Letters | Why Hong Kong’s megaprojects offer a questionable quality of life
- Readers discuss the high possibility of congestion in the government’s Lantau Tomorrow Vision and Northern Metropolis projects, and how the waiting time for public housing can be shortened
If Hong Kong taxpayers are wondering if the government knows what it is doing in pushing one infrastructure megaproject after another, they are fully justified.
According to 2020 Census and Statistics Department data, Kwun Tong – the most congested district – has 61,000 people per sq km. At its maximum capacity of 700,000, the Lantau Tomorrow project will be more densely populated than Hong Kong’s most congested district. At the low-end capacity of 400,000, it will be more congested than 13 out of the city’s 18 districts. If you enjoy congestion, crowds and cramped space, welcome to the Lantau Tomorrow Vision.
02:43
Why Carrie Lam’s Lantau land reclamation plan is so controversial
The Planning Department reported that public housing occupied about 17 sq km of land in 2020, while the Housing Authority reported that last year, 3,375,000 residents – about 45 per cent of Hong Kong’s population – lived in public housing estates. This means public housing estates have a residential density of 198,529 per sq km.
Thus, the residents of Lantau Tomorrow housing estates could face a living environment comparable to or worse than those in public housing now. If you envy the quality of life in public housing, come live in a Lantau Tomorrow estate.