HCM City digitizes house numbering with GIS-powered mapping

The municipal People’s Committee has tasked the city’s DXCenter with leading development of the GIS-based platform. GIS is a computer-based tool used to collect, manage, store, analyze, and display spatial data.

By integrating multiple data layers onto a single digital map, it supports urban management, planning, and decision-making. The system allows rapid updates, synchronizes data across agencies, and identifies redundant house numbers and street names.

The platform builds on a system piloted in former Thu Duc City in 2024. Standardized data includes householder names, house numbers, street names, neighborhoods, digital maps, land parcel numbers, and geographic coordinates.

Nguyen Tran Phu Thinh, Deputy Director of the DXCenter, said, "With this platform, citizens can look up address information and report any discrepancies to local People’s Committees, or submit feedback directly through the app. These reports are received and processed to create accurate data."

In the first quarter of this year, the city plans to assess the GIS model in An Khánh ward before expanding the pilot program to other established residential areas, new urban developments, and sparsely populated zones.

The technology will not require changes to existing house numbers. It manages addresses on the GIS map, enables online issuance of new numbers, tracks historical changes, and allows searches by land parcel.

Dr. Nguyen Huu Nguyen of the HCM City Urban Planning and Development Association said, "Once completed, the software will enable faster, more accurate urban management and smart city development. But implementation will require dedicated funding and a clear roadmap."

A key feature of the GIS-based approach is stronger citizen participation. Once it’s operational, house number data will be integrated into the “Ho Chi Minh City Digital Citizen” app. Residents will be able to view details such as a property’s area, parcel number, location, and coordinates, and report inconsistencies.

"While it may seem like simple address data, it is in fact linked to essential management systems such as population, land, construction, planning, and even health and education databases. This supports e-commerce growth, reduces costs, and helps identify optimal logistics routes," said Vo Thi Trung Trinh, Director of the DXCenter.

Following the pilot phase, the DXCenter will advise the municipal People’s Committee on developing a unified platform for house numbering and address management across the city.