The site was chosen due to the variety in its surroundings: a big road (Nguyễn Trãi Road) with sky train, old workers’ housing, small alleys with self-built houses, a strong local high street with markets, the canal side, and the domination of Vinhomes Royal City over the road. Thượng Đình is an area built around the Cao-Xà-Lá complex, and many of the people who first moved there to work in the factories in the 60s and 70s are still local, sitting out on the street watching the kids play.
We visited the site firsthand despite the limited time of the competition. It is crucial when designing for an active post-industrial town that the scale and ongoing changes are understood. This includes the extremely dense housing, the ongoing use of the Đình system, and how communal courtyards are heavily used. The vibrant high street paired with congestion and pollution. 
The post-industrial vibrancy must be properly fostered, with more dedicated and designed spaces, better local facilities. New low-cost housing should be built and designed with plenty of public communal spaces, to alleviate the overcrowding. The new space should create room for the current activities to grow and be really centred in their communities.