Abstract

Since the implementation of reform (Doi moi in Vietnamese) in 1986, Vietnam has rapidly transformed from a central planned economy to a market-oriented economic system. Liberal market mechanisms were introduced, private-sector initiatives encouraged, at the same time as the state still retained its role as the strategic planner and enforcer (World Bank 2011). A recent phenomenon that is connected to post-Doi moi rapid urban expansion is the growth of master-planned developments at the urban fringe.