1. LAND SUPPLY
AND RECLAMATION 填
RECLAMATION
“SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT”
海
CHAN Kong Yau // CHANG Enoch // LAI Cho Lee // LAM Hoi Yi // LAM Yuet Ting // SO Yuk
Wa // YIM Natalie

2. INTRODUCTION
• Reclamation is the creation of
new land from lakes, rivers or
the sea
• Crucial to the socioeconomic
development of Hong Kong
• less than 25% of Hong Kong’s
land is developed
• 6% of Hong Kong’s land is
reclaimed

3. HISTORY
Reclamation for agricultural purposes -
206-9 BCE
beaches reclaimed for salt production
British occupation of Hong Kong;
private land owners reclaimed land
1841 without planning or governmental
authorization, leading to the irregular
coastline

4. Bonham Reclamation Scheme - first
official reclamation project adding land
1851
to Sheung Wan and the West island
area
文咸填海計劃
Intensive reclamation from Kennedy
1860-1900
Town to Causeway Bay
Non-government authorized
reclamation around the peninsula and
1867-76
Yau Tsim Mong area by private land
owners

5. Praya Reclamation Scheme - first large
1868-73 scale reclamation scheme adding a
significant amount of land to Central
Second project of the scheme; 59 acres
1890-1904
added to the waterfront of Central
海旁填海計劃

6. 1916 Reclamation for Kai Tak Airport
Expansion of peninsula due to
1917
construction of East Rail Line
Praya East Reclamation Scheme -
expansion between Central and Wan
1921-31
Chai. Allowed for cross-harbor pipeline
for fresh water supply from NT
Wan Chai, 1920
海旁東填海計劃

7. More intensive reclamation after WWII:
-Sha Tin (Shing Mun River) by private
landowners (first major project in NT)
1951-60 -Causeway Bay (Victoria Park)
-East island (Chai Wan, Siu Sai Wan)
-Kwun Tong, Hung Hom
-Expansion of Kai Tak Airport
Causeway Bay, 1950

8. Tuen Mun and Castle Peak Bay
1961-70 reclamation (New Town Development
Scheme)
Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung, Sha Tin,
expansion of Kowloon peninsula,
1971-80
Aberdeen, Ap Lei Chau, Cyberport -
mainly for residential development
Sha Tin, 1973 Sha Tin, late 1970s Sha Tin, today

9. -Tai Po Industrial area
-East of Hong Kong island (Taikoo, Sai
1981-90
Wan Ho, Shao Kei Wan, Heng Fa
Chuen)
Airport Core Programme (Port and
Airport Development Strategy) -
reclamation for the site of HKIA (Chek
1989-98
Lap Kok) and improving transportation
infrastructure - North Lantau, Tung
Chek Lap Kok before and after reclamation. WestWest Kowloon, 1995
Chung, Central and Kowloon

10. Central, Wan Chai, Kowloon peninsula,
1991-2000 Kai Tak and expansion of outlaying
islands
Protection of Harbour Ordinance, Cap.
1997 531 was passed, setting many
constraints on harbor reclamation
2003-9 Penny’s Bay Reclamation
2003- Central Phase III/Wan Chai Phase II
Penny’s Bay, 2010 Central, today

11. GENERAL TREND and remarks.
• Around the coastlines on either side of the harbor
• New Territories with the new town development with continual
development around the harbor
• Further urban development and the creation of urban
infrastructure
• Implementation of the PHO to limit development
• General struggle with essential balance between socioeconomic
development and sustainability and environmental sustainability
• Reclamation is a result of land supply challenges

13. WHY RECLAIM LAND?
• Land use challenges lead to the need of reclamation
• Financial prosperity - helps facilitate economic
development of Hong Kong as it allows urban development
• Extra supply of land - 40% of the land are country parks and
nature reserves
• More land would mean cheaper land
• Land is mountainous - hard to develop on

14. EFFECTS OF RECLAMATION
• Marine pollution - endangering
marine life
• Increase in air pollution
• Further increases the urban heat
island effect and disrupts airflow into
these area
• Loss of cultural and historical
heritage
• Beyond the narrowing of the
harbour - i.e. destruction of the
Queen’s Pier, which is historically
significant

15. • Harbour is getting smaller - less
vessels are allowed through
which can hinder relevant
industries
• Increase in job opportunities
• Is a solution for waste
management - major issue in
Hong Kong
• Increase space for visually
appealing recreative facilities (i.e.
greenery and promenade) to
increase social and living
standards
• Helps develop the tourism
industry

16. TOWN PLANNING ORDINANCE
城市規劃條例

17. BACKGROUND of Hong
• Town Planning Ordinance (TPO), Cap. 131, is a part
Kong law that has been amended throughout the years
• Designation of land use by regulating land use
• Meeting the specific development criteria for different land use
whilst preserving natural environment
• Some sites only allow agricultural or conservation related
activity
• Preserving the natural character of Hong Kong’s landscape and
natural habitats
• Accommodating the scientific interest in these areas

18. COUNTRY PARKS ORDINANCE
郊野公園條例
WILD ANIMALS
PROTECTION ORDINANCE
保護野生動物條例

19. BACKGROUND
• Country Parks Ordinance (CPO), Cap. 208, is a part of Hong
Kong law
• Enacted in 1976
• Aims to preserve natural environment - promotes
environmental sustainability
• Platform for educational purposes
• Addresses recreational needs of the community -
increases social sustainability

20. BACKGROUND
• Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (WAPO), Cap. 170, is a part
of Hong Kong law that has been amended throughout the years
• Reduce the loss of natural habitats due to urbanization
• Decrease in biodiversity
• Protect wild animals and their habitats
• Set up restricted areas to isolate from any disturbance

21. POLICY GAPS
• Conserving these areas does not eliminate disturbance
• People are attracted to natural environments
• Visitors may not be educated about wildlife protection
• May disrupt the natural environment through feeding animals
and littering

22. POLICY GAPS
• Lack of administration in restricted areas - policy is
counterproductive
• Such as Tai Long Sai Wan
• Large area of flat land near Tai Long Sai Wan demolished in
construction
• Dilemma - improved administration may disrupt natural
environment; original purpose is not maintained

23. Recommendations
• Foster closer communication and planning between
governmental departments for future development projects
• Prevent human interference (i.e. noise pollution or
construction) in nearby areas that are restricted
• Strategize better conservation techniques to improve
administration without disrupting the environment
• Increase in public education about environmental protection

24. PROTECTION OF HARBOUR ORDINANCE
保護海港條例

25. BACKGROUND
• Protection of Harbour Ordinance (PHO), Cap. 531 is a part
of Hong Kong law
• Proposed in 1996 by The Society for Protection of Harbour
(SPH)
• Officially approved in 1997 by the Legislative Council
• Aims to limit reclamation activity outside the Victoria
harbour
• Protection and preservation of the heritage for the public

26. CONSTRAINTS
• Supervises and affects all reclamation projects proposed
after 1997
• Not applicable to projects already approved or commenced
(i.e. first two phases of Central-Wanchai reclamation
unaffected as they were approved in the 1980s)
• Major hindrance to all development - causing delays and
increasing costs to relevant projects

27. Central-wan chai Reclamation
• Feasibility report completed in 1989; construction
commenced in 1993
• Former Land Development Policy Committee agreed to
divide the project into five separate phases:
• Central I-III
• Wan Chai I-II
• So far, projects have provided improved transport
infrastructure for the HKIA, Tamar naval base and HKCEC

29. • Improve transportation infrastructure to alleviate
congestion during busy hours
• Central-Wan Chai Bypass, connecting to Eastern Corridor
Link
• Aims to provide extra land for the MTR Railway
• Shatin-Central Link
• North Island Line
• Promenade to be constructed above - increase social
standards and creates a more pleasant environment
• Targeted completion date: 2017

31. • The Society for Protection of Harbour raised a judicial
review to oppose Wan Chai II
• Final Appeal announced that the SPH won and the
government had to stop the project
• Project is now currently under review

32. KAITAK RECLAMATION
• Hong Kong’s official airport until 1998
• Covers 328 hectares
• Has since been temporarily used for fill banks, bus depots, car
parks, car sales exhibitions and recreational grounds
• Many plans and proposals for what to do with Kai Tak since
1998 (Outline Zoning Plan)

34. • Repeatedly refused and reconsidered due to:
• Town Planning Ordinance
• Protection of Harbour Ordinance
• Pending the completion of the study of South East Kowloon
Development
• Objections from the public and other parties during exhibition
periods of these plans
• Though initially approved Chief Executive in Council in 2002, plans
were refused after public inspection

36. • 1998 - Outline Zoning Plan proposed
reclamation of 299 hectares
• 2001 - Proposed reclamation reduced to
133 hectares
• 2004 - PHO restricted ANY further
reclamation
• Development strategies used zero
reclamation as a starting point
• Kai Tak Planning Review in 2004 due to
the change of criteria by the PHO;
finalized scheme after extensive planning
and public participation - approved in
2007

37. • The plan for the project
considered...
Urban design, landscape and cultural
heritage
Traffic and transport review
Infrastructure and utilities
Marine uses
Infrastructural capacity and
development threshold
Development requirements
• Final plan will consist of a cruise
terminal, parks, housing, a hospital,
a stadium, district cooling systems
and space for MTR development

38. POLICY GAPS.
• PHO aims to promote social and environmental sustainability
by restricting reclamation in the harbour but is hindering the
progression of many projects
• Causes many delays → increase of costs
• Governmental departments are still proposing projects with
reclamation as a way to address land supply issues
• Different departments within the government are not in
alignment of each other, causing inconsistencies, conflict and
waste of time

39. Recommendations.
• Must compromise between the government’s notions to
develop Hong Kong and the environmentalists/people who
wish to preserve cultural heritage
• Redevelop older areas in Kowloon (i.e. former government
buildings, Kai Tak, etc.)
• Strategically develop land reserves - there are about 386
hectares of land in NT and about 360 in other areas of
Hong Kong

40. • Town Planning Board should have comprehensive consultation with all
relevant parties before commencing such projects
• Comprehensive planning has been shown to be effective especially in
ensuring sustainability (i.e. Kai Tak) by addressing various social,
economic and environmental challenges Hong Kong is put in
• WWF states that damage done by reclamation is irreversible - should
be only considered as a last resort
• The Environmental Protection Department can improve the criteria
used in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report which should be
same as the international standard.
• Standardized development strategy and criteria (for example, zero-
reclamation as a starting point?) written with comprehensive
consultation with different departments and the public for future
projects can save time in planning, consultation and reduce conflicts.

41. FUTURE OF LAND SUPPLY ISSUES
• CE announced in latest Policy Address (2011-12) to innovate to
expend land resources and to build up a land reserve
• $300 million allocated for conducting studies relevant to
reclamation and rock cavern development
• Civil Engineering and Development Department has conducted an
extensive feasibility report on land supply options as part of the
Enhancing Land Supply Strategy
• Prepared for public engagement
• Flexibility in land supply strategies

42. Reclamation Outside of Victoria
Harbour
• Considering reclamation outside
of the harbour
• ‘Public digest’ - parts of the
study based on public
feedback/involvements
• Key challenge: Mitigation of the
impact on marine ecosystem

43. • 64% of Hong Kong is well-suited for rock cavern
•
development
Challenges include ecosystems, and people not
CAVERNS
willing to live their daily lives in caverns
• For facilities such as parking, storage, water/sewage
treatment, etc. such that there is more space on land
• Must consider the three
aspects of sustainability,
feasibility and impacts on the
community
• Example: HKU’s
Centennial Campus caused
the relocation of the
Western Salt Water
Service Reservoirs

44. thank you.