HK2030 Study at Stage Three

With the commencement of Stage Three public consultation of the Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy (HK2030) on November 25, members of the community can share their views to help shape Hong Kong’s future.

According to Hong Kong’s Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, HK2030 is a study that aims to arrive at a framework for Hong Kong’s physical development from now to 2030. 

The early consultation stages highlighted three main planning directions adopted in order to live up to Hong Kong’s vision to become Asia’s world city: providing a quality living environment; enhancing economic competitiveness; and strengthening links with the Mainland.

The study has worked out some planning choices set out in the stage three consultation. They concern the optimal density of developments, where new housing will be based, space for offices, and where to locate our new port and the major infrastructural facilities. The options are in turn presented as two broad development patterns – consolidation and decentralization.

For the consolidation pattern, it assumes existing urban sites will continue to be developed and made full use of before new areas are developed for medium and long-term needs.

The decentralization pattern envisages the earlier need for new development areas in the New Territories.

“Planning invariably involves the making of choices. Our task is to present each of these choices and other relevant considerations so as to balance its costs and benefits for the community to consider, ” Mr Suen said, adding that the same principle applies to the harbour reclamation.

“Similarly, the community as a whole has to reach a consensus on how to strike a balance between satisfying essential infrastructure needs and protecting the harbour.”

The booklet on Hong Kong2030 is available and can be viewed on the HK2030 website: <http://www.info.gov.hk/hk2030>.

The consultation will last for four months, ending in March 2004.

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