-17-
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though, of course, complete segregation is not possible. In Hong Kong there is really no central shopping centre at all : shops are squeezed amongst office buildings, often invading their upper floors. One other general point may be made the town centre should not be invaded by streams of traffic passing through it; and at the same time approach traffic should be given every facility for parking. The Official, the business man, or the shopper should not be regarded as a criminal because he or she wishes to leave a car near their central destination.
79
If the Service lands can be taken into the Central area, there will be an opportunity for a complete plan including most of the existing office blocks. These 80 - solid looking and in some cases ornate buildings are really obsolescent and are ripe for rebuilding. Their surrounding arcades and lofty rooms were the solution of the problem of high temperatures: to-day air condition- ing has supervened and it will be found that with very little increased height, the same ground space will provide considerably more floor area. A careful survey of the present office floor area, its existing inadequacy(put at 300,000 square feet) and the probable demand with the growth of the Colony should be made. The recently published Manual on the Redevelopment of Central Areas (H.M.Stationery Office 12/6) should prove of great use with its advocated policy of "Floor Space Indices" for the regulation of rebuilding town blooks: width of streets, height of buildings, open space and car parks etc., are all included in the requirements. A Floor Space Index should be prescribed for each street blook and the developes required to keep within it. * It is fortunate that a large part of the central business area is in the hands of a single Estate company: this should facilitate a unified scheme of re-development. The new land which will be freed from the services will be Government property.
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It may not seem to be necessary to emphasise that the leasing of this newly acquired Government land should be on the basis of a considered plan: but quite recent examples of the Government leasing the most valuable land without regard to its best use both from the point of view of public buildings and traffic, make it necessary to give this warning.
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In spite of the great increase of land which may become available from the Services, it is probable that most of the level ground will be wanted for Shops and offices and it is suggested that some of the new public buildings could be placed between Albert Road and Queens Road, including the Murray Barracks and Parade Ground. There is a considerable area of Ground here which might lend itself to picturesque treatment.
It must be remembered that Hong Kong is perhaps more deficient in public buildings than any other town of comparable size in the World: there is no Town Hall, Civic Hall, Art Gallery, Museum, Publie Library, Theatre or Opera House. The comparison with Towns in India is remarkable. there, there is perhaps an excess of public buildings, Hindu, Mohammedan, Parsees and British Doners have vied with each other and
See Page 37 of Manual.
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