Ho Chi Minh City - The Urban Divide

I was in Ho Chi Minh City recently for a project. This is my second time there after some 3 years ago. There are certainly more traffic on the streets and not surprising I see more cars and taxis on the road as well, most likely due to the greater affluence of the people. The motor cycles are still there and ever growing as well. The noise too.

With more cars on the roads, it is now more risky to ride a motor cycle on the roads of Ho Chi Minh City. There is greater friction between these two modes of transportation. And so the probability of a motor cyclist involved in an accident is higher.


I also notice that there is an unspoken discipline on the roads. The cars will try to keep to one side of the road and the motor cycles on the other side. This is good and will increase the efficiency of the road's throughput and safer for the motor cycles as well. However, the danger arises when the cars decided to make a turn at the junctions and this can be rather dangerous for the motor cyclists.


I also notice the greater growing urban divide of the people. There are a growing group of Vietnamese who are very well off in contrast to the majority who are still in the lower income bracket.


Here's a very nice Cantonese restaurant serving some of the best Cantonese cuisine and seafood you can find anywhere in the world.

People are having a great time eating the finest and freshest food, socializing, drinking and in their best designer wear.

Yet not too far away from this top end restaurant, one can see the wide contrast in the kind of food served and conditions of another less fortunate group of Vietnamese. Road side stalls are plentiful. Some squat, some sit on small stools, some stand and that is how they would have their simple meals.

This is the sad state of affairs in many of the developing countries in Asia. Asia’s economic expansion is celebrated as an example of successful globalization, but it has not been equally distributed among the populations. 

Here are some quick facts from a recent 2010/2011 report on The State of Asian Cities

1. The Asia-Pacific region is leading the reduction of overall poverty in the world.

2. Economic  growth has not benefited all urban dwellers in the region equally. Urban income poverty in Asia is declining more slowly than its rural counterpart. Urban inequality is rising in the Asia-Pacific region.

3. Since  the year 2000, the lives of 172 million slum-dwellers in Asia have been improved through various policies and programmes. 

4. The  Asia-Pacific region remains host to over half of the world’s slum population, and huge sub-regional disparities remain.

5. Most Asian cities are on their way to achieving the target set under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for access to water.

6. Although  Asian cities have made considerable progress in providing access to improved sanitation, many are likely to miss the Millennium sanitation target.