This study compares the experience of urban planning and development in peri-urban areas affected by flooding in three Vietnamese cities: Hue, Da Nang and Can Tho. In each case, the study examined the causes of specific flood events, and the role that urban planning and development played in contributing to the floods. In addition, this synthesis reviews the planning process in each city and describes institutional conditions that contributed to the flooding outcomes. By better understanding the localized causes of specific flood events in context in Vietnamese cities, we can identify what factors to adjust in order to reduce this type of flooding and better prepare for more severe climate events in future.