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MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1981
DEVELOPMENT OF SHA TIN COMMUNITY SPIRIT CRITICAL
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADEQUATE COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND ADEQUATE SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN SHA TIN NEW TOWN IS NOW CRITICAL, THE DISTRICT OFFICER, DR PATRICK HASE, SAID TODAY.
DR HASE WAS SPEAKING TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF TSUEN WAN ON +COMMUNITY BUILDING IN A NEW TOWN+.
HE SAID THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWN, AFTER A FEW MINOR INITIAL PROBLEMS, HAD SETTLED DOWN TO A REASONABLY SMOOTH ROUTINE.
+WHAT IS NOW CRITICAL - AND IT IS A MATTER WHICH HAS UP TO NOW BEEN SLIGHTLY LOST SIGHT OF IN THE TERRIFIC PRESSURE OF GETTING THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME INTO GEAR - IS THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWN- THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADEQUATE COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND ADEQUATE SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, DR HASE SAID.
HE SAID WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHA TIN BEGAN, THE POPULATION THERE WAS BARELY 30 000.
WHEN COMPLETE IT WOULD BE 750 000.
IN OTHER WORDS, MORE THAN 700 000 OF THE EVENTUAL POPULATION WOULD HAVE HAD NO PREVIOUS CONNECTION WITH SHA TIN.
THESE NEWCOMERS WOULD HAVE COME TO SHA TIN FROM SQUATTER AREAS CLEARED FOR DEVELOPMENT, OLD MARK I HOUSING ESTATES UNDERGOING REDEVELOPMENT, FROM FAMILIES ON THE WAITING LIST, FROM EVERY TYPE OF AREA, FROM EVERY CORNER OF HONG KONG,
IN A NEW HOUSING ESTATE BLOCK THE NEW RESIDENTS WERE UNLIKELY TO KNOW ANY OTHER SINGLE FAMILY ALL THEIR FRIENDS AND RELATIONS WOULD BE IN OTHER PLACES.
+CLEARLY THIS IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM OF SOME IMPORTANCE, DR HASE SAID.
+MAN IS A SOCIAL ANIMAL AND FEELS UNEASY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE HE HAS NO CLOSE SOCIAL CONTACTS.
+IT HAS BEEN SHOWN FROM MANY COUNTRIES THAT, WHERE A POPULATION CONSISTS MERELY OF LARGE NUMBERS OF ROOTLESS PERSONS, FAMILY PROBLEMS, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTURBANCES, ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAV JOUR, VANDALISM, CRIME AND RIOT WILL ALL BE FAR MORE FREQUENT THAN IN MORE LONG ESTABLISHED AREAS WITH A VIABLE COMMUNITY IN WHICH EACH FAMILY, EACH PERSON, HAS HIS OWN CIRCLE OF FRIENDS AND RELATIONS.+
HE SAID 96 PER CENT OF THE EVENTUAL POPULTION OF SHA TIN WOULD BE PRECISELY SUCH ROOTLESS NEWCOMERS CLEARLY THE RISK OF ESTABLISHING AN UNHAPPY AND DISSATISFIED POPULATION WAS DEEPLY INHERENT IN OUR NEW TOWN PROGRAMME AND WAS INDEED COMPOUNDED BY THE VERY SPEED AND SIZE OF OUR DEVELOPMENT.
/+OUR ATM