Quach Hong Tuyen, deputy director of the city's Department of Construction, said the city's rapid growth had led to a number of problems, including housing for low-income earners.

He cited the example of the Tan Hoa-Lo Gom canal improvement project, in which community participation had contributed to the success of the project.

For example, input from local residents had helped the canal project manager identify necessary technical standards and the amount of investment needed.

During the implementation period, the rate of local households participating in the project increased to 96.4 per cent. Some of them donated land to widen alleys and helped supervise construction to ensure project quality.

In the final stage of the project, citizens worked with the local authority and relevant agencies to manage, operate and maintain the project, contributing to the success of the project.

Tuyen said this proved that citizen involvement was necessary, and that residents should be asked for their opinions regularly about public matters, including compensation rates and site clearance.

"To enhance project feasibility, the State, investors and people must share responsibilities. These are the three key roles, and the role of the public helps decide the ultimate success of urban reform projects," Tuyen said.

Ngo Thi Tam, deputy director of the Department of Local Government, said that community participation would help State management become more effective in urban areas.

She said the Party and State adhered to the motto: "People know, people discuss, people do and people check."

However, Nguyen Trong Hoa, director of the HCM City Research and Development Institute, noted that many public projects had not solicited the opinions of the public.

He added that some project managers had asked opinions only after the design of the project was completed.

A representative from the Urban Development Department said that public campaigns to raise awareness about urban development projects were needed to help both sides.

He said that one-way communication, such as information in newspapers, was insufficient, and did not create a dialogue between citizens and Government.

He noted that the role of public organisations was also important in raising awareness about these issues.

Delegates at the conference agreed that to manage and develop urban development projects, their plans should be more transparent and authorities should have specific measures to promote input from the public and professional and public organisations.

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