How will Doun Penh, a residential and commercial area in the heart of Phnom Penh, be developed?

As we all know, Doun Penh is the oldest district among Phnom Penh's 14 districts. Not only is the significant area rich in historical sites, but nowadays Doun Penh has become an important intersection and a large residential and commercial area in the heart of the capital.

In order to ensure the sustainable management and development of Doun Penh district, the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction has prepared the "Land Use Master Plan for Khan Doun Penh Vision 2035" as a basis for managing and orienting the development of the whole Doun Penh district. Therefore, how will Doun Penh district be developed? Let's check out the below article together!

According to the "Land Use Master Plan for Khan Doun Penh Vision 2035,"  the vision for 2035 of the Land Use Master Plan is to design and develop Doun Penh District as the “Phnom Penh Central Center for Administration, Politics, Culture, Economy, Trade, Quality Tourism, a Better Living Environment, Harmony, Intelligence, Sustainability, and Environment.”

1. Doun Penh Infrastructure Development

The above master plan states that the infrastructure must be strengthened and upgraded to serve the cultural, religious, economic, social, tourism, commercial, and environmental sectors in Doun Penh, including six main points: 1. Roads, 2. Waterways, 3. Airways, 4. Water Resources Management and Water Supply, 5. Electricity Power Supply, Telecommunication, Information and Communication Technology, and 6. Social Infrastructure.

In relation to these six infrastructures, we can see that the government is continuously implementing and improving.

On February 21, 2024, His Excellency PARK Jung-Wook, the New Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kingdom of Cambodia, led a delegation to pay a courtesy call and discuss work with His Excellency Peng Ponea, Minister of Public Works and Transport.

On that occasion, the ambassador was informed about the progress of the Cambodia-Korea Friendship Bridge Project (Night Market-Chroy Changvar-Akrey Ksat), which is following a smooth procedure and is expected to be able to open the construction site early in 2025.

It should be informed that the project to build the Cambodia-Korea Friendship Bridge has two lines: the first line connects in front of the night market across the Tonle Sap to Chroy Changvar, and the second line connects Chroy Changvar across the Mekong River to the Akrey Ksat. The budget for the construction came from the Korean government under a concessional loan of $245 million and was signed on December 9, 2022.

*Cambodia-Korea Friendship Bridge

2. Intelligent Urban Development

In order to improve the quality of living standard to be convenient to communicate and save to meet present and future needs, the Doun Penh Land Use Master Plan also sets out a smart district development strategy through thoughtful and well-equipped facilities and services for the telecommunications sector, including 3 points: 1: Public Internet Service 2: Public Data Center; and 3: Information Service on Public Services in the District for the Residents.

In fact, on July 19, 2023, H.E. Dr. Chea Vandeth, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, was invited to the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the National Data Center, worth nearly $30 million, scheduled for completion in 2025, which is established to store national data.

This data center will be a place to collect and store government data and company data from key sectors by providing a secure and reliable modern technology infrastructure as well as benefiting institutions in terms of data sovereignty, saving money, and strengthening the capacity of its services.

Please be informed that this National Data Center will have four standard system levels (Tier IV) in the new building, with 12 floors, 36 meters wide, and 63 meters long behind the current Ministry building, located on Preah Monivong Blvd, Sangkat Srah Chak, Doun Penh district.

3. Tourism Development

Doun Penh district has a lot of tourism potential, such as cultural tourism sites, ecotourism and sightseeing tours, products, infrastructure, and tourism services.

The Doun Penh Land Use Master Plan states that tourism in Doun Penh will be developed for cultural and aesthetic tourism, eco-tourism and sightseeing tours, infrastructure products, and tourism services.

According to the Cambodia Press in July 2023, the Capital Administration is considering setting up a pedestrian tourism site from the former Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to the front of the Cambodiana Hotel from Friday to Sunday.

His Excellency Khuong Sreng, Governor of Phnom Penh, confirmed this at the inauguration ceremony of the construction of an underground car park for a private company on the morning of July 3, 2023.

"This arrangement allows people to travel by foot to visit and shop along the river," he said.

It should also be informed that Doun Penh district also won the 4th ASEAN Clean Tourist City Award, which is valid for 2024–2026.

The award ceremony was held at the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024 (ATF 2024), which took place on the night of January 26, 2024, in Vientiane, Laos. Three of Cambodia's cities and districts have won the 4th ASEAN Clean Tourist City 2024-2026, including Kampot, Kep, and Doun Penh.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024 is organized under the theme "Quality and Responsible ASEAN - Sustaining ASEAN Future".

4. Trade and Service Development

In terms of the business environment, Doun Penh is also a thriving area with restaurants, hotels, bars, cafes, and popular nightlife. In addition, Doun Penh district is also the headquarters' location of many commercial banks and financial institutions.

In order to develop the trade and services sector better, the land use plan of Doun Penh district also stated that there will be arrangements such as: improving and expanding the market so that the people and traders in the market have a large, appropriate, and orderly market place, especially Phsar Chas Market, Kandal Market, and places around the National Museum; improving existing markets and business centers, both private and public, to standardize; providing investment support for supermarkets, shopping malls, night markets, business centers, banks, warehouses, and other enterprises; and arranging venues for exhibitions and promotion of all kinds of products to increase production and boost the economy.

EDC Juta (Cambodia), a local company, has invested in the construction of car parks, supermarkets, restaurants, and other underground services, an unprecedented new project located near the Phsar Chas Market in Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Doun Penh. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project took place in July 2023.

The car parks, supermarkets, restaurants, and other services are licensed by the Royal Government and constructed on 4 floors, including 2 floors for a car park and 2 floors for a supermarket, on an area of 33,120 square meters with a parking space of 516 units.

After that, in August 2023, the Investment Committee of Cambodia of the Council for the Development of Cambodia decided to issue an investment project registration certificate to "KHOU TOWER CO., LTD" for the establishment and construction of a 5-star hotel with 237 rooms with an investment capital of $84.5 million, located in Sangkat Srah Chak, Doun Penh District, Phnom Penh, that can create 855 jobs.

Overall, under the direction of the above plans, Doun Penh will grow and achieve better results in the future. We will also continue to focus on infrastructure, policies, and ongoing plans.