March, 2008:

Stephen Chen
Updated on Mar 26, 2008 – SCMP

China’s urbanisation will continue on an unprecedented scale and pace, to the point where 1 billion people will be living in mainland cities by 2030, according to research by the McKinsey Global Institute.

That means in 20 years Chinese cities will have to provide jobs, housing, food, medical insurance and pension funds for 350 million more people – more than the present population of the United States.

Meanwhile, about 5 billion square metres of roads will have to be paved, 170 mass-transit systems built and 50,000 new skyscrapers – equivalent to 10 New York cities – will appear on the mainland.

Urbanisation at such speed and volume would put huge pressure on the leadership, the report said.

That pressure would include securing enough public funding for social services, dealing with demand and supply for land, energy and water, and protecting the environment. The pressure would intensify despite strong economic growth.

Smaller cities would bear the biggest brunt because they will face insurmountable hurdles in land development, job creation and skilled labour, financing and energy supply.

The researchers said the best solution would be to create more than 20 super-cities as big as Shanghai.

Their argument is partly based on historical records that indicate large, concentrated cities in China perform more effectively than smaller ones.

Concentrated growth would have many positive economic implications, including greater per capita gross domestic product, more efficient use of energy, low arable land loss rates, more efficient mass transit and more effective pollution control.

Policymakers could steer China in that direction by offering favourable land policies, infrastructure investment and preferential political treatment, the report said.

What do you think of the Island Eastern Corridor boardwalk idea?

Updated on Mar 24, 2008 – SCMP

The proposal by Eastern District Council to the Planning Department for a boardwalk under the Island Eastern Corridor is welcome (“Promenade plan to open eastern harbourfront”, March 20).

However, more comprehensive access to our harbour is needed.

Forward-thinking cities such as Sydney enable public access to almost all of their waterfront, whereas in Hong Kong prime sites next to the harbour (such as in North Point or Sheung Wan) are now lying empty or are used for storage or occasional truck maintenance.

We support an exciting proposal to create a cycle path along the whole of the Hong Kong Island waterfront, linking Kennedy Town to Central with existing partial access around the Wan Chai-Causeway Bay area, through below the Island Eastern Corridor, to Quarry Bay Park promenade and on to Shau Kei Wan.

Such a route would serve leisure riders, commuters and tourists.

As well as revealing our hidden jewel, the harbour, it would allow easy and pleasant access to many locations and boost business activity with harbourfront kiosks and bicycle rental.

Also, of course, more cyclists mean lower emissions, less congestion, less noise pollution and improved health.

In support of this proposed path, a mass bike ride will take place on Sunday April 6, starting at Cadogan Street Temporary Garden, Kennedy Town, at 10am. Following the ride, a letter detailing the benefits of the proposal will be delivered to the Planning Department in North Point. Further details from hkcyclingalliance@yahoo.com or Facebook “2nd Waterfront Bike Ride”.

On the first ride in November, more than 100 riders showed their support for a harbourfront cycle path. Organisers are hoping for even more this time.

Martin Turner, Hong Kong Cycling Alliance

Bid to ease congestion would hit owners of older buildings

Olga Wong, Yvonne Liu and Eva Wu – Updated on Mar 21, 2008 – SCMP

The Town Planning Board has proposed wide-ranging height limits on buildings in Mid-Levels in a move that could ease the area’s severe congestion problems.

But it would deal a blow to owners of older buildings hoping to reap a windfall from redevelopment.

The proposals are aimed at keeping the area’s development density at existing levels, preventing new high-rises from blocking the view of the Hong Kong Island ridgeline and allowing airflows to sweep down from The Peak to Central.

They have emerged from a review believed to be the last to be conducted on prime urban districts.

Similar reviews have already been carried out on North Point, Happy Valley and Ho Man Tin.

Government planners insist the proposed height restrictions would not undermine property owners’ rights.

They say restrictions on plot ratios – the formula that determines development density – and gross floor area could also be introduced if the public endorses the idea.

Jones Lang LaSalle international director Lau Chun-kong said it was good news for residents who enjoyed living in Mid-Levels as it would prevent overdevelopment and congestion and preserve the view.

“But to the owners of old buildings who planned to sell their units to developers, it is bad news,” he said. “The owners will see the redevelopment potential of their properties decline.”

A source in the Planning Department said that under the new rules, all buildings could be redeveloped to their present heights except the landmark 69-storey Tower Three of the luxurious Tregunter development, once the tallest residential building in Asia.

If it was redeveloped, the maximum height would be 35 storeys, although the same plot ratio would be allowed.

The proposals announced yesterday cover 230 hectares in Mid-Levels West.

The area is bound by Bonham Road, Caine Road and Kennedy Road to the north; Bowen Road to the east; Pok Fu Lam Road to the west and the Pok Fu Lam Country Park to the south.

Height restrictions ranging from 115 metres to 320 metres above sea level are to be introduced to the commercial and residential sites in the area. Higher buildings are generally allowed on sites to the north of Robinson Road, which is more densely populated.

An air ventilation assessment was carried out to assess the existing wind flow and the likely impact of the proposed building heights on wind flow for pedestrians.

“The study shows that we must maintain at least three green paths to allow the air to flow to Central,” the source said, referring to areas around the Botanical and Zoological Garden, the University of Hong Kong campus and the Peak Tram.

Congestion has posed a mounting threat to the environment of one of the city’s most expensive residential areas, despite a so-called moratorium imposed in 1972 aimed at keeping development in line with traffic capacity.

Traffic flow in the area is consistently the heaviest in the Transport Department’s annual review of 11 districts and is expected to worsen when 15 new developments are completed.

Savills investment department director Gabriel Cheng Hon-wah said developers would no longer offer aggressive prices to buy flats in old buildings like Merry Terrace.

Green Sense president Roy Tam Hoi-pong said the proposals provided guidelines for future urban renewal in the district.

But he said some height restrictions were still too high, allowing buildings of 30 storeys. He also worried that rezoning some government sites for residential use would further increase the development density.

Central and Western District councillor Cheng Lai-king said the changes would help to improve living conditions in the area.

Updated on Mar 21, 2008 – SCMP

It is widely accepted that the Urban Renewal Authority, through its development projects, has done a lot of damage in Hong Kong, destroying streets which had a unique local character and cohesive community network. Sometimes its policies have led to social unrest.

It demolished “Wedding Card Street” and is now turning its attention on Graham Street, the most historic street market in Hong Kong and a top tourist attraction.

If it had any sense, the URA would not pull down the majority of the 40 buildings in the area to make way for a podium development with four high-rise towers on top.

It should make conservation of the historic street market a starting point by regenerating the existing buildings. Its officials should understand that having four more skyscrapers on that small site is just too much for residents in Central – too much pollution caused by the wall effect, too much traffic, and too little respect for the needs of the community (there is no other market in Central).

Even more problematic is the fact that once the URA declares an area to be a redevelopment site, property owners have no choice but to sell to this single buyer.

The whole process is an infringement of private property rights. Many owners have not been able to buy back properties in the same area with the URA’s compensation.

With such a bad track record, it is clear the role of the URA must be reviewed.

In terms of trying to preserve Hong Kong’s urban fabric, its broad-brush approach of clearing sites for comprehensive development areas is doing more harm than good, increasing development intensity in some already congested areas.

The fundamentals of the urban renewal strategy must be overhauled.

I agree that a district-based approach is needed for urban planning and heritage conservation but the lead should be taken by the government, with the community fully engaged, to impose sensible planning restrictions or to declare historic areas conservation zones (for example, parts of Central), which are protected. Property owners should be encouraged to maintain and renovate their old buildings.

The URA has done a good job in the past in helping owners renovate dilapidated buildings and its future role should focus on this aspect of its work.

Katty Law, Central