Public Pocket Parks in the Ho Chi Minh City Center – A Site Inventory and Revitalization Design Approach

According to the Project on Development of Public Parks and Trees in Ho Chi Minh City from 2020 to 2030, Ho Chi Minh City currently has a high urbanization rate and population growth rate, while the investment in building new parks and greenery recently is still quite limited. The total planning area for the urban greenery is more than 11.400 ha, corresponding to the target of 7 m2 per person. Meanwhile, the total current park and greenery area is only about 500 ha, with the corresponding rate of 0.55 m2 per city resident. In the context of limited and expensive land like in Ho Chi Minh City, the pocket parks, which are named for ranges of small-scale public spaces, in the existing city core are still valuable and well-contributed to public life. Though this type of green space has represented the Ho Chi Minh City public facet for a prolonged period but is still not yet considered as an official compulsory setting in the current urban green strategy. This study conducts a site inventory to assess the physical status of existing pocket parks in the Ho Chi Minh City center, specifically: Opera House Plaza, Chi Lang Place, Bach Tung Diep Garden, Turtle Point, and Me Linh Circus. The research methods include mapping and physical and historical analysis. Based on the existing situation, it would propose adaptive improvement solutions for these parks to rediscover and promote lively activities for the community in the city.