Asia's next-generation smart cities are taking shape. Here's how Vietnam's Vinhomes Green Paradise is using data standards and climate planning from the design stage.
India is wrapping up its Smart Cities Mission with 97% of projects completed as of March 31, 2026. The cycle, spanning over a decade, has demonstrated how this nation integrated technology into existing cities. The next question may be more challenging: What happens when a city is measured according to independent standards right at the blueprint phase, before residents or operational data are available?
The 2026 IMD Smart City Index shows that the criteria for a “smart city” are changing. The report ranks 148 cities based almost entirely on resident perceptions, with scores divided into two pillars: Structures (infrastructure, institutions, and foundational conditions) and Technology. Notably, the Structures score is a more effective and consistent prediction of overall performance.
The message of the 2026 IMD Smart City Index is quite clear: a city does not become smart simply by integrating technology. For an established city, the ultimate “graders” remain the residents.
This raises another question for the next generation of smart cities. If the F1 generation was mainly about upgrading existing urban areas with technology, could F2 start from the opposite approach: integrating standards for data, governance, and urban efficiency into the initial blueprints?
In Vietnam, Vinhomes, a subsidiary of Vingroup, the country’s largest private conglomerate, is piloting this approach on a scale of thousands of hectares with Vinhomes Green Paradise in Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh City. The 2,870-hectare megacity possesses a rare situation, facing the sea of Can Gio and located next to a UNESCO-recognized mangrove biosphere reserve. Furthermore, the project is developed under the ESG++ model, which expands upon the standard framework by adding two more pillars: regeneration and climate change adaptation, which is noteworthy in a country where the World Bank estimates an additional $368 billion will be needed by 2040 for climate adaptation and emission reduction.
In August 2026, the WCCD awarded the 2,870-hectare megacity in Can Gio the ISO 37122 Provisional Certification based on a customized set of indicators. This is the first megacity in Vietnam to achieve international standard certification for measuring and evaluating smart city development performance.
Dr. Patricia McCarney, President and CEO of the WCCD and Director of Standardized Urban Metrics (SUM), assessed that Vinhomes has established a foundational data system to serve Dr. Patricia McCarney, President and CEO of the WCCD and Director of Standardized Urban Metrics (SUM), assessed that Vinhomes has established a foundational data system to serve urban governance, infrastructure development, technology application, and sustainable development goals. This system is monitored and evaluated annually, creating the foundation for the megacity to achieve full ISO 37122 certification upon official operation.
Impressions from observers have been plentiful. Jean-Paul de la Fuente, Director of New7Wonders, the organization behind the “7 Wonders Future Cities” campaign in which Vinhomes Green Paradise is the first official candidate, evaluated this as a compelling model of a “future city,” defining a new standard measured by the happy and sustainable quality of life for generations of residents.
“Vingroup does not develop projects for 5 or 10 years, but for multiple generations. This vision is reflected in a master plan featuring vast green spaces, optimized resources, integrated smart technologies, an orientation toward clean energy, and electric mobility solutions. That is a strategic approach that very few corporations worldwide possess the resources, determination, and execution capacity to pursue,” the New7Wonders Director said.
This approach in Can Gio in the South of Vietnam is being replicated by this private conglomerate in the North. Vinhomes Global Gate Ha Long, a project spanning 6,206 hectares, aims for a similar certification (ISO 37125), demonstrating a long-term strategic vision rather than stopping at a single project.
The driving force for Vinhomes’ pioneering path is the pivotal direction from the Vietnamese Government. Resolution 57 in 2024 on science, technology, and digital transformation, along with Resolution 68 in 2025 on the private economy, are paving the way for the private sector to take on the role of creating data-driven urban development. Although there are still many variables in the future, Vinhomes Green Paradise deserves to be seen as a major “bet” on the policy-aligned direction that the company has pursued for over a decade.
Sources:
- https://www.etvbharat.com/en/bharat/smart-cities-mission-nears-completion-with-97-percent-projects-executed-but-performance-varies-across-cities-enn26080404183
- https://www.imd.org/news/competitiveness/transparency-and-public-trust-key-to-urban-success/
- https://www.imd.org/ibyimd/competitiveness/why-the-most-actionable-insight-in-the-imd-smart-city-index-isnt-rank-but-resident-satisfaction/
- https://www.worldbank.org/vi/news/press-release/2022/07/01/new-world-bank-group-report-proposes-path-for-vietnam-to-address-climate-risks-while-sustaining-robust-economic-growth
- https://vnexpress.net/vinhomes-green-paradise-dat-chung-nhan-quoc-te-ve-do-thi-thong-minh-5105632.html
- https://xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn/toan-van-nghi-quyet-ve-dot-pha-phat-trien-khoa-hoc-cong-nghe-doi-moi-sang-tao-va-chuyen-doi-so-quoc-gia-119241224180048642.htm
- https://tapchikinhtetaichinh.vn/doanh-nghiep-tp-ho-chi-minh-hien-thuc-hoa-nghi-quyet-68-nqtw-155116.html
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Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: News9 live, 08.10.2026
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