Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030 Response April 2017
Table of contents
1. Objectives
2. Our views on existing challenges
3. Our recommendations
4. Conclusion
1. Objectives
RICS, as a global professional body working across land, real estate,
construction and infrastructure:
► Has a public interest mandate to engage Hong Kong Government and
industry leaders on this plan
► Agrees to the planning challenges and proposals outlined in Hong Kong
Government’s territorial development plan beyond 2030
RICS would like to highlight some of the important factors that need to
be addressed in more detail and offer alternative thoughts on the future
planning strategies to the Government for consideration.
2. Our views on existing challenges
The changing nature of Hong Kong’s development needs
► The changing regional competitive landscape
New and emerging industries may develop very quickly
Need adequate and flexible land resources to promote economic diversity
► The changing workplace
Smart workplace strategies and technologies will change the overall demand of
floor space
Difficult to estimate the commercial land supply required in the future
► The changing demographics
Need an adaptable and flexible planning framework to facilitate the change of uses
in the future
3. Our recommendations
Key elements to transform Hong Kong into a liveable city
Faster urban renewal redevelopment
Review overall housing market structure
Planning for community needs
3. Our recommendations
► Ageing building stock in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok, Shum Shui Po and Cheung
Sha Wan as well as Kowloon City and To Kwa Wan
► Need to ensure that these ageing buildings do not pose a serious safety hazard for
the public
► Provide a potential opportunity for new supply of developable sites in urban areas
of Kowloon
Urban renewal needs
Existing challenges on urban renewal
► A significant gap exists between this vision and the current administration on
planning regulations, land policies and building controls
3. Our recommendations
Recommendations on urban renewal
► Urgent need for a holistic and integrated review of current regulations on
planning, land policies and building controls, such as allowing building forms to
go vertically, reducing the building footprint ratio and freeing up ground area for
public use and incorporate district-specific guidelines for land use and planning
controls into local area plans
► Adopt a flexible approach to permit interchangeability of land usage to enable more
innovative building concepts amid an evolving economic environment
Faster urban renewal redevelopment
A step towards making Hong Kong a more liveable and sustainable city
3. Our recommendations
► Housing affordability is a critical issue in Hong Kong
► The supply-demand imbalance is perceived to be one of the main causes.
► The shortfall in development land and hence residential supply has come at a time
of surging end-user and investment demands from Hong Kong and overseas
► To improve housing affordability and promote home ownership, which is seen as
effective measures to maintain social stability
► We recommend the Government to conduct a comprehensive review of Hong
Kong’s overall housing market structure, particularly the subsidized housing
schemes.
Existing challenges on housing market
Conduct a comprehensive review of
Hong Kong’s overall housing market structure
3. Our recommendations
► Incorporate demographic assessments to accommodate community
needs
How buildings and social amenities are designed and built to cater for
the needs of different groups of the population, including the young
and old
► Incorporate smart city concepts and utilise data science and
technology
Utilising data science and technology can help facilitating better
allocation of public resources
Planning for community needs
3. Our recommendations
► Strengthen our status as a key hub for
the Southern China region
► East Lantau, together with Kau Yi Chau,
are being located in the centre of and
with the significant improvements to its
connectivity to the Greater Pearl River
Delta
► Existing nine container ports in Kwai
Chung and Tsing Yi have a total site
area of approximately 270 hectares.
Their government leases will expire by
30 June 2047
Advocating for a new logistic hub at East Lantau
Photo: HK2030+ PE Booklet
3. Our recommendations
RICS suggests creating a logistics hub at the East Lantau reclamation,
rather than turning it to become Hong Kong’s third CBD
► Same as what Hong Kong Government proposed back in the 1990s
Advantages:
► Offers an opportunity to upgrade our container port facilities with the latest
technology, enhance its efficiency and capacity to meet future competition
► Land adjacent could be reserved for logistics-related facilities to support the air
and sea freight.
► Transform the Greater Lantau area into a world-class logistics hub
► Redevelop exising ports at Kwai Chung/Tsing Yi area to be CBD3
3. Our recommendations
Global case: Phases 3 and 4 of Pasir Panjang Terminal at Singapore
Photo: PSA Singapore
► Both Singapore and Hong Kong aim to
transform their logistics sector and retain
their position as a global logistics hub
► Hong Kong needs to maintain and further
enhance its logistics competitiveness, or
it may risk losing to neighbouring cities
adding extra 15 berths to her existing facilities
JTC’s Logistics Hub @ Gul, a new logistics hub, is scheduled for completion in 2020
3. Our recommendations
► A more certain and transparent future land supply list will facilitate better business,
economic and investment planning
► Review the land exchange and lease modification assessment mechanism to unlock
the development potential of agricultural land, and incentivise developers to make use
of their land holdings for new developments
Making land-supply schedule more transparent and promote rural land conversions
4. Conclusion
The Government should look at Hong Kong as part of a larger regional
economy, and facilitate the development of a built environment capable of
capitalising on the opportunities in the Greater Pearl River Delta, as well as
the potential arising from the Belt and Road Initiative
Should adopt a more innovative approach towards introducing the
regulatory reform of town planning, land use, building control and urban
renewal
.
Should adopt a more flexible approach towards town planning, land use
and building control as well as the urban renewal policies