With a growing population and continuous economic development, the city has seen the frequent emergence of old and unsafe buildings, presenting significant safety hazards to residents. In order to address this issue, the government has actively promoted urban redevelopment plans, escalating investment and efforts to facilitate the rapid development of urban renewal projects.
According to data from the Development Bureau, in the past decade, approximately 16,200 private residential units were demolished across the city, with private redevelopment projects accounting for around 65.4%.
During the same period, completed redevelopment projects resulted in approximately 40,400 new private residential units, of which about 75.5% were from private redevelopment projects.
This data reflects the crucial role played by private developers in urban redevelopment while also highlighting the shortcomings of the government in this aspect of city planning.
However, the challenges faced by the government in urban renewal are still considerable.
As explained by Director of Planning Chan Hon-ho, the number of private buildings aged 50 years or more has more than doubled in the past decade, and there are approximately 3,100 "three-nil buildings" (buildings lacking owners, property management, and maintenance). The demand for urban renewal is substantial. Therefore, the government needs to adopt more effective policy measures to expedite the pace of reconstruction.
The government has implemented a series of measures, including raising the borrowing limit of the Urban Renewal Authority, lowering the threshold for compulsory sale applications, and planning to utilize part of the reclaimed land outside the future commercial core of the artificial island in Kau Yi Chau for public and private redevelopment initiatives.
These measures demonstrate the government's determination and efforts in urban renewal work, simultaneously providing residents with a safer and more comfortable living environment.