Land Use and Regional Planning Problems in the New Territories of Hong Kong

Abstract

The New Territories of Hong Kong have drawn considerable attention recently as that part of the colony which was leased from China by Britain and which is due to return to China in 1997. For long a rather isolated rural area, since the end of the Second World War the New Territories have become spatially integrated into the urban and industrial fabric of Hong Kong. This paper analyses the changed role of the New Territories, especially in respect of the as yet unsolved land-use and regional planning problems that have arisen there. The demand for land in the New Territories for industry, housing and recreational uses is examined, especially within the context of the development of a series of new towns during the last three decades. Problems of uncontrolled industrial and residential expansion into rural areas are illustrated, as is the considerable environmental damage that has been inflicted by certain forms of agricultural development. The present seriousness of environmental Problems is emphasized. An inadequate official planning response is examined and suggestions for its improvement within a firmer framework of regional planning are made.