Kai Tak

Hong Kong's Former Airport Redevelopment

Known as the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 to 1998, the Kai Tak airport was replaced by the Chek Lap Kok airport in 1998. The airport and its surrounding areas are slated for redevelopment. Located in the north side of Kowloon Bay, the project covers an area of about 328 hectares and consists of the prior airport area as well as waterfront areas of To Kwa Wan, Ma Tau Kok, Kowloon Bay, Kwun Tong and Cha Kwo Ling. After the airport closure, the site has been occupied by temporary uses such as a golf court on the previous runway, bus depots, car sales exhibitions, recreational grounds, a recycling yard, a concrete mixing plant and a flying training school. Issues with the area include the stench from the local channel, land contamination, public access and connectivity with other areas. Proposed solutions include bioremediation, cutting down on air pollution through the use of a district cooling system, and transportation improvements with light rail transit.

In 2006, a blueprint for the redevelopment of Kai Tak was created after previous efforts of reclamation were strongly opposed by the public and the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance was used by the Court of Final Appeal to establish a zero-reclamation ruling. The proposed HK$100 billion plan to be implemented from this year to 2021 has an overall vision for the area to be a harbourfront city that will be a hotspot for sports, entertainment and tourism. Proposed features include two cruise terminals, a luxury hotel, an urban park, a 200 metre high viewing tower, a pedestrian promenade along the waterfront, a district cooling system, a potential MTR station connecting Central and Sha Tin and a monorail connecting to Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong where a revitalization project is simultaneously occurring. Surrounding developments consisting of government offices, public/private housing and commercial buildings will be low to medium density to allow for a view of the harbour and surrounding hills. Development tenders are currently being invited for the project’s infrastructure works.

Ngau Tau Kok

Snapshots of the Everyday Life in Hong Kong’s Public Rental Housing

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The daily media coverage on the H1N1 flu pandemic has brought back memories of the SARS outbreak back in 2003. The private housing estate, Amoy Gardens which was originally built on the site of Amoy Food-a manufacturer of soy sauce, in Ngau Tau Kok was infamous since one of the first people to come into contact with SARS lived there and quickly spread the disease to other residents. Also well known in Ngau Tau Kok is the public housing estate of Lower Ngau Tau Kok which opened in 1967. The majority of residents are seniors and the area has been the oldest public housing estate in Hong Kong since Shek Kip Mei’s public housing was burned down in 1953. The seven apartment blocks that house over 5000 units will be demolished by the Housing Authority this year. About 3000 households and 160 commercial tenants still remain while some tenants have been moved out. Interestingly, the authority will be keeping some of the appliances and furniture in the units for historic purposes and there was a proposal that the items can later be used for public displays.

Earlier this month, there was an auction with about 50 items collected from the local residents and shop owners. Items included cabinets from bakeries, hair dryers from barber shops, old TV sets, revolving signs from beauty salons, etc. Proceeds from the auction will be used to publish about the history of the estate and to assist seniors to move out prior to the demolition. Visitors have been frequenting the area to capture the last of the residents’ local culture that will soon be gone. More details on the auction and artists' exhibits can be found here.