscape – Creating productive landscapes that promote green livelihoods and a circular economy.
Five Days of Learning, Experiencing, and Co-Creating
Day 1: Orientation Day – Beginning the Journey
The workshop officially commenced at UEH Campus, where lecturers from UEH and AVANS introduced the program objectives, studio framework, and expected final outcomes.
Opening lectures included:
Introduction to Urban Design Studio Structure – by UEH.
Workshop Framework and Expected Outcomes – by AVANS.
Following a lively cultural exchange and gift-sharing session between Vietnamese and Dutch students, the group embarked on a field trip to Thanh Da Peninsula, traveling by motorbikes to experience the site firsthand.
Winding through narrow alleys, steel bridges, and riverside neighborhoods, students observed the area’s distinct urban conditions—rising water levels, fragile infrastructure, fragmented housing patterns, and frequent flooding zones.
This first-hand field experience helped them grasp the broader urban context—where city, nature, and community coexist, yet remain disconnected.
Day 2: Learning from Practice – Engaging with Experts
On the second day, the Dutch students visited the Royal HaskoningDHV office, a leading Dutch engineering firm renowned for its expertise in water management and urban planning.
Students were introduced to innovative water treatment systems, green infrastructure models, and flood resilience solutions currently implemented in Vietnam.
In the afternoon, mixed international teams began their first group work session, analyzing field data and identifying preliminary urban design strategies for Thanh Da.
Their initial discussions focused on reconnecting water flows and living spaces, envisioning a system of community-oriented urban parks linked to the Saigon River’s natural rhythm.
Day 3: Expert Lectures and Design Inspiration
The third day featured a series of inspiring expert lectures by international and local speakers:
Dr. Arch. Huynh Van Khang (UEH): Local Architecture & Vernacular Wisdom
Design insights from one of the winning teams of the 4th International Design Competition (IDC 2025).
Arch. Patrick Lenssen & Arch. Steven Hommersom (AVANS): Landmark Architecture and Community-driven Urbanism – exploring how architectural landmarks can anchor community identity and foster social development.
After the lectures, students continued group work sessions, developing initial conceptual sketches and strategic design frameworks focusing on water-sensitive urbanism, green restructuring, and community-based ecosystems for Thanh Da.
Days 4–5: From Ideas to Proposals – Defining Future Urban Identity
The final two days were dedicated to intensive group collaboration and project presentations.
Each team presented its vision and strategic plan through concept maps, spatial models, and urban structure diagrams.
The final review session was filled with energy and creativity as Vietnamese and Dutch students shared diverse cultural perspectives and interdisciplinary approaches—united by a common vision: a resilient, livable, and distinctive Thanh Da Peninsula.
Academic Impact and International Collaboration
The workshop exemplified studio-based learning, where students engage in hands-on, project-oriented international collaboration—bridging theory and real-world design practice.
The partnership between UEH – ISCM and AVANS University of Applied Sciences has fostered a dynamic platform connecting education, research, and urban innovation.
Beyond technical knowledge, the workshop offered participants meaningful intercultural exchanges. Through joint fieldwork, teamwork, and cultural activities, students gained a deeper understanding that sustainable urban planning is not merely about engineering, but about co-creating a shared future among people, nature, and communities.
From Thanh Da to the Future Vision of Urban Living
The international workshop “Finding Thanh Da Peninsula Identity – An Urban Climate Adaptive Park” concluded with many promising design proposals—but more importantly, it sparked a new mindset in urban design.
Thanh Da is not just a “development project”; it is a story of identity, where every waterway, piece of land, and community plays a vital role in the city’s evolving narrative.
Through this workshop, young architects and urban planners collaboratively reimagined a greener, more flexible, and more resilient Thanh Da, contributing to the broader vision of a water-sensitive and sustainable Ho Chi Minh City.
🌏 Organized by: Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM), University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH)
🤝 In Collaboration with:
AVANS University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
📍 Location: Ho Chi Minh City – Thanh Da Peninsula
🗓 Duration: October 6–10, 2025