The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Monday released design guidelines for increasing the well-being of public housing estate residents, including adding more age-friendly features, increasing connections between families and communities, and building a more healthy and green living environment.
The full set of guidelines will be unveiled at a seminar next Thursday. The design directives will be implemented in a pilot project for five public housing estates ranging between 40 and 45 years in age. The improvements are expected to be completed progressively starting from 2027.
During a press conference on Monday, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin introduced eight major directions to enhance residents’ well-being.
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Other guidelines include creating intergenerational and inclusive living spaces, enhancing the estates’ accessibility to transportation networks for urban connectivity, creating a more favorable environment for residents to access social support from service agencies, and building a sense of belonging that encourages residents to cherish public facilities and estate environment.
Based on these design concepts, specific enhancements will be made, such as installing inclined seats in elevators, adding handrails in lobbies for easier access for the elderly, and designing recreational spaces tailored for different abilities and age groups.
The measures will also include installing multifunctional sports facilities, expanding grassy areas and adding community garden facilities, Ho revealed.
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To formulate the Design Guide, Ho said the research team gathered feedback from over 3,000 estate residents, visiting a total of 26 estates across 17 districts, including large-scale transitional housing projects.
They conducted 2,200 surveys, 850 street interviews, and 300 in-depth discussions to collect public opinion.
Ho said that the current government is dedicated to constructing more public housing, aiming not only to increase quantity but also to emphasize the need for quality improvements.
She added that the Design Guide is a crucial part of the quality enhancement effort, with the goal of ensuring residents live happily and experience an increased sense of well-being.
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Addressing concerns about potential cost implications, Ho explained that the guide focuses on the details of everyday amenities, with any additional costs expected to be minimal.
For instance, Ho said while every community must have chairs, the emphasis is placed on adding social seating, with the cost increase being roughly equivalent to what was originally allocated for regular seating construction.
In 2023, the government proposed to formulate the Design Guide to enhance the existing public housing facilities and to plan for future public housing projects.
Additionally, it also announced three projects to assess the feasibility of the guide. Besides the pilot project that will implement the guide in five estates, the government will also carry out facade beautification and minor improvements for 10 existing public housing estates, and will plant diverse vegetation in 20 estates.
