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Mr. W.H.Owen's appendix to the Housing Commission's Report, 1935 and his Draft Ordinance and Sir David Owen's report on the Port, (more particularly the physical proposals). But almost equally fertile and practical suggestions have been made for Roads, Air, Railways, Open Spaces, General Health & Welfare, Water Supply, Industrial Location, expansion of the Business Zone, Tunnels, and the New Territories.
5 In comparing Hong Kong with many other places two special characteristics of its problems at once emerge, neither of them perhaps unique, but each present to a highly intense degree : firstly the shortage of land for any sort of urban expansion or quarter: secondly an
The unlimited reservoir of possible immigration. combined presence of these two characteristics does indeed Not to waste time produce something like a unique result.
on too elaborate comparisons, it may be remarked of the Western Countries such as England, that if one centre of population becomes too great, it may or should be possible to encourage migration within the land and so regroup the population(this is what is proposed to do on a regional soale for London). On the one hand land is available, on the other, the population (allowing for statistical increase or the contrary) can be anticipated.
In the case
of a nearer parallel, for example Ceylon, some attempt can be made to regulate the size of the Capital in relation to the rest of the island. But there does not appear to be any limit (sic) to the number of people who could pour into Hong Kong from the mainland (beyond of course the New Territories ). Thus it has been stated that if, on the analogy of the Greater London plan, New Towns were built on the limited suitable land of Kowloon or on the much less limited land of the New Territories, they would at once be filled up from this unplumbed reservoir on the mainland. The New York solution (where the shortage of space is limited to a peninsulak whereas there is plenty of adjacent land) of building skyscrapers for business and population as well, does not commend itself for Hong Kong. The only policy as to numbers appears to be an artificially restricted population and some form of rigid transference from over- crowded areas into new quarters as and when they are prepared to receive them. There must be also a rigidly enforced standard of maximum density and imposed limitation upon industrial expansión. Both these will be difficult to enforce : the population has become used to densities which, over large areas (not in small black spots) must
industry is seeking be some of the highest in the World :
a refuge in Hong-Kong and it is hard to deny it entrance. As a recent writer has said the prosperity of this tiny British Colony stands out like a beacon. This is mainly due to the fact that the stability of British administration has afforded a refuge to commersial interests which have fled
The same tendency from the chaos prevailing elsewhere.' *
Here then
to flock to Hong Kong exists for people as well. is the problem to provide for this immigrant prosperity with so little space to offer it.
t It has been assumed, throughout this Report, that for the purpose of the Development Plan the New Territories- are retained, but] that the major urban activities should confined to Hong-Kong Island and Kowloon and that the location of the Defence Services should have a preference for the Island. The natural barrier of mountains North of
A.S. Comyns Carr, K.C., Times- 20th July, 1
1948.
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