LAND MANAGEMENT & PLANNING

VIENGXAY TOWN MASTERPLAN

The Viengxay Town Master Plan is a guiding document designed to assist the government of Lao PDR in the management of growth and development of the National Heritage Town of Viengxay and its natural surroundings for a period of 20 years. The Viengxay Master Plan establishes an agreed framework that ensures protection of the Town’s historic, natural and cultural features whilst allowing progressive growth in an orderly manner.

The Master Plan promotes development in and around the Town that maximises social, economic and environmental benefits in a sustainable manner for the local community and attracts investment from local, national and international parties.

Landscape Principles in Practice:

• Value Our Landscape:  The masterplan is a significant step in sustainable planning and design for urban growth and conservation management in Lao PDR. Collaborative processes were employed to define, conserve and highlight the national and international significance of Viengxay and its remarkable landscape setting.  Natural environmental values were identified, as well as analysis of threats posed by adhoc development practices, poor land management  and invasive tourism. 
• Protect – Enhance – Regenerate:  Masterplanning strategy based on revealing and enhancing landscape values was used to inform a vision for evolution of the Town while simultaneously protecting and regenerating its underlying environmental integrity & functionality. 
• Design with Respect: The Master Plan functions as a planning & design strategy as well as a notable capacity building process. Respect for existing landscape context in the planning process was underpinned by a comprehensive in-country training and community consultation program, plus ongoing liaison with national and local government representatives.
• Design for the Future:  The capacity building dimension of this initiative allowed for engagement with both national and local land managers in an appreciation of landscape and scenic qualities of Viengxay and its surrounds. It successfully introduced notions of sustainable practice and cultural heritage management to a place which has for some time faced considerable threats to the functionality of its natural resource base.  Importantly for the provincial and district government participants in the project, the training undertaken during the masterplan development process was instrumental in their appreciation of the central principles of urban design and landscape architecture, thereby assisting in implementation of the Master Plan now that it has been approved by the National Government.
• Embrace Responsive Design:  The Plan and its process demonstrate the value of collaborative capacity building for local communities and administrators, and the advanced leadership and management skills which can be applied by landscape architects to international practice opportunites.

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