Walking without sidewalks, cycling without lanes: time for change

After the piece was published, Channel 5 invited me for an interview for a television feature called "The Sidewalk Wars."

Singapore already had fairly good cycling infrastructure then, but was still grappling with two questions: How to make cycling more mainstream, and how to reduce conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians on sidewalks.

At the time some people asked me whether Vietnam could also promote the cycling culture in urban areas. My answer then was that it was still too early since the key actors, infrastructure, and social mindset simply were not there yet.

After leaving Singapore for Japan I continued to cycle and walk every day. For trips under six kilometers, I would ride a bike, which would usually take half an hour. For longer distances, I combined cycling with trains or car pooling.

Though the laws in both Japan and Singapore required bicycles to use the roadway, cyclists were allowed on sidewalks where there is no dedicated bike lane.

Cyclists were expected to yield to pedestrians and ride cautiously. On wider sidewalks, there would often be separate lanes.

Generally, getting around was convenient and far less stressful than in Vietnam.

Now after 10 years Vietnam's context has changed: The conditions are more mature, infrastructure is beginning to shift, climate change and the air pollution crisis are forcing Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to accelerate the transition from "gray" to "green" transport.

Public transit, walking, and cycling are being positioned as pillars of the new system, while motorized transport is gradually being electrified.

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting for a slew of major infrastructure projects: metro line No. 2 in both cities, standard-gauge railways and expressways, stations, bus terminals, and transit-oriented developments built around public transport.

As the infrastructure landscape changes, so too do expectations for greener, more sustainable transport.

Motorbikes drive on the red lane dedicated for bicycles on Mai Chi Tho Boulevard in Ho Chi Minh City, Jan. 6, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van

In public transport, the first and last miles and transition between stations form a critical chain. After all, no one steps straight from their living room onto a train or from the station directly into their office. People have to walk. They have to cycle.

In Seoul, South Korea, more than 60% of metro passengers access stations on foot or by bike, a figure that is approaching 70%.

These short trips may seem minor, but they play a decisive role in whether or not people are willing to give up private vehicles.

Looking back over several decades Vietnam has lived with the paradox of walking without sidewalks and cycling without bike lanes.

Street vendors, parked vehicles and informal markets occupy sidewalks, pushing pedestrians into a very vulnerable position.

Against this backdrop, the first dedicated bike lane on Mai Chi Tho Boulevard in Ho Chi Minh City represents a breakthrough. It brings cyclists into a leading role and gives them formal space.

Around the world, many countries have built hundreds of kilometers of bicycle networks.

China even has bicycle expressways.

We may be late, but late is still better than never.

So what is there to discuss about a bike lane not even six kilometers long? Plenty, mostly because it is a prototype. If it works well, what is right can be replicated. If it is flawed, those flaws can spread just as quickly.

From the moment it opened the lane sparked divided opinions. Critics said there are still too few cyclists to justify taking space away from motorbikes. Supporters countered by pointing out cycling remains rare precisely because there has never been a safe place to ride. The familiar chicken-or-egg debate.

The deeper issue lies elsewhere.

For decades after the economic reforms street space has overwhelmingly favored motorized vehicles and sidewalk encroachment by businesses.

To break the cycle, we need to return to the most basic principle of providing safe space for pedestrians and cyclists.

Sidewalks in Vietnam are, however, a complicated problem.

Over the past decade authorities have tried in various ways to "reclaim" them using crackdowns, fines and conditional leniency. But most efforts have had only short-term effects before things reverted to the status quo, because sidewalks are tightly linked to the livelihoods of many people.

Depending on the period the sidewalk economy has contributed some 10% of urban GDP and enables goods to reach consumers quickly.

Pedestrians and cyclists are, in fact, the most loyal customers, providing a steady income for small businesses thanks to their slower pace and ease of stopping.

That said, livelihoods built on the private exploitation of public space inevitably raise questions of fairness. This has prompted attempts to slap taxes and fees, as many countries have done.

Both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have experimented with renting sidewalk space, but so far the results remain unclear and no lasting solution has emerged. Sidewalks have become both an urban flashpoint and a policy laboratory.

We need to be honest about both gains and losses.

Restoring sidewalks improves traffic flows and urban esthetics.

On the flip side, lively, vendor-filled sidewalks are also part of a city's identity, its soul and its collective memory. That is what makes visitors fall in love with Vietnam.

The issue is thus not elimination, but reorganization and zoning by ensuring space for pedestrians, allowing small businesses to operate transparently and managing public land as a shared community asset.

The same logic applies to cycling.

Results will not come overnight, but they will never come if we do not begin.

If the network is long enough, safe enough, continuous enough, and convenient enough, many people will be willing to leave their motorcycles at home.

There should not be a single model for the entire city or one management framework for every space; we need zoning, and we need to ask who should be prioritized in a certain area or type of street.

Bustling city centers crowded with tourists need mixed-use sidewalks because the interweaving of daily life creates identity.

Residential areas should prioritize safety and order, with clearer separation of modes.

Special neighborhoods, such as Hanoi's Old Quarter and Ho Chi Minh City's Bui Vien backpackers quarter, could even be designated as sidewalk zones for street food and the night economy, governed by their own rules and traffic-law exceptions.

This framework brings many benefits like preserving urban character, supporting tourism and informal economies and reducing enforcement burdens.

More importantly, it creates humane space for vulnerable groups, sparing us the heart-wrenching though technically lawful images of a street vendor's entire livelihood being confiscated during a raid.

Finally, there must be a clear plan and road map for both walking and cycling.

Different sidewalk models could be piloted in a few places and their effectiveness assessed. At the same time the bike-lane network needs concrete targets for total length, coverage and connectivity with public transport over one, three and five years.

Colombia president Gustavo Petro once said: "A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars; it's where the rich use public transport."

To achieve this development, Vietnam needs a mental shift, from a focus on widening roads for cars to reorganizing street space for people so that older residents feel safe walking and children can ride bicycles without their families being fearful.

Every square meter of sidewalk reclaimed, every meter of bike lane connected to the public transport network, is a powerful statement.

It stands as a declaration that the city is green, provides real alternatives, and is livable for all.