After learning about the effects of climate change and development on the rural areas of Vietnam in the morning, we had the chance to visit Phu My Hung Development Corporation. Phu My Hung is an infrastructure and development company working towards building five city centers throughout southern Vietnam. Currently only site A has been completed, but all five of the city centers will eventually include four major zones: commercial, residential, mixed use, and public facilities.

The residential area within the city center is geared towards certain demographics. Many of the people who live within the city center are part of the upper class of Vietnamese society. The housing prices, which are extremely low by American standards, are much more expensive than typical Vietnamese housing. These prices play a large part in the foreign influence within the city center. With apartment prices starting at just $600 per month, the foreign population in the city center has grown to 35,000, as people from all over are coming to Vietnam to experience the incredible development of the city at an affordable price. In terms of purchasing housing and land in Vietnam, there are a few differences compared to the process in the United States. The main difference has to do with the government in Vietnam. Because it is a communist country, people are not able to own land, they are only able to purchase rights to live on or use land. This differs from the system in the United States where people are able to physically purchase and own the property they wish to live or work on. This concept is one reason why the Phu My Hung Corporation works so closely with the Vietnamese Government. Because of the foreign investment and land required to complete their projects, they must constantly be in contact with the Government in order to obtain rights to use the land as well as register their investors.

Phu My Hung is also conscious of the environment and the living conditions of the people within their city centers. Some of their main goals relate to population density and green space. The corporation wants to make sure that, unlike much of the rest of the country, there is no overcrowding in the city center. They have limited the number of residential areas built and have created over 50 parks to provide their residents with plenty of open, uncrowded areas. Relating to the environment, the city center has two waterways that are set up in order to allow the runoff from rainstorms to fill the rivers rather than flooding the streets and causing draining and sewage issues like it does in many other places throughout the country. They have also made efforts to limit pollution in the city center by keeping the waterways clean and trying to use sustainable energy sources throughout the city.