A view of Son La city.

According to Plan 227/KH-UBND, the aim is to develop sustainable smart cities in Son La province, focusing on green growth, sustainable development, leveraging potential and advantages, and improving resource utilization efficiency. It also aims to improve the quality of life; ensure favorable conditions for organizations, individuals, and citizens to effectively participate in research, investment, construction, and management of smart city development; provide information and data to identify and prevent potential risks and hazards; and enhance the effectiveness of state management and urban services.

Effectively implement the assigned tasks as directed by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 950/QD-TTg dated August 1, 2018; and Decision No. 3250/QD-UBND dated December 30, 2019 of the Provincial People's Committee on the promulgation of the Project on building a Smart City in Son La province for the period 2020 - 2025.

The key tasks for 2024-2025 in Son La province will be to continue promoting and raising awareness about sustainable smart urban development. Training and development of human resources will also be organized to support sustainable smart urban development.

Proactively review key issues and priorities of the sector and locality to implement sustainable smart city development in 2024-2025. Implement smart city development comprehensively, with close interrelationships and prioritized investment to ensure efficient resource utilization. Mobilize social resources for investment in smart city development projects and components to reduce pressure on the state budget and encourage active participation from all levels, sectors, governments, businesses, etc. Citizens must be involved from the outset in the planning, design, and construction of sustainable smart city projects.

Promote the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for planning management and implementation; strengthen focus on smart urban planning, integrating sustainable smart urban development content into construction planning projects and urban development programs, schemes, and projects; closely link the digital transformation process with sustainable smart urban development.

Strengthen coordination, interconnection, and multi-sectoral collaboration to develop urban spatial data infrastructure, including land, environmental, urban, construction, and other GIS-based data, to serve various tasks such as smart city development, e-government, administrative reform, and smart city operations centers. Develop a shared data warehouse and a provincial-level data aggregation and analysis platform to support both digital transformation and smart city development. Attract and train data analysis experts to effectively utilize shared data.

The People's Committee of Son La province has assigned the Department of Construction to take the lead and coordinate with relevant departments and agencies to implement legal documents, policies, and guidelines on sustainable smart urban development, following the guidance of ministries and agencies, to localities and cities for pilot implementation. It will also coordinate with relevant departments and agencies to guide localities in integrating sustainable smart urban development content into construction planning projects and urban development programs, projects, and plans. Furthermore, it will maintain, upgrade, manage, and effectively deploy the Geographic Information System (GIS) for managing and implementing planning throughout the province.

The Department of Information and Communications is tasked with leading and coordinating with relevant departments and agencies to guide localities in implementing the ICT reference framework for smart city development. It will maintain and update the province's e-government architecture towards a digital government, ensuring its compatibility with the Vietnamese e-government architecture framework…

For departments, agencies, and the People's Committees of districts and cities, continue to promote and raise awareness about sustainable smart urban development; advise on organizing training, fostering, and developing human resources towards sustainable smart urban development. Strengthen coordination in the implementation of smart urban planning; closely link the digital transformation process with sustainable smart urban development. Review and promptly and effectively implement tasks according to Decision No. 3250/QD-UBND dated December 30, 2019, of the Provincial People's Committee promulgating the Project on building a Smart City in Son La province for the period 2020 – 2025.

Phuong Nguyen