XN000022-1983-04-12 — Page 5

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1983.

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THE RECLAMATION WOULD ENABLE THE YEUNG UK SPORTSGROUND TO BE RELOCATED, REBUILT AND RE-EQUIPPED, AND ENABLE ONE OF THE OLDER HOUSING ESTATES TO BE REBUILT AND A PUBLIC GARDEN BE BUILT IN ITS PLACE.

THE CONTAINER PORT WOULD EXPAND AND ENABLE A GREATER CONCENTRATION OF ACTIVITY NEAR THE PORT AND REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF OVERSPILL ON TO THE SURROUNDING AREAS.

ANOTHER BRIDGE TO TSING YI WOULD BE BUILT AND HOUSING AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO EXPAND.

HE SAID PERHAPS NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD HAD A TOWN GROWN FROM A POPULATION OF 60 000 TO 600 000 IN 25 YEARS, PROVIDING HOMES, WORK, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND ENTERTAINMENT FOR ITS PEOPLE. NOW THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES WERE CLOSELY INVOLVED IN ITS MANAGEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT, HE ADDED.

+ IN ORDER BETTER TO UNDERSTAND THE DIRECTION AND THRUST OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IT IS SOMETIMES HELPFUL TO REMIND OURSELVES HOW WE REACHED THIS PRESENT POSITION, WHETHER THE PRESENT SITUATION IS GOOD OR BAD, AND WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE,+ HE SAID,

HE RECALLED THAT BOTH KWUN TONG AND TSUEN WAN WERE BUILT IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR HOMES FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAD FLOODED INTO HONG KONG AFTER 1945, AND FOR LAND ON WHICH TO BUILD FACTORIES TO PROVIDE INDUSTRY AND EMPLOYMENT.

HE ADDED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS MUCH TO FIND FAULT WITHIN THESE TOWNS TODAY, IN FACT THEY WERE NOT BUILT WITHOUT THE GUIDANCE OF TOWN PLANNING.

A FORMAL PLAN WAS APPROVED IN 1965 AND CONSCIOUSLY AIMED AT MAKING TSUEN WAN A SELF CONTAINED TOWN WITH ITS OWN INFRASTRUCTURE AND AMENITIES.

+BUT THE STANDARDS OF THE 1960'S WERE VERY BASIC AND THE AMENITIES RUDIMENTARY.

+THEN, AFTER THE BUILDINGS WERE COMPLETE THERE WAS LITTLE EFFORT SPENT ON MANAGEMENT; THE PRESSURES OF PEOPLE, THE DESPERATE SEARCH FOR A LIVING, COVERED THE PAVEMENTS AND OPEN SPACES WITH HAWKERS AND THE HILLSIDES AND THE ROOFTOPS BECAME THE HOMES OF THOUSANDS OF SQUATTERS.

+OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION WERE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN, + IR AKERS-JONES SAID.

THE OPENING OF THE CONTAINER PORT IN 1973, THE COMPLETION OF THE TSING YI BRIDGE IN 1974, AND THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY EXTENSION TO TSUEN WAN, PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES TO BEGIN TO ACQUIRE SOME OF THE STYLE LACKING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PREVIOUS 20 YEARS.

+MEMBERS OF THE TSUEN WAN COMMUNITY FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WERE ER OUGHT TOGETHER IN THE DISTRICT BOARD TO GET TO GRIPS WITH THE PROBLEMS OF MANAGEMENT OF THIS GREAT CONUREATION OF OVER 600 000 PEOPLE, HE ADDED,

+1 AM JRE YOUR ASSOCIATION WILL PLAY ITS PART IN THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN AND IN THE GREAT WORK OF MAKING TSUEN WAN A BETTER PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE, HE SAID.

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