Public and private partnership in urban redevelopment in Hong Kong

Abstract

Despite rapid urban development, there are still many old dilapidated buildings in the earlier developed districts of Hong Kong. Since the 1960s, a number of small-scale urban redevelopment schemes have been tried by the government to redevelop and improve the living environment in these districts, but with limited impact and slow progress. At the same time, private developers and property owners have been actively redeveloping these buildings. However, these profit-oriented urban redevelopments were mainly small-scale in situ redevelopments which have little impact on the improvement of the neighbourhood and do not necessiarly occur in areas where redevelopments are needed most. This paper examines the different roles and problems of the public and private sectors in urban redevelopment in Hong Kong in the past and discusses the recent attempt of public-private partnership in urban redevelopment through the new Land Development Corporation. -Author