Government floats below-ground proposals for Hong Kong’s built-up areas
Tokyo-inspired underground developments eyed for TST, Causeway Bay, Happy Valley, Wan Chai
The government has launched a three-month public engagement seeking views on how to best make use of underground spaces in four key urban areas.
Government planners identified the built-up areas of Tsim Sha Tsui West, Causeway Bay, Happy Valley and Admiralty-Wan Chai as “strategic urban areas” with the potential for two to four-storey underground development.
The Planning and Civil Engineering and Development departments said doing so could relieve above-ground congestion, improve pedestrian connectivity, enhance the living environment and create more space for community use.
Targeted areas included the underbellies of Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui, Victoria Park in Causeway Bay and Southorn Playground in Wan Chai.
“Underground spaces can also be used to relocate existing undesirable above-ground facilities, thereby releasing valuable surface land for more beneficial and compatible uses,” the department said.