https://www.scmp.com/rss/326114/feed Lucy M.S. Kwan is Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics & Actuarial Science, University of Hong Kong. She was lead researcher on “Poor Housing Conditions in Hong Kong” 2008-2012, commissioned by the late Sir David Akers-Jones. She founded The Tanner Hill Workshop, which operates a cross-media platform www.talkrainbow.com for Hong Kong people across the globe to share their ideas for personal and societal advancement. She has also served on the Management Committee of the... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Discussions over the fate of 32 hectares of meticulously manicured land on which Asia’s second oldest golf club was built, in 1911, have become feverish, with the government lease granted to the Hong Kong Golf Club expiring at the end of August. In this populous, land-scarce city, demand for affordable housing has never been more pressing, and the government has rightly decided to put the land to better use than the exclusive enjoyment of a privileged elite. The Fanling Old Course, to be taken... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226541/hong-kong-golf-course-vs-housing-debate-really-about-fair-use-land?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226541/hong-kong-golf-course-vs-housing-debate-really-about-fair-use-land?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jul 2023 00:15:20 +0000 Building up long-term land supply for affordable housing and commercial use requires looking beyond the high-density hub around Victoria Harbour. A paradigm shift in planning, encompassing the Northern Metropolis development and beyond, has been taking shape in recent years. This will achieve a better development balance between the north and south of the city – in terms of job opportunities, land prices and transport – improve livability and integrate Hong Kong more organically into the Greater... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219812/how-hong-kongs-artificial-islands-project-can-tell-citys-story-well?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219812/how-hong-kongs-artificial-islands-project-can-tell-citys-story-well?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 May 2023 00:15:07 +0000 Attempts to solve Hong Kong’s long-standing housing shortage problem have so far fallen short. In the hope of addressing this issue once and for all, we propose a new kind of home ownership scheme aimed at rebalancing the public and private housing supplies – and ultimately ensuring residents’ right to adequate housing, as recognised by the United Nations. Apartments under our “New Home Ownership Scheme” (NHOS) would be priced without land premiums being factored in, and instead, according to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3194901/turbocharge-home-ownership-hong-kong-needs-new-subsidised-housing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3194901/turbocharge-home-ownership-hong-kong-needs-new-subsidised-housing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Oct 2022 22:45:06 +0000 In response to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s commitment to resolving Hong Kong’s perennial housing crisis, the Tanner Hill Workshop has another novel, near-term solution formulated under the guiding principles of a short timeline and being cost effective. Our proposal is aimed at addressing the shortcomings in the current government housing supply plan for the next 10 years, which we see as “top-light, bottom-heavy”. Our team has examined the availability of economical, disused second-hand... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3188417/hong-kong-should-use-cruise-ships-short-term-housing-solution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3188417/hong-kong-should-use-cruise-ships-short-term-housing-solution?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Aug 2022 01:15:12 +0000 In response to the call by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to resolve Hong Kong’s perennial housing issues, we at the Tanner Hill Workshop have some proposals for near-term solutions. Hopefully they can help address the shortcomings in the current government housing supply plan for the next 10 years. Our approach focuses on short timelines and being budget-conscious. As such, we have sought to identify underutilised urban government land and existing resources, optimised usage while favouring... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3185174/three-unconventional-ways-hong-kong-tackle-its-housing-crisis-near?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3185174/three-unconventional-ways-hong-kong-tackle-its-housing-crisis-near?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jul 2022 02:15:22 +0000 Hong Kong’s long-lamented housing shortage and cramped living spaces, particularly acute in subdivided flats, are the root of most of our social and health problems. The fifth wave of Covid-19 has found more of its victims in multistorey estates and overladen elderly homes in urban neighbourhoods than in the less-densely-populated areas. With Beijing’s support, Hong Kong has put up some 3,000 prefabricated isolation and treatment cubicles, with about 10,000 beds, across five locations in the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3171810/how-makeshift-isolation-hospitals-can-offer-temporary-solution-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3171810/how-makeshift-isolation-hospitals-can-offer-temporary-solution-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Mar 2022 01:15:20 +0000 People are still debating the relative merits of the “zero Covid” and “living with Covid” approaches. Hong Kong has pursued the “zero Covid” path in alignment with mainland China but has failed to achieve the same results. The city’s public health system has been stretched to capacity during the fifth wave, raising questions about what is lacking in our strategy. China’s “dynamic zero Covid” strategy involves the timely identification of Covid-19 cases, regardless of whether they display... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3170058/how-hong-kong-can-improve-contact-tracing-achieve-zero-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3170058/how-hong-kong-can-improve-contact-tracing-achieve-zero-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Mar 2022 22:45:23 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s recent policy address drew applause from many quarters, including two Chinese government offices in Hong Kong, political parties and most elite groups. In quick polling by the Tanner Hill Workshop, we came up with an average score of 60 out of 100. However, a same-day reaction poll on the public’s satisfaction with the policy address conducted by the Public Opinion Research Institute gave it a score of 34 out of 100. Lam’s policy addresses scored 27... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3151915/hong-kong-policy-address-why-gap-between-elite-and-public-opinion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3151915/hong-kong-policy-address-why-gap-between-elite-and-public-opinion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Oct 2021 01:15:08 +0000 Under “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong needs a unified land administration system for Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, as part of a sound housing policy. Good livability, in terms of living space per capita, work opportunities, and access to education and other facilities, should all be taken into account in a planning system that has a good understanding of the overall socio-economic development road map. As part of our integration with the Greater Bay Area, New... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3142809/how-realise-beijings-vision-more-liveable-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3142809/how-realise-beijings-vision-more-liveable-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jul 2021 22:45:18 +0000 Most people in Hong Kong agree we lack land for housing and development, but must preserve country parks and natural reserves. The Land Supply Task Force and other non-governmental organisations have set their sights on the New Territories’ brownfield sites – former agricultural land since converted to other uses. Brownfields provide space for port backup facilities, storage for construction equipment and materials, rural industrial workshops, recycling yards and logistics operations. These... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/3001722/how-reclamation-zhuhai-island-would-do-more-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/3001722/how-reclamation-zhuhai-island-would-do-more-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Mar 2019 06:00:12 +0000 Hong Kong undeniably faces a severe shortage of readily available land for development. Although three-quarters of its land is not built up, only a small portion is readily available for development, either due to environmental preservation considerations, complications in land resumption, or statutory restrictions for reclamation. According to the Task Force on Land Supply, Hong Kong is still short of around 1,200 hectares for high-density development. It seems to be a daunting task for the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2181151/cbd-hong-kongs-rural-north-answer-its-quest-land?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2181151/cbd-hong-kongs-rural-north-answer-its-quest-land?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jan 2019 01:00:15 +0000 The land shortage is the root of most socio-economic problems in Hong Kong, leading to high property prices, expensive rents and less competitive products or services in some industries. It contributes to de-industrialisation, lack of industry diversity, a poorer living environment, developer hegemony and widespread pessimism. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor knows the only cure is to increase land supply for both economic and residential use. While she mentions Lantau, particularly... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2168340/hong-kong-starved-usable-land-and-new-territories-north?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2168340/hong-kong-starved-usable-land-and-new-territories-north?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Oct 2018 10:17:55 +0000 Hong Kong is faced with a labour mismatch problem. Industries such as construction and catering complain of chronic worker shortages, while Hong Kong’s youngsters are encouraged to choose a “decent” career in our pillar industries. Our education system, therefore, oversupplies white-collar workers but undersupplies blue-collar workers, who are seen to have less bright socio-economic prospects. As a result, our talent pool is imbalanced and cannot react according to the actual needs of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2125699/what-tiny-luxembourg-can-teach-ageing-hong-kong-about-labour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2125699/what-tiny-luxembourg-can-teach-ageing-hong-kong-about-labour?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Dec 2017 09:21:12 +0000