Infrastructure Development and Heritage Conservation 233
Urban Renewal
Urban renewal aims to tackle the problem of urban decay and improve the living conditions in old urban areas, while preserving their local characters and social networks as far as practicable.
The Development Bureau formulates policy on urban renewal and oversees the work of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), a statutory body established in May 2001 with a mandate to conduct urban renewal.
The Urban Renewal Strategy (URS) provides guidelines for the URA's work. In 2008, the Development Bureau launched a comprehensive review of the URS to respond to changing public aspirations. After extensive public engagement over two years and on the basis of broad consensus, a revised draft text of the URS was issued for public consultation which ended in December 2010. The new URS emphasises a people-centred, district-based and participatory approach. Under the new URS, the URA will adopt 'Redevelopment' and 'Rehabilitation' as its core. businesses. It will also assist property owners to explore more diverse models of redevelopment.
To implement the new URS, three new measures were announced. A new advisory platform, the District Urban Renewal Forum (DURF), will be set up to collect views from professionals, residents and other stakeholders to formulate a blueprint for sustainable urban renewal. The first pilot DURF will be established in Kowloon City. An independent Urban Renewal Trust Fund, to be endowed with $500 million. from the URA, will be set up to support the DURFS, to fund the social service teams and to subsidise preservation or revitalisation projects selected in the context of the urban renewal. Furthermore, to enable early implementation of a new 'flat for flat' arrangement as an alternative option to cash compensation for affected domestic owner-occupiers in URA projects, the Government will reserve one to two sites in the Kai Tak Development Area for the URA to build an early stock of flats for this option.
In 2010, the URA and its strategic partner were carrying out 40 redevelopment projects and four preservation projects.
Heritage Conservation
Heritage Conservation Policy and New Initiatives
The Government's heritage conservation policy, as announced in October 2007, is to protect, conserve and revitalise as appropriate historical and heritage sites and buildings through relevant and sustainable approaches for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. In implementing this policy, due regard is given to development needs in the public interest, respect for private property rights, budgetary considerations, cross-sector collaboration and active engagement of stakeholders and the general pubic. The Commissioner for Heritage's Office (CHO) in Development Bureau has made good progress on its heritage conservation initiatives in 2010.