The neighborhood effects of new road infrastructure: Transformation of urban settlements and resident's socioeconomic characteristics in Danang, Vietnam

Abstract

This study documented the transformation of urban landscape and residents’ socioeconomic conditions associated with the development of Nguyen Tat Thanh Road in Danang, Vietnam. The road was newly built along the coastal lines of Danang Bay in 2003, linking downtown Danang with the western part of the city. To better understand the relationship between infrastructure and urban change in developing countries, we conducted in-depth interviews of 400 property owners living in one of the following sites: 1) an area directly abutting on the new road, 2) an area abutting on an existing road but is away from the new road, and 3) an area inside an urban block which is disconnected from all types of vehicular roads. The results showed that road development took place along with a sizable number of urban changes over time, including housing types, building densities and uses, income level, commuting distances, and the type of occupation. The changes were more striking in the area abutting the new road—where relatively well-off migrants settled down and capitalized on land rents by accommodating a variety of retail uses—compared to other areas away from the road. However, the area inside the block also experienced small-scaled, parcel-level adaptive reuse of the built environment by the original residents who maintained the livable environment of the residential neighborhood.