Hong Kong needs regenerated districts, not piecemeal renewal

The government should tie redevelopment of properties in old districts to Northern Metropolis development rights and create an urban regeneration authority The problems of old districts, however, have never been about insufficient floor space. They arise from deteriorated urban form, narrow streets, fragmented lots, inadequate public space and limited community capacity. Making the maximising of floor area the central criterion will only produce taller, slimmer towers that intensify congestion and undermine neighbourhood quality. The real deficit is the absence of an institution capable of orchestrating regeneration at the district scale. From a governance perspective, renewal patches up; regeneration restructures. Renewal improves buildings; regeneration restores urban functionality. Hong Kong must establish an urban regeneration authority capable of addressing the spatial and institutional issues that cannot be solved through lot-based redevelopment.

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