Concrete Analysis | Transport network will be the key to success of Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis development
- A north-south railway line should be added to the plan so that the population in the north can travel directly to southern urban areas, says Chiu Kam-kuen of Cushman & Wakefield
- ‘Infrastructure serves as the veins of the city which creates capacity and attracts citizens to live and work in the area, he says
To implement the policy effectively, the government must overcome obstacles, including an obsolete land-use planning approach, incomprehensive infrastructure development, and the lack of a streamlined approval process for land vetting and approval procedure.
To release the land potential, the government needs to raise the plot ratio significantly and encourage optimal land merger and consolidation.
For example, private brownfield and agricultural can be allowed to be developed in conjunction with the government’s land parcels scattered among them, enabling efficient land development and planning. To accelerate infrastructure construction and to release land potential, the government can consider adding requirements into land leases to build community facilities, greatly enhancing the efficiency of land developments with the support of private developers.
Regarding connectivity of the future Northern Metropolis, the policy address proposes to construct five additional railway lines. However, this solution will only solve traffic challenges within the new metropolis; it will be insufficient to ensure smooth passenger and logistics mobility between the north and south of Hong Kong.
