Applicability of land readjustment in urban regeneration in Hong Kong

Abstract

To solve the age-old problem of urban decay in Hong Kong, fostering a building care culture in the community is certainly a long-term approach. With a view to the immediate effects, resort is often made to redevelopment of dilapidated buildings in the city. Hindrances in redevelopment projects caused by land assembly are not rare, however. In light of the hardship in the land assembly process, the technique of land readjustment (LR) has been proposed. While LR has gained popularity in Western Europe and East Asia because of the fairer and more socially desirable outcomes that it generates, the applicability of this technique in a high-rise, high-density, urban setting such as Hong Kong has not been explored. In a comprehensive literature review, overseas case studies were analysed, and a list of critical factors (eg the power of compulsory purchase and strong leaders to coordinate the project) for a successful LR project was generated. Against these identified critical factors, the applicability of LR in urban regeneration in Hong Kong is assessed. The findings from this study offer valuable insights for the public administrators and town planners into the application of the LR technique in Hong Kong.