HANOI, Vietnam: The city buzzes with constant movement - motorbikes zip up and down the narrow roads, battling for space with pedestrians in a hurry to get their destination. In the old quarter, ladies wearing straw hats weave through the crowded streets selling baskets of fruit and snacks balanced on their shoulders. It is a familiar scene to residents and visitors alike.
But the city is changing.
“They grow like mushrooms,” said Lolo Zazar, a French artist living in Vietnam who creates art inspired by the urban spaces of old Hanoi.
He was talking about the new urban developments outside of the old quarter. Hectare after hectare, mega developments have been springing in response to the growing demand for housing in the city.