The historic town of Hoi An, in central Vietnam, is collaborating with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to implement the project Promoting Youth and Community Innovation for Sustainable Urban Development. The initiative, funded by Switzerland's Fondation Botnar, aims to build inclusive creative spaces to empower youth and enhance quality of life in the ancient town.
The envisioned creative hub will serve as a platform for cultural, artistic and educational activities, foster innovation, and act as an incubator for sustainable development ideas rooted in local heritage.
Since 2024, the project has engaged young people, artisans, businesses and community groups through youth dialogues and the development of public-private partnerships. A key outcome has been the launch of a multi-layered Creative Map, an interactive online tool that highlights Hoi An and Tam Ky’s creative actors, resources and spaces.
The map enables users to discover community venues, connect with creative professionals, access unique local products and explore collaboration opportunities. Each listing reflects grassroots efforts aligned with sustainability and cultural authenticity. According to UN-Habitat, the platform links real people with real stories, grounded in the region’s inherent strengths.
In addition, the project has introduced a youth leadership training programme implemented by Wemaster. Fifty outstanding high school students were selected for the pilot, which provides global citizenship education in communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and community-based project management. The programme encourages students to design and implement local solutions addressing issues such as resource conservation, heritage preservation and livelihoods.
These emerging leaders are expected to drive Hoi An’s transformation into a more creative, inclusive and sustainable urban space.
To support small businesses, a fundraising campaign titled Invest in Brand, Accelerate Sales has also been launched. The campaign offers local SMEs three practical support packages: brand identity design, marketing material production and business documentation. Additional assistance includes social media and customer relationship management, e-commerce onboarding, and training in platform-specific tools such as advertising, promotions and livestreaming.
The campaign seeks to mobilise community support to enhance local entrepreneurs’ competitiveness, build trust and unlock new growth opportunities.
UN-Habitat plays a central role in connecting youth, businesses, local government and civil society while offering technical expertise and innovation strategies. Its participatory, co-creation model ensures local voices are integrated from planning through implementation, delivering practical and scalable solutions.
Hoi An is a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the Crafts and Folk Art category. The town’s traditional handicrafts – such as carpentry, terra cotta, lantern-making, bamboo work, nipa-palm processing, tailoring and leatherwork – have been passed down through generations and remain vital to local livelihoods.
Local craftsman Vo Tan Tan shows an innovation space for handmade bamboo products at his Taboo Bamboo workshop in Hoi An.
Of the town’s five craft villages, three and one traditional trade quarter have been recognised as national intangible heritage sites, while the remaining two are undergoing the application process.
Folk arts are an essential part of communal life and traditional festivals in Hoi An. According to the local Centre for Information and Sports, 1,700 households and 685 small-scale businesses are engaged in crafts and folk art, employing around 4,000 artisans. Annual income per worker ranges from USD 3,500 to USD 4,000.
Hoi An has also committed to environmentally friendly tourism practices, implementing zero-waste, non-plastic and low-carbon policies as part of its green tourism vision.