Before implementing the two-tier local government, planning and urban development work in the province achieved many results. The urban system was step-by-step perfected, with 1 class III urban area, 6 class IV and V urban areas, and 3 district centers; the urbanization rate reached about 25.8%. Planning work was focused on, sticking close to national, regional, and provincial plans, serving as a basis for attracting investment and managing urban space development. Technical and social infrastructure received investment attention, especially transport, electricity, water, telecommunications, and urban embellishment.

However, planning and urban development work in Điện Biên still faces many difficulties and challenges. Through inspection by functional agencies (October 2025), after the merger, currently, communes only have New Rural Construction Plans established for the period up to 2020, but the planning period has expired and is no longer suitable for actual conditions regarding population scale, infrastructure, land use, and socio-economic development orientations. Old urban areas in the province currently do not have clear regulations on the classification of urban areas in the province but maintain the same urban status as before.

While implementing the two-tier government, the requirement for planning and urban development is to ensure unity throughout the province, while respecting the diversity and specific characteristics of each area. Planning needs to clearly define the role and function of each urban area in the general urban network, from the provincial center to commune centers, wards, satellite towns, and rural residential areas with urbanization characteristics. This distinction not only helps avoid spread-out, fragmented development but also creates a basis for decentralizing management suitable for the two-tier government model.

One of the key points is that planning must be tightly linked with management decentralization. When the provincial level plays the role of strategic orientation and issuing general standards and criteria, the grassroots level needs to be empowered to be proactive in organizing implementation and managing construction space, technical infrastructure, and urban services. This requires planning projects to be designed with clear boundaries, norms, and land use functions, but also leaving “room” for localities to flexibly adjust to issues arising in practice.

To meet the requirements of operating the two-tier local government model, the Department of Construction advises the Provincial People’s Committee to review and adjust the urban and rural planning system; and issue plans to deploy planning work and planning management suitable for reality. The Law on Urban and Rural Planning, effective from July 1, 2025, has clearly decentralized and authorized power to the province and commune, creating conditions for the commune level to be proactive and close to the grassroots level in planning management. On that basis, the Department of Construction issued guidance on the order of establishing, appraising, and approving planning; simultaneously requesting People’s Committees of communes and wards to soon establish planning projects as a basis for managing space, controlling construction, handling violations, and serving socio-economic development.

Before the merger, the old Tủa Chùa town (now belonging to Tủa Chùa commune) was a class V urban area. Implementing the Law on Urban and Rural Planning, the commune is urgently reviewing and updating old urban planning projects that have expired, while organizing the establishment and adjustment of planning according to the new administrative unit, ensuring synchronization with provincial planning and general development orientation.

Phạm Quốc Đạt, Chairman of Tủa Chùa Commune People’s Committee, said that the merger of Mường Báng, Nà Tòng communes, and Tủa Chùa town posed urgent requirements in adjusting planning, land management, and construction order. Currently, the commune is reviewing documents and establishing general planning tasks. Inspection and supervision of construction activities are strengthened; inadequacies are timely proposed for local adjustment; technical infrastructure is managed and maintained regularly. Thanks to that, planning management work is gradually becoming orderly, and construction order is showing positive changes.

After the merger, Điện Biên Phủ ward holds the role of the political, administrative, economic, and cultural center of the province. For the 2025 - 2030 term, the ward sets the goal of building a smart, model urban area; the urbanization rate reaching 65%; calling for investment and putting into operation at least 5 urban zones or more and a minimum of 1 walking street combined with culture - cuisine... Identifying planning work as a precursor creating a breakthrough, Điện Biên Phủ ward focuses on synchronization between spatial planning and technical infrastructure, social infrastructure planning, and embellishment of existing urban areas; taking people and quality of life as the center of development. The process of deploying projects is associated with dialogue, publicity, transparency, timely removal of obstacles from the grassroots level, creating consensus among the people. Thereby, step-by-step forming a modern, civilized urban appearance rich in identity, worthy of the role of the province’s central urban area in the new development stage.

The province’s goal by 2030 is to continue focusing on investing in developing urban areas in wards and communes with urban development planning in a modern, green, smart, sustainable direction, adapting to climate change, and consolidating criteria to ensure compliance with regulations. The urbanization rate is to reach 32%. To achieve the set goal, provincial levels and sectors are focusing on deploying synchronous solutions to remove bottlenecks in planning work.

In the journey of operating the two-tier local government model, urban planning in Điện Biên is not only a tool for managing space but also a “lever” for effective decentralization, unlocking resources, and shaping the future urban appearance. When planning thinking is innovated, decentralization goes hand in hand with responsibility, and resources are ensured, Điện Biên has a basis to develop a harmonious, sustainable urban system, adapting to mountainous characteristics and truly taking people as the center.