COUNTRY REPORT AND OVERVIEW OF
SMART CITY IN LAO P.D.R
METHODOLOGIES AND APPROACHES TO REALIZE SMART CITY

Proposed by: Bounthiem CHITTAPHONE

November, 2023

CONTENTI. Introduction of LAO P.D.R
II. Organization
III. Overview of Smart City in LaosIV. Obstacles Regarding of SMART CITY

LAO P.D.R
LAOS’ AREA COVERS:

236,800 KM2;

POPULATION:

7.2 MILLION;DENSITY:

33 PERSON/KM2

VIENTIANE CAPITAL:POPULATION :1.589.000 INHABITANTS:AREA:

3.920 KM2;

DENSITY:

246 PERSON/KM2;

ADMIN.:

9 DISTRICTS;

MUNICIPALITY:

4 DISTRICTS;
550.000 INHABITANTS

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT LAO P.D.R

ECONOMICLAO People’s Democratic Republic
GDP growth forecasts

 THE ECONOMIC GROWTH RATE IS 5,6 % PER ANNUM;
 GDP PER CAPITAT: 2,773 US$; CURRENCY: 1 US$= 15,430 KIPS, (APRIL 2021);

 THE MAJOR PRODUCTS: HYDROELECTRIC POWER,TIMBER, RICE,TABACO, COFFEE,TEE,TIN

AND GYPSUM MINING AND ETC; THE MAIN EXPORT: ELECTRIC POWER,TIMBER, COFFEE, HANDICRAFT PRODUCTSAND ETC;

2. ORGANIZATION AS MPWT/DHUP(REGARDING TO SMART CITY TASK)The department identified smart and sustainable
city development in its latest MPWT 2021-2025 (5 Years)
plan with aims to keep a balance and effective use of landfor urbanization. The specific purpose on housing andurban planning fields has been to set up comprehensive
policy to apply appropriate strategy of smart city
development through the procedures and perspectives ofurban planning with the involvement of policymakers,
financial experts and the local community. Moreover;Within the last decade, our department has beenpromoted and emphasized of smart city filed as: permit
the concession of smart city projects, established thesmart city strategy and regulation and training theprinciples and approaches of smart city trends inorganization.

2. 1 URBAN PLANNING DIVISION❖ Urban planning division and main tasks
1) Outline of regulations, technical standards and instructions concerning urban planning ;2) Outline and revise of strategic plan, town plans at national, regional levels;
3) Outline, revise and manage of town plans, protection of urban heritage, urban architecture andurban landscape;4) Inspection, monitoring and technical assistance of town planning especially special and specificeconomic zone, smart city zone, and etc.

❖ Brief description of our assignments
1)
2)
3)
4)

Assist Head division in outlining, managing, implementing and inspecting of urban planning;
Follow all of activities in urban planning division;
Adequate, manage of organization and activities of persons;Outline of strategic plan of short, middle and long term concerning urban planning for city, remotearea, special and specific economic zone, smart city zone, and etc.

❖ Authorities and duties
1) Outline of regulation, technical standards and instruction, concerning urban planning smart city,specific and special economic management;2) Obey of administration system and duties delegation in division
3) Follow directly of urban planning, smart city and environment section duties;
4) Inspection, monitoring, solving issues and regularly reporting on tasks and duties execution to
the department.

Land Use Conditions and Land Distribution
The conditions of land use are
rapidly changing in Lao PDR determinedby population growth, internal migration,
the substitution of forest use by farming,the destruction of farm land and forests
as well as a loss in soil quality due to theWar, as well as the build-up of newmarket production structures in theformer subsistence-oriented, indeed
autarkic agriculture.
Central stages, objectives andinstruments of the land transformation
process in Laotian society and economy
since the beginning of the 80s can bedemonstrated pin-pointedly in theformation and securing of land accessand land use rights. Many properties
owned by Laotians who fled the country
were nationalized and placed understate management.

3. CURRENTCIRCUMSTANCEOF LAOS URBAN
DEVELOPMENT

1991-2002
UrbanArea =9300
ha

Present -2030
UrbanArea =61,600 ha
2002-2015
UrbanArea =20,950 ha

3.1 POLICY AND VISION: SMART CITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE FORSUSTAINABILITY
Policy as a Component of Smart City Development
Lao Government is committed towards sustainable development. Incorporating and implementing SDGs under the
8th National Socio-economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and setting out Green Growth policy demonstrates thegovernment’s substantial efforts to achieve that goal. Among others, Green Growth promotes the development andplanning of cities so that they are green, sustainable, integrated, and smart. It also promotes
ecologically/environmentally friendly, energy efficiency and saving in the design and construction of infrastructure.
Smart city is a term that has been raised not so many years ago in Lao PDR. There still seem to be no clear andharmonized official policy and vision towards this concept. However, Lao PDR has some progress in promoting smart
city initiatives by participating in the ASEAN smart cities network, which is initiated by Singapore. Under thisinitiative, 2 cities in Laos,Vientiane Capital and Luang Prabang, are selected among 26 pilot cities in ASEAN.

Other developments that are circulating around the smart city concept include: high speed railways, promotion ofelectricity taxi in Luang Prabang, the ongoing BRT project, BCELOne and other services initiated by the private
sector and SMEs.

WHY SMART CITIESANDINFRASTRUCTURE?

Cities are the backbone of socio-economic developmentwith continuous urbanization, cities are becoming larger andlarger in terms of physical size and population.
The expansion and population growth of cities havebrought about challenges for government to efficiently manage
public infrastructure and maintain/improve the cities livability.
Common urban problems that are difficult to deal with include:
traffic congestion, environmental pollution, affordable housing,water and sanitation, safety and security, climate changes and soon.

4. CHALLENGING• Mostly of land in the planned area are belongs to the individual, once developed will affect the landowner,
then local authorities have to negotiating with land owners to voluntarily cede a portion of their plots fora road or infrastructure corridor.
• Mobilization local authorities promulgate in public awareness for citizens, private sectors andorganizations to understand and participate in the implementation of urban development.
• How to adopt and use new technologies and build future System?
- What will be the future shape of the Transportation Systems?
- System Transformation from old system to the new emerging transportation systems- What are the key strategies for the transformation?
• In Transportation area, we proposed new concepts of AI based Traffic Management Center and Digital
Urban Infrastructure for Smart City.

5. THE EXPECTATION TO ACQUIRE THROUGH THIS COURSE
The dilation of infrastructure and public facilities is the main ways to enhance the quality ofcountry to be a smart nation as a smart city; So, I hopefully to explore the methodologies andapproaches which relate to these kinds from this course such as:-Sustainable socio-economic urban development for all;
Implementation of actual Smart City plan along with urban development;
Difficulties of planning and implementing Smart City development;Internet of things,AI,Technologies for solutions in Smart City development;
Financial resource and budget for projects;
Learning the other’s Political, Business, Regulation Policy of Smart City;
Motivating participation of private sectors in Smart City.

 Smart City policy is not clearly formulated yet;
 Seeking support from abroad for Technical

Assistance (TA) in Using the High-Technologies; Lack of finance resources;

 4.1 To organize the pilot project as Vientiane

Urban Development to be an example for theurban hierarchy provincial wide: city, downtowns,
innerzone, outskirts and expansion area; 4.2 To maintain and construct the urbandevelopment in smart city sector;

infrastruc-ture across the nation to be acomplete system, to have good urban service
system and sufficient and appropriate with eachlevel of socio-econo-mic growth of towns;

 Lack of legislation for control on urban

 4.3 The citizen's living will be environmentally Lack of human resources in terms of urban

development in smart city sector;

OBSTACLES OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT

friendly by the concept Developing on environmentally sustainable transportation as “BRT”.
ACTION PLAN

4.1 Strategy of Vientiane Urban Development
Zoning Map
SymbolicZone
Conservative Areas
Historic Area
Commercial and Political Zone
Inner Areas 1
Inner Areas 2
Kong Riverside Areas 1
Kong Riverside Areas 2
Sub-Urban among Aviation Areas
Out Skirts with Agricultural Areas
Out Skirts with Potential
Urban Expansion Areas
Special Development Zone
Industry Zone
Logistic Route
Education Areas

Military Areas
Agriculture Areas
Restricted Areas
Total Urban Areas

Land Use PlanArea

HEFAR

4.2 High Speed Railways• Landlock to land-link.
• There are 33 stations, the 1st
period is 18 stations will beopen early.
• The railway route will passthrough 4 provinces and 1capital, namely:
LuangNamTha, OuDom-Xay,Luang-PraBang,Vientiane
Province and Vientiane
Capital.
• Travel price 350Kip(0.28Yuan)/person/km.
• Freight price 600kip(0.47Yuan) /ton.km

4.3 Bus Rapid Transit•••••22 terminals
Electric power
Expand Transport Project
Electronic parking charges
The project's impact will be a new frontierin the main area of Vientiane that isenvironmentally friendly and pedestrianfriendly.

THANK YOU