https://www.scmp.com/rss/40567/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s key decision-making body has approved plans for an elevated smart mass transit railway system in Kai Tak that will connect the cruise terminal and other major facilities in the area to the local MTR station. The Executive Council’s endorsement followed meetings between authorities and project critics and consultations with the public and the Legislative Council to address their concerns. The proposal was gazetted in July last year. “The public is generally supportive of the Smart and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3348507/hong-kongs-exco-approves-plans-elevated-mass-transit-system-kai-tak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3348507/hong-kongs-exco-approves-plans-elevated-mass-transit-system-kai-tak?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:17:24 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong is still finding its balance between urban development and its wildlife. Tragic encounters on consecutive days earlier this month were a reminder of that. First, the authorities euthanised eight wild boars – two adults and six juveniles – after they wandered into a residential area near Chuk Yuen North Estate in Wong Tai Sin. The next day, a car struck a buffalo on a highway in Yuen Long, disrupting traffic for hours before the animal was euthanised because of severe injuries. The... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348120/balance-vital-urban-hong-kong-coexist-wild-animals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348120/balance-vital-urban-hong-kong-coexist-wild-animals?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin A section of Hong Kong Island’s southwest coast at Aberdeen will be revamped into a new marina with 200 berths, a clubhouse and about 250 private flats by 2032 as part of government efforts to boost yacht tourism. The Development Bureau said on Wednesday that it aimed to launch a tender in the first half of next year – the first for a marina in nearly 40 years. It also noted there was strong market interest in the project. To clear the 1.16-hectare (2.8-acre) seaside site near Po Chong Wan, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347892/new-200-berth-marina-clubhouse-planned-hong-kong-revamp-aberdeen-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347892/new-200-berth-marina-clubhouse-planned-hong-kong-revamp-aberdeen-site?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:51:23 +0000 Douglas Parkes Douglas Parkes In an increasingly globalised world, culture is the common thread that binds communities together. For over two decades, the Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) has worked to weave loose local threads into a cohesive global fabric, bringing together urban centres from all over the world. Its goal is to champion creativity in a way that helps make that sometimes ambiguous force a concrete driver of sustainable development, placing it at the heart of urban policy and international... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347274/how-unescos-creative-cities-network-redefining-urban-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347274/how-unescos-creative-cities-network-redefining-urban-development?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:15 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Some Discovery Bay residents have expressed frustration over a proposal to allow unrestricted taxi access to the seaside resort-like neighbourhood in Hong Kong, with a petition calling for greater public consultation garnering more than 1,100 signatures. In a reply to the South China Morning Post on Saturday, the Transport Department also confirmed it had received a taxi proposal from Discovery Bay’s management company, as well as “different views” from residents. Taxis have had limited access... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3347439/plan-full-taxi-access-discovery-bay-sparks-anger-among-some-residents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3347439/plan-full-taxi-access-discovery-bay-sparks-anger-among-some-residents?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:50:36 +0000 Vivian Au,Lo Hoi-ying Vivian Au,Lo Hoi-ying Proposed designated laws to streamline land-use approval procedures for the Northern Metropolis megaproject will not undermine the authority of Hong Kong’s town planning body, some experts have argued, while urging the government to establish clear key performance indicators (KPIs) to strengthen market confidence. Observers were responding to a package of six subsidiary laws unveiled on Tuesday by the Development Bureau, designed to remove bottlenecks in the New Territories project. A key... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346939/northern-metropolis-land-use-laws-wont-undermine-boards-authority-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346939/northern-metropolis-land-use-laws-wont-undermine-boards-authority-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:30:09 +0000 Kitty Tam,Calvin Au Kitty Tam,Calvin Au When people picture Hong Kong, they often imagine a relentless concrete jungle – a vertical city where glass and steel dominate the skyline. Yet a quiet revolution is beginning to reshape how our city develops. Last week, the Civil Engineering and Development Department and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department jointly launched the Hong Kong Nature-based Solutions Design Guidelines. This landmark document signals a shift in how we think about infrastructure and urban planning. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346141/stay-competitive-hong-kong-must-embrace-nature-based-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346141/stay-competitive-hong-kong-must-embrace-nature-based-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A government lawyer has said that an environmental study on the impact of building 12,000 public flats on part of Hong Kong’s oldest golf course holds “no legal effect”, as authorities appeal a court ruling that may send the project back to the consultation stage. The Court of Appeal began hearing oral arguments on Tuesday over an environmental impact assessment report for the public housing project on 9.5 of 32 hectares (23.5 acres) that the government reclaimed from the 172-hectare golf course... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345312/hong-kong-government-says-golf-course-flats-study-has-no-legal-effect-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345312/hong-kong-government-says-golf-course-flats-study-has-no-legal-effect-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:13:15 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Disabled residents and a former lawmaker have slammed Hong Kong’s town planning authorities for failing to consider accessibility needs and overlooking potential fire safety risks in an approved development plan for Wan Chai, calling for a review to make the area more barrier-free. Former social welfare sector lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen said on Thursday that the Town Planning Board-approved, high-density development plan covering Sau Wa Fong and Nam Koo Terrace failed to take into account its impact... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3341717/town-planning-body-slammed-neglecting-disabled-people-over-wan-chai-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3341717/town-planning-body-slammed-neglecting-disabled-people-over-wan-chai-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:14:33 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Authorities plan to spend HK$5 million (US$641,025) to install safety bollards near the popular Sogo department store in Causeway Bay as a precautionary measure against potential vehicle-ramming attacks targeting pedestrians in one of Hong Kong’s busiest shopping districts. In a paper submitted to Wan Chai District Council for discussion on January 20, police and the highways and transport departments outlined the plan for locations around 555 Hennessy Road. The proposal calls for bollards and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3339790/hk5-million-plan-install-anti-terrorism-bollards-near-hong-kongs-sogo-store?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3339790/hk5-million-plan-install-anti-terrorism-bollards-near-hong-kongs-sogo-store?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 23:30:15 +0000 Ian Brownlee Ian Brownlee The Northern Metropolis is in the news almost every day. The big policy focus for the administration, it is determining a new future for Hong Kong. Part of the New Territories, which were dubbed “a land between” in the 1980s, the area was once little more than a rural leftover between urban Hong Kong and the mainland, where Shenzhen’s paddy fields could be seen from a Lok Ma Chau hill. China’s opening-up policies saw Deng Xiaoping promoting Shenzhen in the 1990s. Suddenly, a world-class,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339034/northern-metropolis-can-combine-best-central-planning-and-free-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339034/northern-metropolis-can-combine-best-central-planning-and-free-market?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Hong Kong is undeniably facing a structural challenge: more than 29,000 private buildings are over 30 years old, and hundreds receive mandatory inspection orders each year. Experience shows that some owners only act when concrete spalling or other hazards become acute, forcing the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3337972/how-government-led-building-repairs-can-work-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3337972/how-government-led-building-repairs-can-work-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 03:30:07 +0000 Chloe Loung,Enid Tsui Chloe Loung,Enid Tsui Two vastly different projects in Hong Kong, one looking to the AI-driven architecture of the future, the other to the human stories of the past, are constructing different narratives of the city. At the Hong Kong section of the 2025 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB) – sometimes known as the Hong Kong Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture – you can find prototypes of a new Hong Kong where AI grapples with the messy, difficult problems of how to bring communities... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3337275/hong-kongs-ai-driven-future-and-human-past-contrasted-2-riveting-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3337275/hong-kongs-ai-driven-future-and-human-past-contrasted-2-riveting-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:15:07 +0000 Ken Ip Ken Ip A city’s character is not tested on a good day, but in the quiet hours after a disaster, when the smoke settles, sirens fade and residents look at the charred outline of a home that used to anchor an entire life. The Tai Po fire, which engulfed several blocks of subsidised government housing and left families displaced overnight, has forced Hong Kong into a rare moment of civic introspection. A tragedy on this scale is a stress test of our assumptions about urban planning, insurance, finance and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336801/hong-kongs-fire-victims-need-empathy-clarity-and-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336801/hong-kongs-fire-victims-need-empathy-clarity-and-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Hong Kong’s rail giant has been asked to plan an extension to the South Island line, with construction expected to be completed by 2034, after the city’s key decision-making body gave the green light to proceed with an updated design on Saturday. The Transport and Logistics Bureau said the Executive Council had given the government approval to invite the MTR Corporation to proceed with the line’s western extension project, which was first proposed more than a decade ago. The 7.5km (4.7-mile)... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3337189/hong-kongs-mtr-corp-gets-green-light-plan-75km-south-island-line-extension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3337189/hong-kongs-mtr-corp-gets-green-light-plan-75km-south-island-line-extension?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:15:38 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A week after a deadly fire tore through a Jakarta office building and killed 22 people, labour groups and urban planners say the tragedy is a stark example of how weak enforcement, “back-room dealings” and risky conversions of office space continue to endanger workers in Indonesia’s capital. The blaze broke out on December 9 at a seven-storey building in central Jakarta rented by drone operator Terra Drone Indonesia, where employees became trapped inside as smoke spread through the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336766/deadly-indonesia-fire-fuels-claims-back-room-dealings-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336766/deadly-indonesia-fire-fuels-claims-back-room-dealings-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 10:00:37 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Hong Kong’s eighth Legislative Council election has concluded, and many pressing governance issues await the new legislature’s attention. One big challenge is how to tackle the mounting safety risks in our ageing building stock, and the institutional weaknesses that prevent timely... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3336215/hong-kongs-ageing-buildings-need-better-care-under-stronger-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3336215/hong-kongs-ageing-buildings-need-better-care-under-stronger-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 03:30:09 +0000 Dennis Lee Dennis Lee I often wonder whether my architectural career peaked in 2006 – not because I had already accomplished a lot or designed my masterpiece – but because that was the year I resigned from Gehry Partners. As exciting as it was to return to Hong Kong, I left the world’s most famous architectural practice wondering if I would ever collaborate on projects as high-profile, emotionally striking and complicated as those I had worked on in my five formative years there. Considered by some the original... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3335809/frank-gehrys-vision-hong-kongs-arts-hub-was-opportunity-lost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3335809/frank-gehrys-vision-hong-kongs-arts-hub-was-opportunity-lost?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 01:30:10 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Last year, Mutalib Uthman could only look on helplessly as flames consumed his home, reducing everything he owned to ashes in a wall of thick, black smoke. The book publisher from Selangor said a faulty fuse box on the lower floor had sparked the blaze inside his home in Bandar Baru Bangi. Despite a neighbour trying to help with a fire extinguisher, the two-storey home near Putrajaya was quickly destroyed. “The box was inside the store room, which was full of unused items,” he told This Week in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3335187/wake-hong-kong-blaze-southeast-asias-fire-hazards-come-under-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3335187/wake-hong-kong-blaze-southeast-asias-fire-hazards-come-under-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:38:46 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words The Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s plan to introduce market-driven operations at eight public venues, including the Hong Kong Cultural Centre piazza and Kai Tak Station Square, is a welcome move. Many government-run venues remain underused during weekdays, and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3334989/commercialisation-hong-kongs-public-venues-must-come-caveat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3334989/commercialisation-hong-kongs-public-venues-must-come-caveat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 03:30:11 +0000 Edith Lin,Vivian Au Edith Lin,Vivian Au Beatrice Mok* and her husband have mixed feelings about moving out of their crumbling old tenement building in To Kwa Wan, a Hong Kong district they have lived in for around four decades. The couple, both in their sixties, are finding the thought of bidding farewell to their quiet waterfront neighbourhood, dubbed the “five streets”, hard but the trek up the stairs of their eight-storey building, as well as dealing with bits of falling concrete and water leakage in their flat, also leaves them... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3332551/good-deal-all-can-hong-kong-urban-renewal-bodys-payout-review-fix-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3332551/good-deal-all-can-hong-kong-urban-renewal-bodys-payout-review-fix-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:30:18 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words In the evolving global economy driven by innovation, intellectual property (IP) has transformed from a mere legal safeguard into a strategic asset central to corporate competitiveness and urban development. Hong Kong, as a prominent international financial and innovation hub, has... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3331417/time-hong-kong-move-ip-trading-or-our-neighbours-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3331417/time-hong-kong-move-ip-trading-or-our-neighbours-will?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 03:30:08 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing On a recent weekend, the members-only Lantau Yacht Club in Hong Kong hosted a high-profile boat show, with Rolls-Royce limousines, luxury Jacob & Co timepieces, drones and live music all part of the package to tempt well-heeled guests. The privately owned yacht club, in Lantau’s Island’s resort-like Discovery Bay neighbourhood, was a pioneer in reconfiguring operations to target high-end superyachts in 2020 and has 148 wet berths and associated facilities. Franklin Mak, executive vice-president... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3330963/hong-kong-has-set-course-join-yacht-club-asia-can-it-find-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3330963/hong-kong-has-set-course-join-yacht-club-asia-can-it-find-way?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:30:09 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Few areas of China reflect the country’s decades-long economic transformation more vividly than its cities. Rapid development has turned villages into dense urban landscapes and already sizeable metro areas into some of the world’s largest population centres. As the rate of urbanisation slows and the country transitions into a new economic era, we explore how select Chinese cities are navigating the change. Read the rest of our series here. There is hardly a city in China like Datong, where... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330638/chinas-urban-revival-and-datong-contradiction-when-planning-double-edged-sword?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330638/chinas-urban-revival-and-datong-contradiction-when-planning-double-edged-sword?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Relaxing development rules in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis should be viewed not as yielding to developers but as part of a broader effort to attract investors, the development minister has said, as she revealed new incentives and details of the special legislation for the megaproject. In an exclusive interview with the Post, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said that the government was considering extending the six-year construction limit under the first large-scale land... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3330394/northern-metropolis-flexibility-not-favouring-developers-hong-kong-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3330394/northern-metropolis-flexibility-not-favouring-developers-hong-kong-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:30:15 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The Urban Renewal Authority suffered a loss in 2024-25 of HK$2.72 billion, its third straight annual deficit after nearly a decade in the black. With no certainty of a return to profit in the financial year ending in March, the government’s immediate response has been to further raise the authority’s borrowing limit from HK$25 billion to HK$35 billion to finance redevelopment operations. In the longer term, however, the administration and the cash-strapped authority see a more sustainable... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3330203/strike-balance-when-fixing-hong-kongs-urban-renewal-compensation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3330203/strike-balance-when-fixing-hong-kongs-urban-renewal-compensation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 23:15:14 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan has launched a study into how foreign governments regulate the sale of land and property to non-citizens, with analysts suggesting that lax existing laws make it too easy for “bad actors” to obtain footholds that are detrimental to the domestic economy and national security. The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported on Monday that the Japanese government was studying how Canada, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan regulate property purchases or rentals by foreign nationals, with their laws... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328832/japan-fears-over-foreign-owned-land-prompt-review-sales-deter-bad-actors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328832/japan-fears-over-foreign-owned-land-prompt-review-sales-deter-bad-actors?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 01:30:10 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words On September 18, Forbes released its Sustainability Leaders List, which included Chinese landscape architect and Peking University professor Yu Kongjian. This is a significant list, boosting the public’s environmental awareness and showcasing Chinese wisdom on the international... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3328238/yu-kongjians-legacy-sponge-cities-will-carry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3328238/yu-kongjians-legacy-sponge-cities-will-carry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 03:30:08 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we examine how these documents inform and reflect high-level policy priorities, what to expect in the coming iteration and how infrastructure spending and investment could evolve to meet the demands of a new era. For more stories in this ongoing series, click here. To view SCMP Plus Factsheets on the 15th five-year-plan and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328549/will-chinas-next-5-year-plan-rewrite-its-infrastructure-playbook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328549/will-chinas-next-5-year-plan-rewrite-its-infrastructure-playbook?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 22:00:14 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong authorities plan to encourage private urban renewal by relaxing plot ratio restrictions as part of proposals to increase development potential in old districts and new towns, with measures to be introduced in the first half of next year. The Development Bureau on Friday revealed details of the measures announced last month in the policy address, aimed at providing more incentives for private developers to undertake urban redevelopment projects. “[Redevelopment] may still be hampered by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3328579/hong-kong-relax-plot-ratio-rules-encourage-private-urban-renewal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3328579/hong-kong-relax-plot-ratio-rules-encourage-private-urban-renewal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 11:22:12 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin The cash compensation for Hong Kong flat owners affected by redevelopments should take into account the physical condition of the homes to encourage better maintenance, observers have said, as the renewal authority reviews its policy to address financial challenges. Their comments on Wednesday came days after the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) posted a deficit of HK$2.7 billion (US$350 million) for 2024-25, its third financial year in a row recording a loss. The cash-strapped body is expected to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3328199/should-hong-kongs-ura-tie-compensation-building-condition-analysts-say-yes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3328199/should-hong-kongs-ura-tie-compensation-building-condition-analysts-say-yes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 05:06:18 +0000 Edith Lin,Leopold Chen Edith Lin,Leopold Chen Hong Kong authorities have suggested preserving a century-old school and ancestral hall in a proposed university town in the Northern Metropolis megaproject to provide future students and teachers with “a tangible link to the educational past” of the area. The proposal to preserve the former Yau Tam Mei Primary School, which has 94 years of history, and the 138-year-old Wai Cheung Ancestral Hall in the Ngau Tam Mei new town was raised in environmental impact assessment (EIA) and public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3328149/hong-kong-plans-save-historic-school-ancestral-hall-university-town-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3328149/hong-kong-plans-save-historic-school-ancestral-hall-university-town-site?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:27:33 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin The Hong Kong government has increased the Urban Renewal Authority’s borrowing limit to HK$35 billion to allow it to raise more funds to finance operations, with the body recording an annual deficit of about HK$2.7 billion, its third straight loss. The cash-strapped statutory body also said on Monday that it would review and introduce a more comprehensive compensation mechanism to cut its acquisition costs for redevelopment and provide better rehousing options for affected owners. Authority... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3328043/borrowing-boost-hong-kong-urban-renewal-body-third-deficit-row-recorded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3328043/borrowing-boost-hong-kong-urban-renewal-body-third-deficit-row-recorded?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:25:47 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong authorities have set up an independent team to investigate irregularities with materials used in the installation of prefabricated units at three light public housing sites, warning that they will hold the contractor and other relevant parties accountable. The Architectural Services Department warned on Monday it would take regulatory action against the contractor and related parties responsible for flawed modular integrated construction (MiC) units found in Siu Lam, Tuen Mun and Chai... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3328006/hong-kong-investigates-installation-issues-3-light-public-housing-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3328006/hong-kong-investigates-installation-issues-3-light-public-housing-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 08:50:43 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Six years after Nusantara was unveiled as Indonesia’s future capital and a symbol of national transformation, President Prabowo Subianto has redefined its purpose, prompting debate over the fate of the megaproject and the legacy of his predecessor. Under a presidential regulation Prabowo signed in late June, but made public only in September, Nusantara has been reclassified as Indonesia’s “political capital” – a phrase absent from existing legislation. The regulation, which outlines development... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327821/indonesias-grand-capital-plan-gets-downgrade-nusantara-redefined?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327821/indonesias-grand-capital-plan-gets-downgrade-nusantara-redefined?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au An application made to a scheme designed to boost Hong Kong’s housing supply by tapping into developers’ reserves has been withdrawn for the first time amid a lukewarm response, with experts attributing the move to a sluggish economy. Brasilia, a subsidiary of Lee On Investment (Holdings), made the withdrawal of its application to the Land Sharing Pilot Scheme for a plot measuring 3.1 hectares (7.7 acres) in Yuen Long involving more than 2,000 homes earlier this year. The government did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3327878/first-developer-withdraws-hong-kong-land-sharing-scheme-amid-slow-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3327878/first-developer-withdraws-hong-kong-land-sharing-scheme-amid-slow-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 11:08:18 +0000 Ken Ip Ken Ip Is Hong Kong running out of land, or are we just running out of imagination? Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s latest policy address highlighted efforts to boost housing supply, from expedited approvals for “spade-ready” sites to ambitious projects such as the Northern Metropolis. The government promises faster land release and smarter use of existing plots, yet while more homes are being built, a deeper question remains: are we using the land we have as efficiently as possible? When it comes... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327418/help-elderly-hongkongers-free-prime-housing-younger-generations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327418/help-elderly-hongkongers-free-prime-housing-younger-generations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yunus Bali turned into torrents of mud and debris recently as floods killed at least 18 and displaced hundreds. Cars and motorbikes were swept away and tourists evacuated from hotels. The disaster was fuelled by days of heavy rainfall that overwhelmed rivers already narrowed by upstream deforestation and rapid development. The resort island was, for several days, gripped by chaos. Almost simultaneously, typhoon Ragasa tore across the Philippines before curving towards China’s coast. Winds flattened... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327049/asia-must-enlist-natures-defences-against-fury-extreme-weather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327049/asia-must-enlist-natures-defences-against-fury-extreme-weather?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Chinese architect and Peking University professor Yu Kongjian died in a plane crash late on Tuesday in the vast Brazilian wetlands of Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazilian authorities said on Wednesday. Yu, 62, gained global relevance as an architect and urban planner after the Chinese government adopted his concept of “sponge cities” using nature-based solutions to absorb and retain water instead of concrete infrastructure to channel it away. The concept has since been adopted in hundreds of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3326736/chinese-architect-yu-kongjian-dies-brazil-plane-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3326736/chinese-architect-yu-kongjian-dies-brazil-plane-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 16:15:25 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong rail giant the MTR Corporation has secured a landmark HK$30 billion (US$3.86 million) seven-year syndicated green term loan with the support of 57 banks worldwide, the company has said. The loan is the largest unsecured international syndicated green term loan in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa ever closed by a Hong Kong firm with a tenor equal or longer than seven years. “With a total of 57 banks involved, the successful completion of the facility demonstrates the market’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3326588/hong-kongs-mtr-corp-secures-hk30-billion-7-year-syndicated-green-term-loan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3326588/hong-kongs-mtr-corp-secures-hk30-billion-7-year-syndicated-green-term-loan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:26:20 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Living in a cramped 35 sq ft cubicle home in an old building in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po, Samuel Wong Wang-fat’s options for beating the heat are limited to using wet towels, turning on a small fan or sipping a cold drink. His floor is divided into 15 shoebox flats that rely on a single air conditioner in the corridor that is too weak to keep any of the tenants cool. Wong is too scared to open his windows in case he lets in rats. The 68-year-old cleaner rarely visits nearby shopping centres and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3326217/hong-kong-gets-hotter-where-city-going-wrong-urban-greenery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3326217/hong-kong-gets-hotter-where-city-going-wrong-urban-greenery?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:30:07 +0000 Albert Bakhtizin Albert Bakhtizin In recent years, the world has seen a growing wave of confrontation, primarily in the realms of trade, finance and information. At the same time, current trends across most nations point towards declining fertility, population ageing, shrinking labour forces and the intensification and reconfiguration of global migration flows. What will China, a demographic giant today, look like over the course of this century? What kind of social profile will this country have by the end of it? To begin, let... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325879/gloomy-population-projections-china-add-pinch-salt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325879/gloomy-population-projections-china-add-pinch-salt?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Edith Lin,Vivian Au Edith Lin,Vivian Au Hong Kong’s cash-strapped Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will consult the public next year about its preliminary proposal to revamp a financially unsustainable compensation scheme for flat owners affected by redevelopment, a minister has said. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho on Friday gave a timeline for reviewing the statutory body’s compensation mechanism, which provides payouts equivalent to the market price of a comparable seven-year-old home in the same district. In his... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3326189/cash-strapped-hong-kong-urban-renewal-body-set-reveal-proposed-payout-changes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3326189/cash-strapped-hong-kong-urban-renewal-body-set-reveal-proposed-payout-changes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 11:12:43 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell In his policy address, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said he remained “deeply concerned” about the progress of the Northern Metropolis mega project. And so he might be. With plans first unveiled almost four years ago and a detailed “action agenda” released two years ago, there is still barely any concrete evidence of its existence. It is intended to transform 30,000 hectares (about a third of Hong Kong’s land area), adding 500,000 homes so the area can accommodate a population of up... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326038/speed-northern-metropolis-construction-get-bamboo-scaffolders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326038/speed-northern-metropolis-construction-get-bamboo-scaffolders?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A massive sinkhole that swallowed a truck in a city just north of Tokyo earlier this year has triggered a sweeping government investigation into Japan’s ageing sewer network, uncovering 72km of pipes in “critical condition” and raising alarm over a broader crisis of neglected infrastructure. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism ordered the investigation after the deadly accident in the city of Yashio, in Saitama prefecture, on January 28. Security cameras caught the moment... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3326029/japan-confronts-critical-infrastructure-crisis-after-deadly-sinkhole?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3326029/japan-confronts-critical-infrastructure-crisis-after-deadly-sinkhole?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 01:30:18 +0000 Lee Hwok-Aun Lee Hwok-Aun Development plans are rarely page-turners. But Malaysia’s latest, covering the years 2026 to 2030, carries unusual weight. Compact and rooted in two simple yet powerful concepts, it may prove consequential for the country’s progress. The 13th Malaysia Plan, launched under the striking mission of “redesigning development”, extends a planning tradition that is now seven decades old but continues to anchor the nation’s development strategy and public investment. The plan seeks to answer two... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3325374/malaysias-13th-plan-offers-pocket-sized-reforms-middle-income-quagmire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3325374/malaysias-13th-plan-offers-pocket-sized-reforms-middle-income-quagmire?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 04:08:38 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong authorities have suspended some construction work on a light public housing project after discovering irregularities in certain screws, ordering the contractor to investigate and fix the problem. The Housing Bureau said on Friday that it found 23 screws had been cut without permission on the fourth and fifth floors of a temporary public housing project in Siu Lam. A regular inspection by the Architectural Services Department on August 30 had discovered the problem, the bureau... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3325334/hong-kong-partially-halts-work-light-public-housing-project-over-defective-bolts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3325334/hong-kong-partially-halts-work-light-public-housing-project-over-defective-bolts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 08:57:34 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong authorities are considering whether to scale back facilities at some new public estates to speed up construction while encouraging property management firms to partner with welfare groups to boost services, the housing minister has said. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin floated the ideas on Saturday as she expressed confidence that the average waiting time for a temporary or permanent public rental flat could be cut from the current 5.1 years to 4½ years in 2026-27. Ho said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323779/hong-kong-may-cut-back-facilities-new-public-estates-speed-construction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323779/hong-kong-may-cut-back-facilities-new-public-estates-speed-construction?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 13:40:04 +0000 David Tingxuan Zhang David Tingxuan Zhang In an encouraging tableau presented by Chinese authorities, which reported 5.3 per cent year-on-year growth for the first half of 2025, one sector stands out as a persistent thorn in the nation’s side: real estate. Per official stats, investment in real estate development plummeted by 11.2 per cent in the first half of 2025, a steeper decline than the 10.6 per cent drop for the entirety of 2024. This casts a shadow on Premier Li Qiang’s optimistic pledge at a July State Council meeting to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3323176/why-beijing-letting-parts-chinas-property-sector-fail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3323176/why-beijing-letting-parts-chinas-property-sector-fail?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Francis Neoton Cheung Francis Neoton Cheung More than 180 years after their first development, the historic cores on Hong Kong Island – Central, Sheung Wan and Wan Chai – and in Kowloon – Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok – face an acute urban crisis. Once-vibrant neighbourhoods have become densely packed relics defined by ageing buildings, congested streets, poor sanitation and rising urban heat island effects. Without bold, economy-driven solutions, these “old districts” risk losing not only their cultural soul but also much of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322613/hong-kong-needs-new-thinking-regenerate-ageing-districts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322613/hong-kong-needs-new-thinking-regenerate-ageing-districts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 01:30:07 +0000