Vinhomes Leads a New Era of Global Regenerative Urban Development

Some cities are built by shaping nature. Others are built by listening to it. Vinhomes Green Paradise belongs firmly to the second kind.

Set beside the UNESCO-recognized Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, the city is being shaped by Vinhomes from a different starting point. The ecosystem is not a backdrop for buildings, but an empowered member with a say in how the city is planned, run and allowed to grow. If a city were a company, nature at Green Paradise would hold a seat on the board.

That philosophy reflects how the world is learning to value the future. The World Economic Forum's Nature Risk Rising report, produced with PwC, estimates that $44 trillion of economic value generation, or more than half of global GDP, is moderately or highly dependent on nature. Mangroves make the point vividly. A 2020 study in Scientific Reports found that they help the world avoid more than $65 billion in flood damage each year and shelter more than 15 million people, with Vietnam among the countries that benefit most in terms of people protected. Respecting nature, in other words, is also how a city secures its long-term value.

Vinhomes Green Paradise is the first Official Participant in "7 Wonders of Future Cities," the global campaign chaired by Jean-Paul de la Fuente, Director of New7Wonders. De la Fuente sees in Can Gio a story of much wider significance. “Connecting urban development with the natural environment,” he said, "is one of the most important questions facing the cities of the future.”

ESG++: Development That Gives Back

To give nature a genuine voice, Vinhomes has built an expanded framework it calls ESG++. To the familiar pillars of environmental, social and governance, it adds two more: regeneration and resilience. Where conventional ESG sets out to limit impact, ESG++ goes a step further, toward cities that give back to nature and stand firm against a changing climate for decades to come.

That thinking runs through every line of the master plan. Across roughly 2,870 hectares, much of Green Paradise is organized around green and water space. The internal transport network is designed to run entirely on electric vehicles managed by the developer, supported by a smart urban management system and a large-scale supply of wind and solar power.

A seat at the table means most when the voice in it is heard through concrete commitments. Green Paradise is pursuing BREEAM Communities certification for sustainable master-planning and, in August 2026, received Interim Custom ISO 37122 Smart City Certification.

"Future sustainable cities must not take from nature. They must give back, helping restore and nurture the planet," de la Fuente said. It is the same spirit Vinhomes is bringing to Can Gio.

A New Chapter in a Global Story

For de la Fuente, the deeper meaning of a future city lies in understanding the natural systems on which a place depends, and explaining how they will be cared for.

His visit to Can Gio revealed what drawings alone cannot fully convey: how the site relates to its surroundings, the scale of the urban vision, and how infrastructure, services and public spaces come together. "For me, the interest lies in connecting the vision with the place and the people it is intended to serve," he said.

Green Paradise has the opportunity to contribute a compelling chapter to a much broader international story, and to enrich a valuable international exchange about responsible development in sensitive natural settings.

Vinhomes sees Green Paradise as a model for the city of the future: a place where people need not choose between growth and preservation, but can grow alongside nature. The global vote in the 7 Wonders of Future Cities campaign is now carrying that vision to audiences around the world. As de la Fuente hopes, it is also a chance for people to think about the qualities they value in a future city. In Can Gio, Vinhomes has already given its answer: a city truly worth living in is one that saves nature a seat of honor.