Description: Since the beginning of the Doi Moi reforms, Vietnam's economy and society have been profoundly transformed. While in 1986 less than 13 million of Vietnam's inhabitants lived in areas classified as urban (20%), the number has risen to more than 30 million inhabitants today (35% of the total population).
Brief description: Matthias Garschagen is Professor of Human Environment Relations, Department of Geography, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Germany.