Ling Kar-kan, now director of PolyU design institute, presents study findings, calling on authorities to amend and speed up stalled development plansResidents of fishing settlement mostly gone or relocated after deal between government and Sun Hung Kai Properties
An old fishing village abandoned for two decades should be turned into temporary housing for the poor, Hong Kong’s former planning chief has urged amid the struggle for land in a space-starved city.
Ling was presenting findings from a study by Polytechnic University’s Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation – of which he is director – last week.
Land disputes have put second-phase development plans to turn that part of the island into a tourism, cultural heritage site on hold for more than 20 years.
Ling called on the government to take charge by reworking an agreement with SHKP to determine the plot’s future.
“Now is the time to relaunch this development, as I believe the government has more or less settled most of the ownership issues,” said Ling, who retired as Hong Kong’s director of planning in 2016. “If any action is needed, it requires the government’s lead.
“Does Hong Kong need more commercial, retail, tourism facilities [as agreed on 20 years ago], or do we need more transitional social housing? The answer is obvious,” he said.
SHKP had planned to conserve the old town and turn it into a place where people could enjoy music, arts and seafood by the coast.
