The Urban Renewal Authority is to repeat the public engagement approach it has adopted in its Kwun Tong project with other large redevelopments, its chairman said yesterday.
Speaking at the exhibition that is showcasing three sets of models on what the run-down industrial district might look like in the future, Edward Cheng Wai-sun said although the authority had decided the redevelopment would be high density, it balanced social responsibility and financial viability.
The models, designed by three architecture firms, revealed offices, hotel and residential blocks will all be built on podiums housing shops and community facilities. The podiums form a circle and create an open space for pedestrians. Underneath the podiums are public transport terminals.
The HK$30 billion redevelopment marks the first time the authority has consulted the community and come up with designs before it resumes properties and redevelops.
Mr Cheng said: 'Urban renewal is an evolving process. We adjust the way we work as Hong Kong changes. But every project is different so has to be approached differently.' He added that the authority would use the Kwun Tong approach in large redevelopments that would have a significant impact on the community.
The chairwoman of Wan Chai District Council, Ada Wong Ying-kay, believed the authority was taking the new approach after running into strong resistance in Wan Chai. A planned redevelopment of Lee Tung Street - better known as Wedding Card Street - is deadlocked because residents are refusing to leave their shops and are demanding a bigger say in the project.