XN000022-1976-04-30 — Page 5

FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1976

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MR CROSBY SAID THE NEW TOWN WAS BEING PLANNED TO BE DEVELOPED

EACH IN A SERIES OF SELF-CONTAINED COMMUNITIES OF VARIOUS SIZES RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY HAVING ITS OWN LOCAL SHOPS, SCHOOLS, KINDERGARTENS, PLAYGROUNDS, OPEN SPACES, PUBLIC TRANSPORT FACILITY, SOCIAL WELFARE AND OTHER COMMUNITY FACILITIES APPROPRIATELY PLANNED AROUND ITS OWN FOCAL POINT ACCORDING TO THE SPECIAL CHARACTER OF THE PARTICULAR AREA.

HOWEVER, THE ULTIMATE SUCCESS OF ANY SUCH GOALS OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MUST DEPEND ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES AND THE LEADERSHIP GIVEN TO SUCH SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.

HE SAID THAT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING WHICH BECAME ALMOST A RELIGION WITH MANY PLANNERS AND OTHERS IN WESTERN COUNTRIES IN THE SIXTIES WAS NOW KNOWN TO HAVE MANY PITFALLS AND LIMITATIONS. +BUT IT IS STILL AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT IN MODERN PLANNING, HE ADDED.

IN RECENT YEARS, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD DEMONSTRATED SEVERAL MOVES TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE INVOLVEMENT OF PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GENERALLY.

IN THIS REGARD, NEW GROUND WAS BEING BROKEN ALL THE TIME IN SHA TIN NEW TOWN. AS AN EXAMPLE, HE CITED THE RECENT SHA TIN NEW TOWN EXHIBITION BY THE P.W.D.'S' NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO GIVE PEOPLE A CLEAR VIEW OF THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT AND ENCOURAGE THEIR INTEREST AND INVOLVEMENT.

MANY SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES THROUGHOUT HONG KONG WERE GIVEN ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELP TO STUDY THE NEW TOWN PROJECT, AND A COMPREHENSIVE BROCHURE ON SHA TIN NEW TOWN PROPOSALS WAS ALSO BEING PREPARED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

MR. CROSBY SAID HE REGARDED THESE AS NOT ONLY THE FIRST STAGE OF PUBLIC AWARENESS BUT NECESSARY STEPS TO A WIDER PLATFORM OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT GENERALLY.

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