The support for limited market-oriented activity, enacted by the central government through "doi moi" reforms, has created numerous opportunities and challenges for Vietnam. Local governments are now free to seek out opportunities to improve the living conditions in their communities through outside assistance.
To this end, the U.S-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Resource Cities partnerships in two key cities: Hai Phong (a port city about three hours east of Hanoi) and Hue (the former Imperial capital located in the center of the country).
The Hai Phong partnership focused on tourism and trade, information technology, public health, and urban planning. The Hue partnership focused on improving solid waste/wastewater management and creating more tourism and economic opportunities for the city.