In a ceremony that marked a milestone in the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM) last week, representatives from 85 enterprises signed a letter of intent with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, pledging their support and participation in the development of the NM, while 35 companies inked a total of 32 agreements on relevant development projects.
As it covers approximately 300 square kilometers, the NM accounts for nearly one-third of the total area of Hong Kong, making it one of the biggest development projects in the history of the city. Given the sheer size of the project, holistic planning and coordination is imperative in seven major areas to ensure the smooth implementation and successful development of the mega project.
First, coordinating both the NM’s and Shenzhen’s development is top priority.
At the signing ceremony, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that the SAR government will leverage the NM to pursue complementary and mutually-beneficial joint development with Shenzhen. Lee’s remarks underscored the importance of coordination with Shenzhen, which is crucial to the success of the NM development. Hong Kong’s development has long been constrained by land scarcity. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area offers Hong Kong much-needed development space, and the NM no doubt can serve as an interface.
The development strategy of the NM is deeply aligned with that of Shenzhen and other GBA cities, involving both hard and soft connectivity, as well as infrastructural and industrial connectivity. Whether Hong Kong and Shenzhen can synergize their development largely hinges on the extent of alignment between the two sides. It is, therefore, imperative to coordinate the development of the NM and Shenzhen.
Second, it is essential to take a holistic approach to both residential and industrial development.
The NM, with abundant land for residential development, could help to tackle Hong Kong’s housing shortage, the most acute livelihood problem in the city.
However, job availability should be taken into consideration when planning residential development. This can be achieved by building an effective transportation network linking the NM with Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the rest of the New Territories, providing convenient and expeditious commuting, as well as by developing some labor-intensive industries in the NM to ensure ample employment opportunities for future residents.
Third, holistic planning is required for both new town and industrial development.
The NM is a brand-new urban area with a development time span of 20 years. The urban development process and industrial development will proceed simultaneously; holistic planning is crucial to their success. For instance, environmental concepts should be incorporated into architecture to give rise to smart, green, and low-carbon buildings. Moreover, the NM should play a role in green finance and fintech, which are instrumental in developing Hong Kong into an international financial center with an emphasis on green finance and fintech.
Fourth, it is important to coordinate constructive forces.
Hong Kong has long been a free market economy that embraces the “small government, big market” governing philosophy. But the mega NM project certainly requires the administration of a more proactive SAR government if it is to succeed
Hong Kong’s business sector is the main force for the city’s economic development and should remain so in the NM project. Meanwhile, participation of enterprises from the Chinese mainland and overseas should also be encouraged. It is, therefore, necessary to coordinate the participation of these constructive forces.
There are two major aspects in coordinating these constructive forces: Competent enterprises should be encouraged to take the lead in starting up various projects, while strict control should be enforced to ensure all projects benefit future generations; and the financial and technological strengths of mainland and overseas enterprises should be fully utilized. In particular, heavyweight State-owned enterprises should be recruited to take part in the project.
Fifth, balancing livelihoods and ecology is a prerequisite.
For years, Hong Kong has enforced stringent restrictions on land development out of ecological concerns; country parks are so well-preserved that some are within a 15-minute walk of residential areas, which is commendable. However, the cost is that residents have to put up with overcrowded urban areas. As the NM traverses open and flat land, its development will require a new concept, one that balances livelihoods and ecology, so that living space, production zones and ecological areas can be organically integrated, ensuring that the new town develops in harmony with the environment.
Sixth, old and new residents should be settled appropriately.
The demolition and relocation required in developing the NM will affect existing inhabitants. With the expected influx of new residents, it is necessary to take care of the various needs of both groups.
Proper compensation and resettlement should be offered to existing inhabitants, and their future livelihoods ought to be taken into consideration as well. Real-life issues such as interim housing, employment, medical care and schooling must not be overlooked.
Hong Kong has long been a free market economy that embraces the “small government, big market” governing philosophy. But the mega NM project certainly requires the administration of a more proactive SAR government if it is to succeed.
This leads to the seventh point of coordination — that between planning and implementation.
Since the inception of the NM in Oct 2021, not many relevant projects have been accomplished so far. Now is the right time to speed up its planning and implementation.
President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that “planning contributes 10 percent to the success of an undertaking while 90 percent of success lies in implementation”. In response, Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has repeatedly urged the Hong Kong community to demonstrate patriotism and love for Hong Kong with practical actions. There is no doubt that the central government values actions over words.
The author is vice-chairman of the Committee on Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Hong Kong New Era Development Thinktank.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
