LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
Study on Sustainable Development for the 21st Century
This study was carried out in response to the concerns on Hong Kong's long-term sustainability if it were to follow the existing development path. It began in September 1997 and was completed in August 2000. During the study, two stages of extensive public consultation exercises had been conducted to solicit public views. The study's recommendations include a definition on sustainable development, a set of guiding principles and sustainability indicators, a computer-aided decision support tool which contains comprehensive economic, social and environmental baseline information, and a proposal for the implementation mechanism. The Government will set up a Sustainable Development Unit as a step to take forward the study's recommendations.
The public consultation and awareness-raising programme carried out in the study has also successfully promoted the concept of sustainable development and the importance of achieving a better quality of life sustainable for both the present and future generations.
Territorial Development Strategy
The Territorial Development Strategy (TDS) is the highest tier in the hierarchy of town planning in Hong Kong. It provides a broad land use, transport and environmental framework for planning and development. It also serves as a basis for preparation of sub-regional planning statements and more detailed district plans.
The last review of the TDS was completed in 1996. Since then, some fundamental assumptions underlying the review have become outdated and new factors having strategic planning implications have emerged. A new round of review, the Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy, commenced in 2000 to assess Hong Kong's future development needs in a wider regional perspective and for a longer time horizon.
To enhance public awareness and to build community consensus, the public will be consulted extensively throughout the process of the formulation of the development strategy. The review process is expected to be completed in 2002.
Sub-regional Development Strategies
These strategies serve as a bridge between the TDS and district plans. They translate long-term, broad-brush territorial development visions and themes into district planning objectives for the five sub-regions of Hong Kong, namely, the Metro area, North-East New Territories (NENT), North-West New Territories (NWNT), South- East New Territories (SENT), and South-West New Territories (SWNT). As the recommended strategies will have significant implications for the long-term development framework of the respective sub-regions, extensive public consultation exercises are carried out.
The Metroplan Review is intended to produce an updated planning framework for the development and redevelopment of the Metro Area, including a review of the Kowloon Density Study. As part of the review, a planning study on Victoria Harbour and its waterfront area was also carried out in January. A consultation exercise for these two studies will be held in 2001.
211