As “Guideline” component, methods for regulating the urban design were elaborated. WP 7 raised the question, if urban planning and design guidelines could serve as instrument to steer urban development. According to HCMC’s Planning Decree 29 the Department of Planning and Architecture (DPA) issued directives for a small inner-city area for the first time in Vietnam. These guidelines regulate a mere of dimensions related to the urban form, but exceed national building codes and specifications from urban development plans. However, there is mutual consent, that this method is suitable for further regulations.

At the national level WP 7 elaborated a general concept for the implementation of guidelines into the legal planning framework to allow their nationwide application. The Construction and the Urban Planning Law define the main spatial planning levels, the related statutory plans and their content. Detailed specifications are noted in additional standards and codes. However, while at the building level binding standards like the Building Code exist, the levels of general and zoning planning are lacking effective regulations. In particular the amendment of the Urban Planning Law in June 2009 introduced the level of zoning, but without the formulation of respective specifications. Further, this law demands strategic environmental assessments (SEA) as well as declarations to the urban design and the technical infrastructure as inherent part of each planning level. Even there, specifications are lacking, yet. Therefore, the elaboration of these standards may serve as a platform for implementing additional regulations in terms of climate change adaptation and energy efficiency.

The WP 7’s climate proofing study, requested by the DPA, offers the chance not only to elaborate an exemplary method as part of SEA procedures in Vietnam, but also to close the gap between research and implementation. The study aims at estimating climate change impacts for a real development project in District 2, adjoining the Thu Thiem New Urban Area and recommending adaptation potentials, which shall be incorporated into further planning. Climate proofing aims for a reverse impact assessment to ascertain how the environment could affect a project in the medium to long term. The results of a pre-screening were presented to the DPA in July 2010 and indicate already, that the adaptation proposals by WP7 will go along with a reduction of the planned floor area ratio and building coverage ratio. It will be essential, how much of the proposals will effectively influence the project plans under the estimated pressure by affected investors. The study offers therefore the chance to test the acceptance of adaptation measure under real market conditions in HCMC.