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Urban renewal

There has been an ageing building stock in Hong Kong with some parts of our city having a high
concentration of old buildings with poor physical conditions and inadequate basic facilities. To
address the problem of urban decay and to improve the living environment of the dilapidated About PlAnning DePArtment
urban areas, the Department works closely with the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and other
stakeholders in the planning and processing of the redevelopment, rehabilitation, revitalisation

and preservation projects for improving the urban fabrics of the city. In February 2011, the
Government promulgated the new Urban Renewal Strategy, which adopts a ‘people-first, district-
based, public participatory’ approach in providing guidance for undertaking urban renewal

work in Hong Kong. The first pilot District Urban Renewal Forum, an advisory platform
with secretariat and professional support provided by the Department, was established in the
Kowloon City District in June 2011, with a term of three years ended in May 2014, to formulate
with public engagement, an Urban Renewal Plan (URP) for Kowloon City from a holistic
and integrated perspective. The URP for Kowloon City was submitted to the Government for

consideration in January 2014. The URP would be implemented with regard to the actual local
situation and serves as a reference for the public and other organisations (including developers,
the URA and owners) which might participate in the implementation of the URP. On the basis

of the URP, the URA had adopted a holistic and district-based approach in rejuvenating the
Bailey Street / Ngan Hon Street / Wing Kwong Street / Hung Fook Street / Kai Ming Street
Area which had been identified as one 68
of the Proposed Redevelopment Priority
Area in the URP and commenced

four development projects and one
development scheme within the area in
2016 and 2017. Besides, the project

on the Development of the Kowloon
City Themed Walking Trail funded by
the Urban Renewal Fund commenced
in January 2018 and is anticipated for
completion in end 2023.

Un Chau Street / Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po (Heya Aqua) -
before and after redevelopment

planning stUdies

Planning studies play a vital role in the formulation of development strategies and planning

standards and the preparation of town plans. They serve primarily as a means to investigate,
analyse or address planning issues, formulate planning intentions or concepts, and provide
a basis for formulating and evaluating proposals. Appendix 2 shows the consultancy studies

undertaken by the Department in 2017.