Hanoi (VNA), Oct. 22 -- Smart planning plays a key role in developing smart cities, experts told a workshop held in Hanoi on October 22 within the framework of the ASEAN Smart Cities Summit and Expo 2020.

According to Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van , experience gained from other countries reveals that a city cannot "go smarter" without smart planning and effective tools to manage the development of urban areas based on such planning.

The construction ministry's draft strategy on urban area development to 2030 and vision to 2050 highlights that the building of smart cities is important in turning Vietnam into a modern and industrialised nation with high incomes by 2045, he said.

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