According to the Conservancy Association’s senior campaign manager Peter Li Siu-man, the government risks repeating past planning mistakes unless it considers how many people the city can realistically accommodate.
The idea of a population cap was first touted in 1948, when British town planner Professor Patrick Abercombie puts the figures at two million based on the scarcity of land. The population, however, now stands at seven million.
The government, however, is now doing town planning seemingly based on the thinking that there’s unlimited land supply. This would possibly mean that all the land goes to build homes and leaves none for public facilities.
According to Li, excessive density of planned new-town developments in areas such as Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, and Kam Tin can lead to a repeat of mistakes like Tin Shui Wai, which is plagued with poverty and social ills. Li urges CY Leung to set a population limit before town planning. We’re no experts but sounds wise advice to us!
Source: SCMP
Photo: Jacksoncam, Flickr
