Shadowing Practice: Hà Nội and the challenge of reorganising urban sidewalks | Vietnam Today - Learn English Speaking with Video
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For decades, Hanoi's pavements have served not only as wallways but also as spaces for street vendors and small businesses.
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Now the city is stepping up efforts to reclaim pavements for
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pedestrians as part of a broader campaign to improve urban order and civility.
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To help us better understand both the importance of this effort and the challenges involved,
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we are now joined by Dr. To Kien,
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a senior planner and manager from 8 Japan Engineering Consultants.
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First of all, hello and thank you so much for joining us on Newsline today.
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In your view, what have sidewalks in Vietnamese cities traditionally represented?
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And why have repeated efforts to restore order struggled to deliver lasting results?
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Well, for decades, sidewalks in Vietnamese cities have been far more than just transport space.
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They are unique social and economic ecosystems,
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where street vendors, small shops,
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daily interactions, and lively street life creates the distinct energies upon Asian cities.
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This is most cultural identities and a major tourist appeal.
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So the real problem is that occupation has gone too far.
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Public space has been overly privatized by vendors,
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motorbike parking, narrow local interests,
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often taking away pedestrians' basic right to save movement,
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especially for the elderly, children and people with disabilities.
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So many cleanup campaigns have failed because there were mostly short-term breakouts,
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two manuals, lacking technology, lacking study enforcement,
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and the realistic livelihood alternatives.
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So the true challenge is not whether to remove or to preserve sidewalk life,
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but how to reorganize it more fairly and sustainably.
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Really interesting point of view.
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Hanoi has recently enforced sidewalk order more aggressively under Plan 322,
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creating clearer streets, but also causing livelihoods loss and spillover into alleys and reduced street character.
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So in your opinion, what would be a more balanced way,
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let's say, a path forward?
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Restoring sidewalk order is absolutely necessary.
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But since authorities are simply removing vendors without rebuilding livelihoods,
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Informed trades are quickly spilling into olives and leapt over tiny public spaces,
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creating new congestion, sanitation problems,
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and even greater fire evacuation risk.
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We can solve one group's survival needs by shifting the burden onto others.
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Hanoi should also avoid a one-size-fits-all approach because different districts serve different urban roles.
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In the old quarters, historic areas and tourist zones,
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once a minimum 1.5 to 2m pedestrian path is secured,
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some controlled street commerce including conditional sidewalk leasing can be allowed to preserve local characters.
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By contrast, non-tourism districts should focus more on safety, mobility and convenience.
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At the same time, the city needs to expand open or semi-sheltered pocket vendor areas that can be seen from the streets,
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time-based vending streets, and alternative business clusters such as Singapore-style hawker centers.
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So the right approach is smart zoning,
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not blanket removal, I think.
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I see.
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How do you assess Hanoi's pilot plan to lease sidewalks in selected qualified areas?
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What would you recommend to ensure the policy is both effective and sustainable?
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Experiences from Singapore, Seoul, or Tokyo shows that sidewalk business only works well when pedestrians rise come first,
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while commercial use remains a tightly controlled second layer.
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So Hanoi is moving in the right direction,
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I think, by limiting the leasing policy to wider sidewalks,
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keeping at least 1.5 meters for pedestrians and requiring neighborhood consensus.
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However, the current fees are still too low with these undervaluing public assets and simply turning informal occupations into cheap paid privileges.
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So, the key question is not just whether sidewalks can be leased,
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but who gets access and under what rules.
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Hanoi should adopt location-based pricing,
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transparent visitor options, short-term permits with regular review,
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review and prioritize small-scale livelihoods rather than mainly favoring shop-front owners.
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So if done well, it could mark a real shift from short-term crackdowns to modern,
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fair urban governance, I think.
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Right.
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Thank you so much, Dr. Tu Kien for joining us on Newsline today.
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Yes, and as Dr. Tu Kien just pointed out,
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clearing the sidewalk is not the only and simply the solution here.
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The important part here is to find a balance between public order,
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pedestrian rights and the livelihoods that have long depended on these spaces.
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Now across the capital, many business owners
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and residents are now adjusting to the city's stricter pavement regulations as cleaner
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and more organized streets gradually become part of daily life.
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More in the following story.
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Thanh Anh and his wife have been running a cafe on Lanong Street for about 10 years now.
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Until last year, the cafe still placed tables and chairs on the pavement outside for customers to sit and enjoy their coffee.
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Customers now have to either order and head upstairs or get their drinks to go.
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Customers who specifically prefer sitting downstairs will simply leave.
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I'm getting older now and there have been a lot of changes.
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So, of course, at first it felt unfamiliar and made running the business a bit difficult.
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But things will eventually fall into place.
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Everyone has to adapt.
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If you are on the streets of Hanoi,
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you will see yellow lines like these on the pavements.
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This side is for parking motorcycles and this side for pedestrians to walk on.
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The pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiếm Lake have truly returned to their intended purpose for pedestrians.
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The roads are no longer occupied by street vendors or any other form of business activity.
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Some came to Hanoi with his family for a visit and also noticed the change.
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It's absolutely wonderful.
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Clean and tidy compared to the last time I was here more than 30 years ago.
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It's at least 30 to 50 times cleaner.
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Urban civility has improved significantly and residents have proactively adapted to the changes.
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In the long run, people will clearly see a cleaner,
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more beautiful and more civilized city.
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A new habit in the way people use and treat pavements is gradually being rebuilt.
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Clearing the pavements is no longer just a short-term campaign.
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It is gradually bringing back the truly beautiful and peaceful image of the capital.
About This Lesson
In this lesson, learners will delve into the topic of urban environments, focusing specifically on Hanoi's unique sidewalk culture. The video features a discussion on the challenges and efforts associated with reorganizing these public spaces for better pedestrian access. By practicing with this content, you will enhance your English speaking practice, improve your ability to discuss urban development issues, and gain insights into the social dynamics of Vietnamese cities. This will not only aid your conversational skills but also prepare you for tasks like the IELTS speaking practice.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Sidewalks: Walkways beside roads, often used for pedestrian movement.
- Street vendors: Individuals who sell goods on the street, often in busy urban areas.
- Urban order: The organization and regulation of city spaces.
- Public space: Areas that are open and accessible to all citizens.
- Social and economic ecosystems: The complex interactions between various social groups and economic activities in a specific area.
- Smart zoning: A strategic approach to land use that considers the diverse needs of different urban areas.
- Conditional sidewalk leasing: A policy that permits street commerce under specific regulations to maintain public accessibility.
Practice Tips
To effectively practice your English using this video, consider the following tips:
- Shadowing: Utilize a shadowing app to repeat phrases and sentences after the speakers. Focus on their speed and tone to enhance your pronunciation and intonation.
- Chunking: Break down the dialogue into smaller segments. This will allow you to grasp the context of urban planning discussions, making it easier to express similar ideas in your own words during English speaking practice.
- Recording Yourself: Record your voice while shadowing. Compare your recording with the original to identify areas for improvement.
- Contextual Understanding: Pay attention to the cultural aspects mentioned in the conversation. This is crucial for developing a well-rounded perspective that can enrich your IELTS speaking practice.
- Discussion: After practicing alone, discuss the video topic with a study partner or fellow learner. Share your thoughts on the challenges of public space management and how different cities handle similar issues.
By engaging deeply with this lesson, you'll enhance your ability to speak about complex urban issues, making you a more confident English speaker.
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.