Urban fringe land use transitions in Hong Kong: from new towns to development areas

What it is about – A comparison between the development/ planning/policies/ context of new

towns (NT) and new development areas (NDA) in HK

CONTEXT:

HK has a limited supply of land for development and a high population density. Provision of new
built up done through –

Reclamation

New town development – contributes the most

Brownfield revitalisation

Urban renewal

Brownfield revitalization

NEW TOWNS:

New towns – developed in urban fringe areas

New town Development programme, HK – initiated in 1973 - provide housing (public+private) –

essential infrastructure+ community facilities.

Built along transit nodes – allowed dispersion of population density from the centre without
polluting, Improving living quality

9 new towns – over 3 generations – 3.47 mi in 2016, 2.63 in 2021

However, land scarcity, development restrictions, social opposition - no new town project proposed
since 1990s

Issue with NT:

01 lack of street life/ discouraging social interaction

02 landuse prediantly residential - lack of open spaces and diverse functions

03 mismatch between place of living and work – sociospatial segregation

04

NEW DEVELOPEMENT AREAS:

HK 2030, Planning,vision and strategy – 2007 – ndas were all situated as an extention of NT
Principles

01 land-use structure and function – reduction in residential land—use, increased open space

02 land resumption/ lease modification

03 community, vibrancy and nature

RELATION BETWEEN NT AND NDA

With NDA being situated as an extension of NT’s, Ndas’s provided the missing diversity, vibrancy and
open space to the NT – improving regional attractiveness and vitality in the urban fringes

NEW TOWNS :

Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin, Tuen Mun – initiated in early 1970s

Tai Po, Fanling/Sheung Shui and Yuen Long – late 1970’s

Tseung Kwan O, Tin Shui Wai and Tung Chung – 1980’s and 1990’s

New Development Areas

Kwu Tung North

Fanling North

Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling [Fanling/Sheung Shui]

Hung Shui Kiu [ Tin Shui Wai]

CASE STUDY

NT – Tin Shui Wai

NDA – Hung Shui Kiu

FURTHER Q:

Why were the new towns planned without mixed use?

What were the social oppositions to new towns?

What is the proposal for the direction in the future?

MAPPING POTENTIALS:

URBAN FRINGE AREAS

TIME LINE AND LOCATION OF NT AND NDA

FUNCTIONS/ZONING/ POPULATION

STREET PATTERN/BUILDING TYPOLOGIES/SPATIAL QUALITY