Ho Chi Minh City turns streets, bus stops into 'mini gardens'

The landscaping is being carried out along several gateway routes and in central areas, with trees arranged in three layers — tall, medium and low — and combined with flowering plants to create denser and more diverse green spaces.

Nguyen Xuan Vinh, director of the department's Center for Traffic and Technical Infrastructure Management, said the work is an initial step in reorganizing urban landscapes around residents' experience and closer ties with nature.

Bus stops should offer more than shelters, seats and route information, while streets should serve purposes beyond traffic, he said.

These spaces should be designed to be more attractive and welcoming so that people waiting for buses can feel as if they are entering a 'mini garden,' Vinh said.

The work is currently focused on gateway routes and several central areas.

The area connecting to Tan Son Nhat International Airport includes Truong Son, Phan Dinh Giot, Nguyen Van Troi, Phan Thuc Duyen and Hoang Van Thu streets, as well as Lang Cha Ca Roundabout and Cong Ly Bridge.

This area is being sponsored and landscaped by Truong Hai Group JSC, according to the department.

At the eastern gateway, sections of Nguyen Huu Canh, Dien Bien Phu and Vo Nguyen Giap streets are also being landscaped at medians, intersections and along the roadsides.

Instead of mainly grass and a few large trees, the landscaping now features three layers of vegetation, with plants such as ixora, queen's crape myrtle, bougainvillea, ke do and crape myrtle arranged at various locations to add visual appeal.

Nguyen Thi Phuong, head of the technical division of the Ho Chi Minh City Greenery Parks Company, said the company is mobilizing workers to improve greenery along Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Huu Canh streets ahead of National Day.

The multilayered greenery along Truong Son Street at the entrance to Terminal 1 of Tan Son Nhat International Airport is also equipped with an irrigation system to help maintain the landscape amid heavy traffic.

Bus stops also get green makeover

Along with the street landscaping, the city is also adding greenery to bus stops.

A total of 19 bus shelters have been equipped with improved lighting and frames for growing greenery, and all 19 have been completed, according to the department.

At September 23 Park, a covered walkway connecting a bus stop with Metro Line 1 is being installed and is expected to be completed before August 31, making it easier for passengers to move between the two modes of transport while shielding them from sun and rain.

On the road leading to Terminal 3 of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, bougainvillea plants in various colors have been planted along the route.

On Nguyen Huu Canh Street, ke do, crape myrtle and other medium- and low-growing plants form three layers of vegetation.

Workers are continuing to add plants along Dien Bien Phu Street, while bougainvillea around the Hang Xanh flyover adds color to the busy route.

The greening effort will continue in other areas, gradually creating public spaces that are greener, cleaner and closer to nature, according to the department