Hong Kong's country park protection must take into account housing needs
Lau Ping Cheung says no global standards exist for how much land to set aside for conservation
The long-standing era of Lee Kuan Yew may have come to an end with his recent passing but, regardless of your point of view on Lee's political system, the visionary statesman's legacy will be long-lasting.
His endeavour to foster economic and social development, as well as improve people's livelihood, has long been considered an extraordinary feat by friends and foes alike, left, right and centre.
Five decades after its independence in 1965, Singapore's housing programme is now hailed as the most successful policy among Lee's many governance achievements in maintaining social stability and prosperity, accommodating over 80 per cent of its 5.5 million people in public housing and the rest in private housing.
The desire to have a home of one's own is almost universal and Hong Kong is no exception, according to a survey conducted by think tank Our Hong Kong Foundation, which showed that housing topping economic development, health care, retirement protection and political reform, in this order, as a major concern.
But scarcity of usable land means the city's 7.19 million people are homed on just 7 per cent ( 76 square kilometres) of its land mass of 1,108 sq km.
Meanwhile, about 40 per cent of the city's land is designated as country park enclaves.