Concrete Analysis | Raising urban plot ratios can only improve the quality of life in Hong Kong

To many of us, a long commute is a drag. By long, I mean an hour or more one way – and don’t forget the return trip.

Many fellow Hongkongers are moving into new homes in suburban areas, just to escape the soaring home prices in more central locations. But while you pay less for a roof above your head, you have to spend hours on a packed bus without a seat on a hot summer’s day, or you rush home to catch the midnight news.

It is not a quality life. Unfortunately, to many, this might be their best available alternative.

We, professional surveyors, know human-centred urban planning disproportionately improves people’s quality of life. After all, it is our job to help society create shared fond memories of what we and our future generations call “home”.

What do we, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, have in mind for Hong Kong?

Whenever I try to share our vision with others, I always retell the success planning story of the revitalisation of Canary Wharf in London. There are several parallels from which Hong Kong can learn.