As a small city with large population, Hong Kong should has a favourable urban planning in order to maximize the usage and value of land. The Hong Kong government is keep carrying out urban planning like developing new towns and redeveloping decayed districts for years. But the truth is that the process of urban planning falls behind the schedule, especially in redeveloping old districts. The lagging schedule can be attributed to the conflicts of interest of various stakeholders including the local resident and shop owner, the NGOs and the government authority. The local resident and shop owner are the most directly affected parties from the redevelopment. They are usually the one who live and start their business in that particular area for a long time, which means that they have already built a connection with their neighbors. To those people, the loss caused by redevelopment cannot be simply recovered and that is why the government should listen to their voices before any action is taken. But the reality is that the resident and the shop owner are just being informed, there is no platform for them to speak out their opinion in front of the government authority. What make the situation worse is that they cannot receive a reasonable compensation. The compensation is far from enough for the local residents and shop owners to purchase a flat and shop of similar size in the original or nearby districts. In a short video clip we saw in the lecture, a woman involved in Kwun Tong redeveloping project stands firm on her view and resisted the compensation. Some may say that she is greedy because the compensation seems to be considerable. But put yourself into her shoes, the “considerable” money granted by the government authority cannot even afford her to buy a flat in a building younger than 35 year-old. She is afraid that there is possibility of involving in another redeveloping project a few years later if she relocates herself in an old building. Government authority and developer should not discuss the planning in a secret way and then inform the residents and shop owners. What the government needs to do is to get the local resident and shop owner into the planning of the redevelopment from the very beginning. The government authority should collect opinion from every individual who will be affected in a transparent way. It is a long task for the government yet it is the fairest and most justiciable solution. As for the group concerning about history preservation, they may not be directly affected by the redeveloping project, but they are speaking for the whole society. It is true that when redevelopment is taken place, dilapidated buildings and old streets are demolished and replaced by luxurious buildings and grand shopping malls. True, those buildings and malls are always good for Hong Kong’s economy, but how about the distinctive features of the city. Some history and traditions of Hong Kong will be vanished after the redevelopment like the redevelopment of Lee Tung Street. It is a social responsibility for the government to preserve but not destroy a city’s collective memory. Redevelopment and conservation are not enemies, instead, they can walk together through rehabilitation. Blue House is a successful example of rehabilitation. Urban redevelopment enhances a community’s living environment so as to facilitate the economy of a city but the government should never be driven by the profit and turn a blind eye to the controversy of different stakeholders. The government should mediate different opinion by holding public consultations and discussions. The government should really adopt a “people first, district-based, public participatory approach” when carrying out urban redevelopment, according to what they listed on the URA website. (6137)
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 15:57:23 +0000
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