Urban Renewal The Land Development Corporation (LDC) was established in 1988 to undertake, encourage, promote and facilitate urban renewal in Hong Kong. Since its inception, 16 redevelopment projects have been completed and another 14 projects are under planning or implementation. The Urban Renewal Authority Bill was passed by the Legislative Council on June 27 for the purpose of setting up a new legal and institutional framework to expedite urban renewal. An Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will be set up in mid-2001 to replace the LDC. The URA will be tasked to implement the Government's Urban Renewal Strategy that emphasises a people-oriented approach. To improve the overall environment in the older urban areas, the URA will have adequate statutory powers providing for streamlined planning and resumption procedures to implement a 20-year comprehensive urban renewal programme consisting of 200 urban redevelopment projects and the 25 uncompleted projects of the LDC. Urban renewal will include the redevelopment of dilapidated buildings, the rehabilitation of older buildings and the preservation of buildings of historical, cultural or architectural interest. The Planning Department has completed an Urban Renewal Strategy Study to examine the urban renewal problem and to form the basis for the formulation of an overall strategy to tackle the problem. The study has identified 200 priority urban renewal projects as well as various preservation proposals for the URA to implement upon its establishment. Based on the findings of the study, the Government will draw up an Urban Renewal Strategy to guide the URA in speeding up the process of urban renewal. The Secretary for Planning and Lands will consult the public before finalising the Urban Renewal Strategy. To facilitate private sector participation in urban renewal, the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance was brought into operation in June 1999. Under the new legislation, an owner (or owners) of 90 per cent or more of the undivided shares of a lot may apply to the Lands Tribunal for an order to sell the whole lot for the purpose of redevelopment. This will help the private sector overcome the site assembly difficulties that often hold up the urban renewal process. |