Vinhomes, Vietnam's largest integrated township developer, has secured the Interim Custom ISO 37122 Smart City Certification from the World Council on City Data (WCCD) for its Vinhomes Green Paradise – Can Gio project. The certification establishes a standardized baseline of urban data for the development, which is now positioned to become the first mega urban development in Vietnam to pursue full internationally recognized smart city status. The move signals a significant shift in how large-scale urban projects are planned and validated, with data-driven governance becoming a prerequisite for global competitiveness.
The importance of this milestone extends beyond Vietnam's borders. The WCCD certification is the first of its kind for a greenfield development, meaning it sets a precedent for how new cities can be designed from the ground up to meet rigorous international smart city standards. Dr. Patricia McCarney, President & CEO of the WCCD, described the certification as recognizing Vinhomes' long-term vision and commitment to a smart, sustainable, and future-ready urban model. She noted that the project is now equipped with a powerful baseline of data designed to propel success, calling it a global first that sets a new precedent for greenfield developments worldwide.
The certification arrives as AI adoption in real estate accelerates globally. Analysts at McKinsey estimate that AI could unlock as much as $550 billion in value across the global real estate value chain, according to a report available at McKinsey & Company. Separately, the Emerging Trends in Real Estate report from PwC and the Urban Land Institute found that 75% of real estate professionals now use AI or machine learning in their operations, up sharply from 51% a year earlier. That research is accessible at PwC & Urban Land Institute (ULI). These findings underscore why the Can Gio certification matters: it provides a verifiable framework at a time when investors and regulators increasingly demand proof of smart city performance, not just promises.
Vinhomes' path to this point has been methodical. In 2021, the company brought the LEED Platinum-certified TechnoPark at Vinhomes Ocean Park into operation, a smart building engineered to match the operational performance standards of the world's top ten smart buildings. In 2025, it launched the Vinhomes Resident mini-app on V-App infrastructure developed by VinSmart Future, a one-stop service gateway that has already attracted more than 35,000 users. The app allows residents to manage household information, book amenities, pay bills, track handover procedures, and access digital community maps from a single screen, generating operational data that Vinhomes uses to refine services. Its proprietary SmartCity solution suite, built for low-rise urban areas, integrates the KSVR security system with Smart Poles that combine AI cameras, movement recognition, interactive lighting, digital media screens, mobile charging ports, and IoT sensors monitoring energy, water, and environmental quality in real time.
For the broader real estate industry, the WCCD certification offers a replicable model. Greenfield developments have historically struggled to demonstrate smart city credentials because they lack the historical data that established cities possess. By securing an interim custom certification, Vinhomes Green Paradise – Can Gio creates a data baseline that can be audited and improved over time. Mr. Chulse Oh, Head of AX Group at Korea Management Association Consultants, said the award marks an important milestone in realizing the vision of a world-class smart city in Vietnam and that KMAC will continue to support the project during its operational phase. The certification thus does more than validate a single project; it establishes a pathway for other developers to follow, potentially raising the bar for urban development across Southeast Asia and beyond.
