This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of rural–urban land conversion policies in China and Vietnam, and examines the ideology of the state in land policymaking under a market socialism environment. It argues that land policies in both countries include ambiguous boundaries, which allow the socialist state to legitimize its politico-administrative power in land management and retain strong intervention capacity in the land market. In addition to similarities, land policies in China and Vietnam show significant differences in terms of the ownership of rural land and related legislation on land expropriation and transactions. Together, these distinctions cause divergent impacts on the interests and motivations of multiple stakeholders in rural land conversion. It is further observed that the state in both countries is characterized by dynamic, complex, and self-coordinated institutional systems, in which multiple levels of government have different driving forces and strategies in land development. The internal structure of authority in rural–urban land conversion between the multiple levels of government is readjusted by the regulatory land control of the central government.

During the post-reform period since 1986, land-use systems in Vietnam have been reformed in terms of the regulation of land markets and the built environment. This study analyzes the changing role of urban planning and the policy of state intervention in land markets to manage spatial changes in Vietnamese cities. Theoretical and empirical approaches are used to analyze urban development and planning practices in Hanoi. The study further describes the constraints of planning systems in hybrid land markets that include both formal and informal land development. We argue that in Vietnam, where the role of the state in market construction has not been fully developed and land market institutions are incomplete, urban planning is used as a passive tool of state control and is no longer relevant to the process of spatial development, which is driven by the speculative activities of interest actors. This situation challenges state regulations for the effective management of spatial resources. The empirical results suggest the utility of further reforms to the land-use system and planning institutions in Vietnam, and of strengthening the capacity of the state in land administration.

In the digital era, data collaboration constitutes a critical trend in urban planning and design. It is of paramount importance in addressing contemporary issues related to the misinterpretation, misapplication, and misunderstanding of spatial genes, as well as facilitating data sharing and value creation associated with spatial genes. In this paper, targeting the complex problems of multiple entities and threads in spatial gene research and practice through, initially, a literature review, the correlation process between urban planning and data collaboration is examined, the spatial gene concept and the background of its proposal are expounded, and the challenges confronted in spatial-gene data collaboration are analyzed. Then, with an elaboration of the data value chain concept, a data collaboration framework for spatial-gene research and practice is constructed, specifically encompassing three main links: convergence, mining, and application. Finally, from the three aspects of data collection and storage, data analysis and processing, and data circulation and sharing, technical implementation paths and suggestions are put forward. We firmly contend that through the establishment of the framework, it is anticipated to promote data collaboration among multiple entities, enhance the efficiency and scientificity of urban design, and thereby facilitate the preservation of cultural diversity and the sustainable development of cities.