This photograph taken on May 20, 2026, shows a man watching his house being demolished to make way for an expanded road network in Hanoi. Rows of townhouses torn down in hours, roads ripped up by bulldozers and city blocks reduced to rubble in the name of progress -- giant construction sites litter Hanoi as it races ahead with urban renewal. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'VIETNAM-ECONOMY-INFRASTRUCTURE-RIGHTS-HANOI,FOCUS' by Lam Nguyen and Ty McCormick

A man looks on at a demolition site of former residential buildings to make way for an expanded road network in Hanoi on May 18, 2026. Rows of townhouses torn down in hours, roads ripped up by bulldozers and city blocks reduced to rubble in the name of progress -- giant construction sites litter Hanoi as it races ahead with urban renewal. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'VIETNAM-ECONOMY-INFRASTRUCTURE-RIGHTS-HANOI,FOCUS' by Lam Nguyen and Ty McCormick

This photograph taken on May 20, 2026, shows a worker at a demolition site to make way for an expanded road network in Hanoi. Rows of townhouses torn down in hours, roads ripped up by bulldozers and city blocks reduced to rubble in the name of progress -- giant construction sites litter Hanoi as it races ahead with urban renewal. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'VIETNAM-ECONOMY-INFRASTRUCTURE-RIGHTS-HANOI,FOCUS' by Lam Nguyen and Ty McCormick

Workers (C) collect scrap metal from the rubble of residential buildings as excavators are seen at a demolition site to make way for an expanded road network in Hanoi on May 18, 2026. Rows of townhouses torn down in hours, roads ripped up by bulldozers and city blocks reduced to rubble in the name of progress -- giant construction sites litter Hanoi as it races ahead with urban renewal. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'VIETNAM-ECONOMY-INFRASTRUCTURE-RIGHTS-HANOI,FOCUS' by Lam Nguyen and Ty McCormick

People ride motorcycles past a demolition site of former residential buildings to make way for an expanded road network in Hanoi on May 18, 2026. Rows of townhouses torn down in hours, roads ripped up by bulldozers and city blocks reduced to rubble in the name of progress -- giant construction sites litter Hanoi as it races ahead with urban renewal. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'VIETNAM-ECONOMY-INFRASTRUCTURE-RIGHTS-HANOI,FOCUS' by Lam Nguyen and Ty McCormick

A man operates a water hose to suppress dust at a demolition site of former residential buildings to make way for an expanded road network in Hanoi on May 18, 2026. Rows of townhouses torn down in hours, roads ripped up by bulldozers and city blocks reduced to rubble in the name of progress -- giant construction sites litter Hanoi as it races ahead with urban renewal. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'VIETNAM-ECONOMY-INFRASTRUCTURE-RIGHTS-HANOI,FOCUS' by Lam Nguyen and Ty McCormick

This photograph taken on May 20, 2026, shows a worker walking over debris of demolished residential buildings torn down to make way for an expanded road network in Hanoi. Rows of townhouses torn down in hours, roads ripped up by bulldozers and city blocks reduced to rubble in the name of progress -- giant construction sites litter Hanoi as it races ahead with urban renewal. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'VIETNAM-ECONOMY-INFRASTRUCTURE-RIGHTS-HANOI,FOCUS' by Lam Nguyen and Ty McCormick

This photograph taken on May 20, 2026, shows people riding motorbikes past a drainage renovation project aimed at flood prevention in Hanoi. Rows of townhouses torn down in hours, roads ripped up by bulldozers and city blocks reduced to rubble in the name of progress -- giant construction sites litter Hanoi as it races ahead with urban renewal. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'VIETNAM-ECONOMY-INFRASTRUCTURE-RIGHTS-HANOI,FOCUS' by Lam Nguyen and Ty McCormick