Urban Green Areas – their functions under a changing lifestyle of ...

The administrative organization and space planning was based on two elements: wards and
streets. A ‘Ward’ was a basic administrative unit. Each ward provided a specific handicraft
that give its name to the main street there. An imposing gate separated each ward. In
general, each ward consisted of the people from one village who brought with them not
only their particular lifestyle and customs but also their traditional construction technology.
Each of the 36 craft streets was located and extended depending on the demands of trade
and transportation. Other features such as small dykes and strips of high land were
necessary and had their effects on wet-cultivation. Hence, the shape of each plot of land
was not uniform and did not conform to any rules. Thus, the directions of those streets were
determined by the natural terrain. The streets were short and narrow.
1.2.1.2 Hanoi’s plans 1885-1945 (CHIEN 2006)
Construction works initited by the French in Hanoi were designed to support their political
goal of "exploited colonization" in both the periods 1885-1920 and 1920-1945.
In the initial period, the construction of military works in the southeast was implemented
from the "concessions" area, which the last feudal king had ceded to the French. Then
important administrative works were also constructed to the east of the Hoan Kiem lake.
Picture 1.1a: Trang Tien street
Picture 1.1b: Hang Bai street
Hanoi in the beginning of the XX century. Source: (DIEULEFILS, Pierre n.d.)
The overall architecture created a well-matched spatial axis from the flower garden Bank
overlooking Hoan Kiem lake to the Paul Bert street (recently Trang Tien street), (see
Picture 1a,b), (see CHIEN 2006). This plan marks the first urban green areas, which were
designed in Hanoi, following the French style.
In the second period, colonial exploitation was increased. The French government
implemented projects built for the administration, and formed the ‘western streets’ which
were designed by French planners.
In 1921, an urban architecture unit was established in Hanoi with the architect Ernest
Hesbrard as the president of the unit. In 1924, he designed a Hanoi master plan that was
used as the foundation to manage the city. All constructions had to comply with the plan to
balance urban space with the tight lay-out intended to symbolise the specifically French
features of the plan and architecture. In addition, the "36 streets" were reorganized; the city
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