UNEVEN LAND AND JOB SUPPLIES ACROSS HONG KONG

When Hong Kong experienced a large population growth and economic expansion after World War II, the British Hong Kong government formulated a series of new long-term urban development strategies. The 1973 New Town Development Strategy was implemented in combination the Ten Year Housing Programme, and a large investment programme for land reclamation, civil and social infrastructure including the new MTR system.

Based on Garden City, Modernist and Town Planning Movement principles, the New Towns were planned to be self-sufficient with local industry providing eployment and prosperity. However, due to the China’s reform and opening up policy in 1978 and the rapid rise of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, manufacturing industries left Hong Kong and several New Towns become predominantly residential. The increasing exchanges between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in recent decades offer new opportunities for urban development and transformation, if the New Towns can capitalise on their strategic locational advantages.

Although at present, jobs and population are uneven distributed between New Towns and the metropolitan area, the government planning framework “Hong Kong 2030+” calls for an increase of land-use efficiency and reform in New Territories, to implement several New Development Areas along strategic development corridors. Besides these new areas of investment, Hong Kong’s existing New Towns offer many opportunities for further growth and transformation.

Hong Kong has a mountainous topography. Of the total land area of 1,111 km2, 24.3% (270 km2) is built-up area, with the remaining 75.7% (841 km2) being not-for-development or non-built-up area consisting mainly of country parks, wetland, reservoirs and fishponds.

From the perspective of spatial distribution of urban density, the high density areas are mainly located in metropolitan area of Hong Kong island and Kowloon. As part of the further decentralisation of housing, industries and commercial facilities, the New Towns have a strong potential for the future development (research by Li Junwei and Xu Jingwen).

While the New Territories were initially kept clear of urban development due to their temporary land lease condition, the British Hong Kong government implemented the new town development strategy in 1973 in order to cope with the massive housing demand and population pressure. Its urban planning was informed by Modernism and the British Town Planning Movement, using rational planning patterns to offer improved living environments, compared to the overcrowded old urban districts of Hong Kong (research by Li Yibing and Lin Shuiyang).

Hong Kong’s New Towns are a significant part of the future development strategies for Hong Kong and its integration with the Greater Bay Area. The urban structure of the New Territories can be compared to that of succesful examples of polycentric urban regions, such as the Randstad in The Netherlands or the Ruhr Area in Germany. Strengthening the centre functions within each New Town and giving of uniques and complimentary roles, the network of urban nodes can drive progress to competition and collaboration. The location of many of the New Towns in the New Territories gives them strategic advantages, such as better environmental conditions, access to nature and recreation, and strategic locations along access routes towards Shenzhen (research by Li Junwei and Xu Jingwen).