To improve the living environment of community and have higher efficiency in the usage of land, our government has proposed the plan of urban redevelopment. This project’s work includes collecting extensive land for integrated development, demolition of the old and ruined buildings and a comprehensive redevelopment scheme. It, however, brought controversy that different stakeholders are upholding different attitudes. Yet, what is the role of the government in the project? What can the government do with a view to dealing with different stakeholders? For affected residents, their major concerns are numerous. Resettlement will be needed if their living district has to undergo redevelopment. They may have to pay higher community cost after they have moved out to the new places which are far away from their working place. Also, they may not be able to afford higher rent and living expense in other district. Nevertheless, the compensation for them is far less than enough. People may get anxious and unsatisfied with the compensation. Owing to this, a District Urban Renewal Forum should be set up by the government in each of the old districts. It is used for incorporating the views of the residents being affected, the community and public in renewal works. With this forum, residents can express air their voice freely and express their concerns. The government can listen to and understand people’s opinion towards the redevelopment. Taking this opportunity to interact and respond to people directly is also a good idea. It is very important to let citizens participate in a community issue. By doing so, the government and residents can negotiate a fair and reasonable compensation together which can calm the raged residents down. What is more, having a “flat for flat” scheme by providing some affordable flats in some public housing estates for the owner-occupiers and the affected residents which allow them to continue to live in the same district and maintain the social work they have established can help solve the problem. The affected merchants in the district may also have the same problem. They may lose their customers network when the redevelopment is carrying out as their shops have to be relocated or closed. They cannot afford higher rent in the original district after redevelopment or other districts. For small operators whose operation depends on the social network in the district, the government should make effort to help them identify suitable premises in the vicinity to relocate their business. The government should also make special rental arrangements to facilitate shops with unique characteristics to return to operate at the redeveloped site upon completion so that they would be free from the danger of collapsing. Like the Kwun Tong Town Centre Redevelopment Project, it has reserved 170,000 square foot for keeping the original street stores and street market. Furthermore, the conservation groups may hold the view that the historical buildings and cultural heritage should be preserved instead of being demolished and collective memories should be protected. Indeed, redevelopment has no conflict with revitalization as long as the government is willing to give in. Although redevelopment has the purpose of demolishing old buildings, it doesn’t have to demolish all the buildings in the district. Instead, some of the historical buildings and cultural heritage which are recognized by most people, has long history and contain our collective memories can be kept. Just like the old Stanley Police Station, it has been kept and turned into a supermarket though Stanley has undergone redevelopment. In this case, better utilization of old cultural heritage was carried out and both revitalization as well as redevelopment could be done. That means that as long as the government can give in and negotiate with the conservation groups, a win-win situation can be achieved. The collective memories are able to be retained. Urban redevelopment is never an easy task. The government should listen to various stakeholders’ views and strike a balance among them. Without doing it carefully and precisely, this plan will be nothing more than a piece of white paper. SID: 9484
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 17:59:47 +0000
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