My Khe Beach in Danang City. Photo ivivu.com

The institute had commissioned the study to understand the development and challenges this city faces.

Unlike the larger metropolises of Hanoi and HCM City, which have much older infrastructure, Danang, in the centre of Vietnam, has the advantage of starting afresh, a press release from the institute said.

The terms ‘liveability’ and ‘vibrancy’ are some of the mantras that city leaders continue to refer to in motivating and guiding the thinking of their city officials.

“There is a constant challenge in being able to achieve a balance of both. Danang is one of the fastest-growing cities in Vietnam and was identified in our 2004 assessment of innovative city leaders in Asia,” the study said.    

“It is this refreshing and innovative approach we wish to observe and comment about on this dynamic city,” Shanmuga Retnam, ED of AiCM, said.

Đà Nẵng, nestled between the more popular Hội An and cultural city of Huế, spans an area of 1,285 sq.km, with an estimated population of 1 million people in 2014, and aspires to reach 1.5 million people by 2020 and 2.5 million by 2030.

This is a qualitative perspective to focus on issues that are important to the people and contribute to their well-being. 

The institute, operating as a social enterprise founded in Singapore, with representative presence in both Danang and Hanoi, carried out a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research with the private and public sector within the city.