MONDAY, MAY 29, 1989
- 5
MR LAN WAS SPEAKING AT A "STEP CLOSER
SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE YAU TSIM DISTRICT OFFICE FOR THE FIVE AREA COMMITTEES IN YAU TSIM DISTRICT.
THE SEMINAR WAS THE THIRD OF A SERIES DESIGNED TO FORGE CLOSER RELATIONS BETWEEN THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION AND AREA COMMITTEES.
IN A TALK ON URBAN RENEWAL IN YAU TSIM, MR LAN POINTED OUT THAT THE STANDARD OF BUILDING DESIGN AND THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE DISTRICT LEFT MUCH TO BE DESIRED.
SOME 60 PER CENT OF THE RESIDENTIAL
AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
IN THE DISTRICT WERE OVER 20 YEARS OLD, AND THE MORE NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS IN SOME AREAS WERE OUTMODED BUILDING DESIGN, OVERCROWDING, INSUFFICIENT PROVISION OF OPEN SPACE AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND TRAFFIC PROBLEMS.
THERE WERE TWO ANSWERS TO THOSE PROBLEMS, MR LAN CONTINUED.
FOR
INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS, THE IMMEDIATE SOLUTION WAS TO IMPROVE THEIR MANAGEMENT.
IN SOME INSTANCES, THE "OBVIOUS, AND PROBABLY ONLY" ANSWER WAS REDEVELOPMENT.
OWNERS' CORPORATIONS, MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AND THE DISTRICT BUILDING MANAGEMENT CO-ORDINATION TEAMS HAD MADE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS MOTIVATING BUILDING OWNERS AND RESIDENTS TAKE A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN SOLVING BUILDING MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS.
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TO
WE HAVE SEEN ENCOURAGING RESULTS WITH IMPROVEMENTS INTRODUCED AFTER BUILDINGS WERE PUT UNDER PROPER MANAGEMENT, HE ADDED.
HOWEVER,
PROBLEMS.
BUILDING
MANAGEMENT
ALONE COULD NOT RESOLVE ALL
FOR SOME VERY OLD BUILDINGS, IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES MIGHT BE VERY EXPENSIVE AND WERE THEREFORE NOT A VIABLE PROPOSITION. IN OTHER CASES, IMPROVEMENT PROVIDES NO REMEDY.
ARE
"THEREFORE WHERE A BUILDING IS BEYOND ECONOMIC REPAIR OR IMPROVEMENT, OR IF A SIZABLE NUMBER OF PROBLEMATIC BUILDINGS INVOLVED, REDEVELOPMENT WILL BE A BETTR ALTERNATIVE," HE NOTED.
APPRECIATING THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR TOWARDS URBAN REDEVELOPMENT, MR LAN SAID UNCO-ORDINATED AND PIECEMEAL EFFORTS COULD DO LITTLE TO IMPROVE THE GENERAL LIVING ENVIRONMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, IMPROVING ROAD NETWORK OR GENERATING MORE OPEN SPACE.
"
"PIECEMEAL REDEVELOPMENT SELDOM HELPS ACHIEVE A BETTER TOWN PLANNING LAYOUT BECAUSE THESE PROJECTS ARE NOT CO-ORDINATED, НЕ ADDED.
TO BE