The proposal combined in one scheme the development of off-shore islands for resettlement and the ex- pansion of the Port.
What in fact has taken place in the last three years? Very extensive re- development to even higher densities has occurred in the existing built up parts of the Celony, particularly in Kowloon. Thus, rather than a drop in population density in Kowloon, regarded as desirable in the Jubilee Paper, we must face an increase. We must anticipate that the population of Kowloon in the 1980's will ap- proach twice its 1961 population.
This is not an increase caused entirely by some planners' mistake- though it can be said that the plan- ners failed to impose effective control
but an increase arising from the innumerable decisions made by in- dividuals in expressing their choice.
But are these demands necessarily sensible? Does the individual ad- vantage arising outweigh the cost to the community in consequential con- gestion, dangers to health and social stability loss of the peaceful life? Many advantages and economies stem from city life. It seems to suit Hong Kong people. But such life depends on communications. The whole pur- pose of the city is to communicate.
Is there not a stage beyond which congestion will strangle such com- munications and the city cease to function as an efficient organisation? Is this point to be arrived at by a multitude of individual decisions or should the planners draw a line? If so where?
Land Demands
In 1948 Professor Abercrombie called for an open space standard of -acre per 1,000 persons. Even at that time this figure was optimistic. In the event it has proved quite im- possible to achieve, even in the plan- ning of new areas, or perhaps I should say it has had to give way in the face of demands for land to which the community gives a higher priority. Housing, high density housing, employment, education, have been regarded, and no doubt rightly regarded at this time, as of greater importance than playing fields.
We are perhaps fortunate in having unreclaimable seas and undevelopable
hills to provide limits to urbanisation around the harbour.
Another standard to suffer from increased urban development is that of traffic and public transport, par- ticularly in Kowloon, Space on pavements is becoming wholly inade- quate for the pedestrians, let alone for the hawkers, contractors, shop- keepers and motorists who use them for their own purposes!
With lack of easily accessible land we have brought in the third dimen- sion domestic buildings are now rising to 10, 20 and even 30 storeys, But, however high the buildings, the occupants eventually return to ground level, to horizontal move- ments in two dimensions. The greater the overall density of a district the more difficult it will be to provide adequate public com- munication at ground level munication which is vital to a modern society.
Segregation
com-
In the City Centre and the Naval Dockyard scheme we hope to see two level circulation with pedestrians able to move freely over large areas segregated from wheeled traffic be- low. Subject to the Buchanan Report we want to see maximum penetra- tion by the motor vehicle combined with adequate space for the pedes- trians to move with safety.
However, complete pedestrian vehicular segregation is unfortunately impractical except in specially design- ed centres. The transport studies now taking place will, no doubt, point the way to some other methods of improving communications and new roads and flyovers will be built.
In the long term, however, we must look to a lowering or at least a stabilizing of the population in exist- ing areas or face strangulation or costly congestion
costly both
socially and economically. This can only be done by building new self- contained towns away from present centres and by discouraging increased densities in existing urban districts. And if the new areas are to draw people to them, to exert a positive pull away from the existing centres, they must be made attractive
must
be better planned than the old areas to meet the expanding needs of our new society.
"Domestic buildings are now rising to 10, 20 and even 30 storeys"
The last sentence of the Review Chapter of the 1963 Hong Kong Annual Report states: policy must be directed to the provision of new land
the search for land must go on. The Government White Paper on resettlement adopted in Legislative Council last September re-enforces this and makes it even more urgent. The paper proposes a building pro- gramme of over one million persons by 1970 and a target of over 2.2 million in the decade 1964 to 1974. This is an immense task.
New Town
The
only be
programme can achieved by opening up new areas building new towns. These towns
will have to be backed by industrial expansion of considerable magnitude, and lots else besides. Woe betide the town planner who provides land for a maternity hospital but not for the primary and secondary schooling to follow! He must ensure that his plans meet the exacting demands of public and private enterprise.
Timing is important. Integration of the new population with existing residents requires careful study. As one member of the development team the town planner has a special responsibility for the overall concept. But it is the understanding and active collaboration of the community at large which will decide the success or failure of any new project.
We live in exciting times. In the space age. But it is lack of space, space to work, live and play, which presents the main challenge.
Decentralisation
Mr. Clarke's views on the need to open up new development areas in Hong Kong are shared by Mr. J. E. Jackson, a member of the Hong Kong Branch of the Town Planning Institute. In a recent talk to the branch he said that decentralisation and the creation of new urban areas to provide adequate amenities for the present and future population appeared to be the only solutions to obtaining a satisfactory urban vironment.
en-
He proposed that the Government land sales for urban development should be restricted to the newly planned areas where reasonable standards of urban amenity could be assured by special conditions of lease.
"It is not suggested that the re- development of existing urban land should be held up in its entirety," he said, "but the large areas of blight, sadly lacking in the very minimum of open space, should not be permit- ted to be redeveloped on the present sub-divisions of land and within the present inadequate street patterns."
New legislation might be neces- sary, concluded Mr. Jackson. But no matter how unpopular this might be initially, urgent action was neces- sary if the last opportunity to safe- guard against a totally unacceptable physical environment was not to be lost forever.
Far East Architect & Builder January, 1965
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