[Research Contribution] From Connectivity Bottlenecks to a Multi-Experience Connected City: Repositioning Dong Nai’s Brand in the Southern Key Economic Region

In the context of increasingly intense inter-urban competition, Dong Nai – a strategic gateway to the Southern Key Economic Region – is striving to reposition its urban brand through an integrated governance approach. Possessing the Long Thanh International Airport, an inter-regional transport infrastructure system, industrial parks, and abundant ecological resources, Dong Nai nevertheless faces a challenge: its disparate advantages have yet to be connected into a cohesive urban identity that can attract residents and transform transit passengers into diverse experiences. Research conducted by a group of authors from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) applies the Integrated Implementation City Branding Framework (IICBF) to analyze and propose a multi-experience urban development strategy, transforming Dong Nai from a transit point into an economically, touristically, and culturally attractive destination in the Southern region.