Upfront public buy-in can improve HK development

Hong Kong and Singapore have had comparable GDP per capita for decades and experienced similar economic growth since the 1980s. And yet Singapore is much more successful in providing its residents with a better quality of living. Why?

Singapore ranked first in a smart city ranking last year, whereas Hong Kong ranked 41 out of 118 major cities. Relative to Singapore, Hong Kong received an "A" for its technology, but it performed poorly in areas concerning green space creation, environment and mobility.

What can the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government do to improve the quality of living in the post-pandemic era?

To begin with, let's examine the differences between the urban development plans of these two cities.

Singapore has more accessible green space for walking, biking or hiking. Despite Singapore being smaller, with 719 square kilometers compared with Hong Kong's 1,100 sq km, Singaporeans can visit various beautiful parks and open spaces near where they live in different regions at any time. In Hong Kong, public green spaces account for 40 percent of the total land area.

Unfortunately, most time-pressed people in Hong Kong find many recreational spaces to be inaccessible because it takes up to an hour on average to reach a large country park. If there were more conveniently accessible green spaces, Hong Kong's residents would have healthier recreational options other than spending their weekends in shopping malls, restaurants or bars.

Singapore has a higher population density than Hong Kong, and yet 80 percent of Singaporeans live in affordable public housing that ranges from 36 square meters (a two-room apartment) to 175 sq m (a five-room apartment).

In contrast, due to a severe shortage of buildable land, only 45 percent of Hong Kong residents live in public housing. Because of sky-high private property prices, over 200,000 Hong Kong residents share tiny subdivided private apartments that are claustrophobic and less than ideal for healthy living.

Currently, the average waiting time for a public apartment in Hong Kong is 5.9 years. Affordable housing is a basic requirement for quality living that the Hong Kong government must strive for.

Singapore is hot all year round, and yet its innovative bus stops are getting cooler and safer. These smart bus stops can deliver energy-efficient air cooling and purification, cooling the air to as low as 24 C and removing harmful airborne particles such as PM 2.5. To conserve energy, each smart bus stop automatically adjusts its cooling cycle based on the temperature of the surrounding air and the number of people waiting at the bus stop.

In contrast, Hong Kong's Transport Department focused on mobile technological solutions by launching its all-in-one mobile app in 2021, offering useful transportation information for planning travel arrangements. These mobile apps are valuable, but do not by themselves promote comfort and safety.

To improve the quality of living, Hong Kong should develop a coordinated urban plan by taking a holistic approach.

First, urban development must begin with a common vision. It is encouraging to note that Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has proposed the East Lantau Metropolis project, a massive reclamation plan to create at least 1,000 hectares of land that can house 1.1 million people. But the plan faces criticism, ranging from its exorbitant development cost and environmental concerns to the 14-year completion time. Perhaps the plan is the answer to Hong Kong's future land needs, allowing time for alternative proposals, developing short-term solutions and getting more buy-in from the public to create a common vision for developing a better future.

Second, sustainable urban planning must take children into consideration. The Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority's mission is to make Singapore a great city in which to live, work and play. Interestingly, Hong Kong's Planning Department's mission is "to make Hong Kong a better place to live and work in". By omission, Hong Kong's development plan may not fully capture the concept of "play "as an important component that constitutes a higher quality of life, especially for children.

Third, urban planning and smart city development must be people-centric. The Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority's 2001 Concept Plan was intended to balance the goals of livability and economic growth. But its success can be attributed to the constructive feedback from the public and the seamless coordination with other related departments, such as the Land Transport Authority. Specifically, after receiving feedback from the public, the redevelopment authority revised its plan to include green infrastructure consisting of green buildings that conserve energy, green mobility features such as walking paths, and green habits such as recycling and waste reduction practices.

Engaging the public can certainly slow down the development process, as experienced by Singapore's redevelopment authority as well as Hong Kong's Development Bureau. However, getting public buy-in upfront can result in development plans that benefit all.

Like Singapore, Hong Kong urban development can be improved by engaging the end users at the planning stage. The resultant greater public satisfaction will more than compensate for the extra time needed in their construction. If there is a will, there is a way.

Christopher Tang is a distinguished professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Kenneth Tang is chairman of the Spatial Data Infrastructure Committee of the Smart City Consortium and adjunct associate professor at the University of Hong Kong. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.