Recently, a project developed by Journalism students at the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT) to “digitize” urban planning information attracted particular attention after being featured on Hanoi Radio and Television. By applying digital technology platforms and modern communication approaches, the aspiring journalists transformed complex planning drawings and large-scale data into more visual, accessible, and engaging content for the public.
From Technical Drawings to an Engaging Digital Journalism Experience
Hanoi’s urban planning is not merely about technical drawings or figures on paper; it also shapes the city’s future living spaces and infrastructure systems. However, to make these large-scale planning directions more accessible to the public, a group of PTIT Journalism students chose digital technology and modern communication thinking as their primary tools.
Instead of relying solely on traditional documents, the students conducted field research and visited the exhibition on Hanoi’s overall urban planning at the Hanoi Museum. Student Dinh Gia Loi shared: “Recognizing that Hanoi currently has many urban and transportation planning projects underway, our team decided to develop an online news microsite where the public could easily follow and understand the relevant information.”
Harnessing the Full Potential of Communication Technology
To bring their idea to life, the students went beyond conventional reporting formats and incorporated a wide range of digital journalism techniques.
The team used infographics to visualize data, summarize key timelines, and present planning projects in a more dynamic and accessible way.
Notably, the microsite also integrates VR360 virtual reality technology, allowing users to gain a panoramic view of the planned urban spaces. The team further developed interactive mini-games in the form of short quizzes, helping users review and better understand planning information in an engaging and approachable way.
Commenting on the project’s professional quality, Dr. Tran Duy, Head of Journalism, stated: “Mega-story formats, virtual reality applications, and data journalism products were all carefully conceptualized and professionally developed by the students. These outcomes reflect the combination of academic training at PTIT and hands-on experience gained through practical work at leading journalism organizations in Vietnam.”
Lecturer Support and a Strong Sense of Social Responsibility
To complete a project with strong contemporary relevance, the student team received close guidance from lecturer Bui Thi Van Anh. She shared: “The greatest challenge of this topic was requiring students to thoroughly research and correctly understand specialized terminology related to urban planning before transforming it into the language of multimedia journalism.”
Urban planning can only truly become part of everyday life when the public understands it and actively engages with it. By proactively using technology to communicate planning information in a more accessible language, young people can help narrow the gap between large-scale planning documents and the realities of everyday life.
The project is not only evidence of the students’ strong professional skills, but also a reflection of the creativity and social responsibility of PTIT Journalism students in the digital era.
Award-winning Journalism project: https://quyhoach.tech/
Hanoi Radio and Television video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DystxtH51/
