PREFACE TO THE SAN TIN MASTER PLAN
Increasing population and urban economic pressures are speeding the already rapid spread of urban Hong Kong beyond existing new town centres, and into the suburban and rural New Territories. As a consequence, village people throughout the N.T. see their traditional community futures fading 'round them.
There are many reasons for this decline. First among them, however, is the uncontrolled spread of urban land use; in particular-in the North West New Territories-- the spread of luxury-style housing through easily assembled random packages of once villager-owned agricultural land. This and other types of village peri- pheral urban development eventually crush a village, by eliminating through piecemeal individual "sell out" the two central pillars upon which stable new communities in the New Territories could possibly be based: viz., a sense of common community purpose; and available contiguous villager-owned land for appropriate forms of village-based community expansion.
Now, undoubtedly some would say that traditional village life no longer "fits" in modern Hong Kong. In many ways, this is unquestionably true. But what about villager rights, and possibly more importantly--at least in terms of numbers-what about the cultural basis and social future of urban Hong Kong?
If it is true that a sense of common purpose is the seed of true community, and that the "community principle" is the foundation of any stable society, then this seed and principle must underlie any form of progressive urban planning. Thus it follows that a planned, healthy future for urban and rural Hong Kong must be founded on both local and Colony-wide senses of common destiny or purpose; as well as on favorable site, market, land ownership, and other regional considerations.
For over 700 years the surrounding hills and marshland of San Tin have enclosed the ancestral home and farm lands of the Man Family; today, San Tin is the largest family or "lineal" village in the New Territories.
In 1977 the people of San Tin decided that action must be taken if their community tradition was to survive. To this end, a leading group of villagers, led by Mr. William F. T. Man, founded the San Tin Development & Management Co., Ltd.. Since that time, the "STDMC" has represented the San Tin villagers in negotiations. with Government and in the preparation of a two-staged series of community development plans.
In July of 1977 the STDMC presented a "conceptual Plan" to Government for consideration. In September of 1979 approval was given by Government to proceed with a more detailed Stage II submission. Since that time, with the support of the New Territories Adminis- tration and other Government bodies, STDMC-appointed Consultants have proceeded with the detailed planning work. The document before you is "Volume I" of a 2 Volume set of detailed and financially feasible planning and design recommendations for the community re- vitalization and expansion of San Tin.
San Tin Village
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