Shenzhen's reach for stars puts Deep Bay wetland birds at risk
Grand plans to transform Deep Bay wetlands into a cluster of corporate headquarters spells woe for migratory species, green groups say
Shenzhen's plan to convert wetlands on the shores of Deep Bay, off northwestern Hong Kong, into a commercial zone with soaring skyscrapers will pose a major threat to bird migration patterns, environmental experts and groups say.
The city government's project on what mainlanders call Shenzhen Bay was launched in September. A planning design contest to build a "super city" in the area began in June, drawing 124 entries from around the world.
A jury will select eight designs, with the winner getting two million yuan (HK$2.5 million) and the runner-up 800,000 yuan.
The plan calls for a cluster of business headquarters to be built in the Qiaocheng wetlands in Nanshan district, upstream from the Mai Po marshes in Hong Kong. A 35.2-hectare area will be converted into a dense urban centre, according to a blueprint posted on the website of the city's Urban Planning Land and Resources Commission.
Officials hope to develop a bay area economy that may eventually be on par with the San Francisco Bay Area.
Several skyscrapers of 150 to 680 metres tall will line the shore of the bay. Underground transport links and overhead pathways will connect the towers, which are expected to cater for 180,000 to 220,000 workers.