ENG-1984 — Page 218

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Homes for Millions

Large parts of the New Territories have been dramatically altered by the vast new town development programme that was begun to ease the population pressure in the urban areas. However, the continuing growth of population has been so great that even the new town programme has been extended. At the outset in 1972, the aim was to provide by the mid-1980s homes for 1.8 million people, most of them living in three new towns and a number of rural townships. Now the programme extends into the 1990s and the new towns. increased to seven, and rural townships have been designed to accommodate over three million people. The population in the New Territories at present exceeds 1.7 million. The new towns offer residents a healthy environment with a full range of facilities from shops to schools as well as public amenities that help to foster a sense of community belonging. Flats provided in the public and private housing develop- ments come in sizes designed to meet individual needs. Industrial development ensures that there are job opportunities for the workforce. Transport links to serve the new towns have been improved and expanded. Besides the extension of the Mass Transit Railway to Tsuen Wan and the electrification of the Kowloon-Canton Railway, major new road connections are being built.

Previous page: A harmonious blend of old and new at Tsuen Wan New Town. Left: Tranquillity at a shopping complex at Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin, high-rise develop- ments in Sha Tin, a model of Lung Hang Estate and the adjoining Sun Chui Estate.

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