Enhance the Speed and Effectiveness of the Northern Metropolis Development

To enhance the speed and effectiveness of the Northern Metropolis (NM) development is a major objective of the Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan, and the dedicated chapter on the NM proposes to expedite the planning and development of the NM.  We will guide the future spatial layout of our city with the vision of the “South‑North Dual Engine (Finance‑IT)”[1].  To foster the integrated development of education, technology, and talent, the NM will be developed with the objectives of university town, I&T, industry, and environment suitable for living, work, and travel, for the mission of leveraging the NM as an important strategic vehicle for high‑quality post‑secondary education development, integration of technological and industry innovation, and attracting international high‑calibre talent.  We also aim to develop the NM into a main platform for Hong Kong to deeply engage in the development of the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and to actively integrate into and serve the overall national development.  It will also serve as a new engine for us to develop new quality productive forces.  Among the 22 major indicators in the Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan, two are related to land development in the NM, and one of them is binding in nature, with a commitment to produce 900 hectares of “spade-ready sites” over the next five years, while the other is anticipatory in nature, with an expectation that 70 000 residential units will be completed in the coming five years.

Sustained Efforts in Land Creation, Building up the Land Reserve

We will sustain efforts to create land and build up the land reserve. To meet the socio‑economic development needs of society, we will take the lead in supplying land.  The 10‑year formation forecast of “spade‑ready sites” will be updated annually to enhance predictability and transparency in land supply. Through the annual Land Sale List and coordinating land supply sources such as railway property developments and the Urban Renewal Authority’s projects, land will be disposed in an orderly manner to facilitate the steady and healthy development of the property market. We will continue to introduce innovative land development models to further incentivise development and channel private capital to participate actively in strategic land and comprehensive community development projects, thereby driving the coordinated development of industries and high‑quality residential neighbourhoods.

Regenerate Old Districts with a New Mindset, Enhance Building Safety Governance

While advancing the development of the NM, we also attach importance to urban renewal.  It is proposed in the Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan that a two-pronged strategy of building rehabilitation and redevelopment will be introduced to enhance building safety governance.  The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will commit at least $40 billion to take forward urban renewal in the next five years.  We will review with the URA the acquisition policy of seven-year-old flat in the same locality and consider making use of land in New Development Areas (NDAs) to introduce the new “flat-for-flat” arrangement.  At the same time, we will continue to encourage private-sector participation in redevelopment through policy innovations.  When implementing redevelopment projects, the regeneration of old districts will be integrated with environmental enhancement and regional development instead of following the “demolish and rebuild” approach for standalone building blocks, which will in turn reshape urban spaces, enhance community functions, improve transport connectivity, and enhance greening and public spaces (including waterfront areas), thereby transforming old districts into new communities that are smart and green, meeting modern living standards.  In addition, we will reform building rehabilitation strategies, including gate-keeping the tendering process through rigorous intervention by an official organisation, promoting preventive maintenance, and making better use of technology.  We will also amend the Buildings Ordinance to strengthen regulation of works, enhance professional conducts and uphold works quality.

Enhance City Governance, and Strengthen Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Response Capabilities

Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan proposes fostering digitalisation and upgrading of infrastructure resilience.  We will conduct R&D on AI model for a smart flood forecast and alert system, which can consolidate real-time hydrometric, precipitation and tidal data for quick simulation of flood scenarios and foster the digital intelligence transformation of traditional infrastructures including drainage and water supply, etc., and introduce technologies of digital twin, condition monitoring, and predictive maintenance.  We will also strengthen flood control and drainage, shoreline management, and slope safety management.  We will upgrade the overall flood control capabilities in the aspects of works, ecology, and digital intelligence, etc.  We will review the stormwater drainage systems of Hong Kong systematically, implement the works for stormwater interception, rainwater storage, as well as drainage improvements, enhance the city’s drainage and regulation capabilities in coping with frequent rainstorms and short-duration heavy rainfall, and enhance the synergised layout of drainage networks and flood control facilities in districts.  Through multi-layered protection design, flood risks in coastal low-lying or windy areas brought by sea level rise and storm surge will be mitigated.  In the meantime, we will continue to systematically implement landslip prevention and mitigation works according to a risk-based approach, and proactively introduce innovative and smart technologies, including big data, AI and automated drone technology, to enhance the efficiency of monitoring, maintenance and emergency management, and control slope safety risks in a holistic manner.