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Guidelines for residential densities revised
Chapter two of the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) on residential densities have been revised.
The revised chapter mainly represents a review and formulation of density controls for private residential development that have been approved under recent strategic studies, a spokesman for the Planning Department said today (Monday).
The spokesman pointed out that the revision was necessary in order to meet changes in demographics, improvement in living standards, increased aspirations and the geographical distribution of development pressures. The last review was done in 1991.
"Existing guidelines of the chapter have been revised to prevent residential development from reaching a level at which residents would be adversely affected by social and environmental problems.
"It will also help to ensure an appropriate balance between residential population and the capacity of existing or planned facilities and infrastructure," he said.
The revised Chapter two has introduced a new set of population density guidelines to facilitate the initial estimation of population capacity and, land requirements at different planning stages.
"The population density tables in the old chapter have been replaced by a set of charts which convert building density or plot ratio into population capacity on sites of different areas.
"These charts can be used to obtain initial estimates of population capacity and land requirements for strategic, district and site planning purposes," the spokesman explained.
"The revised chapter also sets out the maximum domestic plot ratio for private residential development/redevelopment in specified residential zones and geographical areas such as Metroplan Area, New Towns and Rural Areas.
"It introduces a range of building height and site coverage restrictions to enable a variety of building heights to be adopted to fit in with urban design objectives and to ensure development is of an appropriate scale in relation to its landscape setting."