HO CHI MINH CITY, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Adjustments of construction planning for the Ho Chi Minh City Region are expected to foster links among regional localities, thus promoting the growth of the region as well as the city's role as a driver for development, Vietnam News Agency reported Wednesday.

According to the planning, the Ho Chi Minh City Region includes Ho Chi Minh City and the seven southern provinces of Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Nai, Ba Ria Vung Tau and Tien Giang, covering 30,404 square kilometers.

The localities will make public the adjusted planning, while building their own planning to match the general planning of the region, especially in transport, water and power supply, waste treatment, population and environment, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction.

After the adjusted planning of the region is applied, Ho Chi Minh City will hire consultation services to amend the city's planning, especially for underground spaces.

In 2030, the population of the Ho Chi Minh City Region is predicted to reach up to 25 million, about 19 million of whom live in urban areas. Its urbanization ratio is expected to stand at 70-75 percent, with the whole urban construction area about 290,000 hectares.