Understanding institutional challenges for urban planning in Vientiane capital, Lao PDR

Abstract

This policy brief analyzes infrastructural development in Vientiane Capital, looking at components of roads and transport, water supply, wastewater, drainage, solid waste, food security and energy. Each system is considered in terms of its present state, socio-economic inclusivity, and environmental factors. The final chapter suggests how development practitioners might engage with Lao government stakeholders in the field of urban climate resilience, and offers recommendations. As urban development speeds forward regardless of any managed approach, there is a danger that urban planning is becoming reactive rather than proactive, constantly having to redress spatial zoning and regulatory frameworks.