ENG-1982 — Page 155

FE

Decade of Development

-

Providing homes for an expanding popu- lation in carefully designed new towns is one of the greatest challenges Hong Kong has had to face, and Sha Tin is a prime example of town planning at its best. Cur- rently home to some 200 000 people targetted at 860 000 by 1991 – this rural New Territories valley has developed, within a single decade, into a self- contained township with a distinctive. identity. Reshaping of the landscape, build- ing on a massive scale, and the influx of thousands of new residents has been allied with strenuous efforts to help the new settlers gain a sense of identity while pre- serving the community life of the villages which made up the Sha Tin Valley. In line with residential, commercial and indus- trial projects, a progressive infrastructure moves swiftly ahead: a sophisticated road system with a town by-pass, and recon- structed stations on the newly electrified Kowloon-Canton Railway linking with the Mass Transit Railway - provide im- proved access. To meet the needs of the population, community amenities include a teaching hospital which, by 1983, will tie in with a new medical faculty at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Sports facilities for the local community and the world-class Jubilee Sports Centre offer the recreational counterbalance. The verdant Sha Tin Valley foothills and surrounding country parks, and the Shing Mun River provide nature's own leisure time ameni- ties, a reminder of the tranquil origins of this newly urbanised area.

225

Previous page: Bright lights of Sha Tin's modern housing are mirrored in the calm waters of the Shing Mun River,

natural focal point for the town. Left: Sha Tin Racecourse prepares for the next season's onslaught of ponies and punters; work underway on the 160 000-square-metre Jubilee Sports Centre which opened in July; a tranquil spot for study at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

H