Since the Doi Moi policy of economic renovation was introduced in 1986, Vietnam has undergone deep transformations as a result of the transition to a socialist-oriented market economy. Social and urban transition has taken place in parallel, as urban dynamics were spurred on by Vietnamese public and private stakeholders, and by external agents such as international organizations and international solidarity organizations, experts, consultants and bilateral aid organizations.Here are the results of research carried out by French, Canadian and Vietnamese teams from the north and south of the country on the overarching theme of Vietnamese cities in transition. Some of this research deals with urban dynamics, some with the issues at stake within such dynamics, or with the strategies of the most significant stakeholders in urban transition: civil society, donors within the framework of official aid for development, consultants and international consultancy firms. These projects were carried out between 2001 and 2004 as part of the Urban Research Programme for Development (PRUD), and mainly focus on Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, or both in the case of comparative studies.Is there such a thing as a Vietnamese model of an Asian city? It seems that urban transition in Vietnam is not taking place in as radical and abrupt a manner as in China. The country's capacity for absorbing external models, the quest for a third way between state intervention and economic liberalism, and the fact that the country's architectural heritage is taken into account in urban planning, are just some of the reasons for its particularity. The issues addressed in each chapter, as well as the proposals for further research suggested by the contributors, should act as a catalyst for urban research in Vietnam.

Vietnam is in the midst of one of the world’s most rapid and intensive rural-to-urban transitions. In Hanoi, heritage preservation has gained significant policy attention over the last decades, but efforts continue to focus on the Old Quarter and Colonial City to the exclusion of collective socialist housing complexes and former village areas, and natural features such as canals and urban lakes. Parks and public spaces are urgently needed to offset the high residential densities and to improve the quality of life of residents. Motor vehicles continue to fuel the growth in transportation. Significant efforts were recently made to establish a mass transit system, but progress there is slow. More attention should be paid to improving the existing transportation system and to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Investments in new housing estates have fuelled a speculative real estate market but failed to address adequately the needs of the vulnerable segments of the population. Regional integration is a challenge as the city expands and swallows the peri-urban areas around the city.

Women experiencing the dynamic changes of rapid industrialization in the Vietnam of today - in the family, the factory, the farm and the state - from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City - are the focus of this book. Here, the latest Vietnamese research and policy on women and the family are in dialogue with US feminist theory, research and analysis, providing a multi-disciplinary approach to women's labour, health and fertility, rural development, violence against women, and women's historical and political status at a critical moment of economic and social change.

Women experiencing the dynamic changes of rapid industrialization in the Vietnam of today - in the family, the factory, the farm and the state - from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City - are the focus of this book. Here, the latest Vietnamese research and policy on women and the family are in dialogue with US feminist theory, research and analysis, providing a multi-disciplinary approach to women's labour, health and fertility, rural development, violence against women, and women's historical and political status at a critical moment of economic and social change.

Vietnam is in the midst of one of the world's most rapid and intensive rural-to-urban transitions. In Hanoi, heritage preservation has gained significant policy attention over the last decades, but efforts continue to focus on the Old Quarter and Colonial City to the exclusion of collective socialist housing complexes and former village areas, and natural features such as canals and urban lakes. Parks and public spaces are urgently needed to offset the high residential densities and to improve the quality of life of residents. Motor vehicles continue to fuel the growth in transportation. Significant efforts were recently made to establish a mass transit system, but progress there is slow. More attention should be paid to improving the existing transportation system and to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Investments in new housing estates have fuelled a speculative real estate market but failed to address adequately the needs of the vulnerable segments of the population. Regional integration is a challenge as the city expands and swallows the peri-urban areas around the city.

"Essential reading to understand why and how Vietnam's political elite-forged by revolution, war, and Marxist ideology-altered their thinking and policies to make the dramatic shift to a market economy. An important book."--Richard A. Hunt, author of Pacification: The American Struggle for Vietnam1s Hearts and Minds "Changing Worlds is a profound and eloquently written account of changes in Vietnamese elite thinking that led them to abandon communist ideology and 'take the plunge' into the currents of globalization. This work is enhanced by Elliott's command of Vietnamese sources."