Kai Tak Government Plan Report

Jarom Hyde 11.6

Research Question: Does Kai Taks development plan effectively house the aging population of Hong Kong?

Kai Tak Government Plan Report

Section One:
Hong Kongs Aging Problem Hong Kong is a vibrantly growing country, regarded highly for its economical stability and luscious trade port. When people imagine Hong Kong, they think of the middle-aged business men and women which Hong Kong has so creatively portrayed itself to be, as it stands to be now. However, this is not what Hong Kong will look in 30 years, as Hong Kong has a rapidly aging population. The Hong Kong government has predicted that one in three people in the city is expected to be 65 years old or above by 2041 (SCMP, 2013). With a vast majority of population curbing on an age common retirement, economy is threatened to be disrupted by this age gap. Also, aging population also means high reliance to others which ultimately curbs Hong Kongs develop and growth. As seen in a recent survey, there was little knowledge the public had into the true issues Hong Kong was facing. Most believed that overpopulation and lack of space were the largest problems of Hong Kong, where aging population is soon to be the greatest catastrophe of Hong Kong.

So what is the solution to this aging population? Geography/History of Kai Tak: Kai Tak is a coastal region located on the harbour front of Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong. Its geographical location is surrounded by rugged mountains. Kai Tak was built by mankind by reclaiming land from the harbour to create an airport. However, the Kai Tak airport was closed in July 1998 due to the growing demand of air transport that one runway could not provide. Since then, redevelopment plans have been pondered and planned to replace the vacant land of Kai Tak. Kai Tak Airfield in 2005. Retrieved from CityU HK, n.d.

Kai Tak Government Plan Report Kai Tak Government Plan

Jarom Hyde 11.6

The government redevelopment plan was made in 2007 and edited in 2009 and 2012. However, construction started in 2009 when the Environmental Impact Assessment Report was confirmed (Civil Engineering and Development Department, 2013). The plan will redevelop 320 hectares of land, replacing the Kai Tak Airport and outer districts of Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong. According to Industry Tap, the aim of the project is to take what had become an abandoned area of Hong Kong and turn it into a high quality residential and business district with large open space parks and hospitals, thus improving the living environment in Hong Kong (Industry Tap, 2013). The Kai Tak redevelopment plan has done a good job at meeting all of these aims. It has planned quality house allotments which can house 90,000 residents permanently, as well as hotels which contain a total of 6.800 hotel rooms (The Standard, 2006). There will be a two-berth cruise terminal, helipad, 50,000-capacity sports stadium, as well as other transportation and entertainment facilities. 90 hectares of the allotted 320 hectares of land are allocated for road networks to link Kai Tak to the rest of Kowloon, while 100 hectares are allocated for open spaces (The Standard, 2006). Overall, the predicted cost of the entire operation is $100 billion, including the cost needed to refurbish the coastal and land areas for redevelopment (CityU HK, n.d.).

Master plan of KT Redevelopment. Taken from CityU HK, n.d.

[Artistic impression of Kai Tak Development outlook.] Retrieved from Conexpoasia, n.d.

Kai Tak Government Plan Report

Jarom Hyde 11.6

Section Two:
Government Plan Analysis In order for the Kai Tak government plan to be satisfactory in light of the research question, it must effectively accommodate the aging population of Hong Kong by providing appropriate infrastructure that supports them and increases their quality of life These could include elderly homes, community centers, recreational parks, just to name a few. The Kai Tak government plan has positively met the needs of Hong Kongs citizens in terms of providing for the needs of the aging population. In a space of 300 hectares, Kai Tak has planned quality house allotments which can house 90,000 residents, including 6,800 hotel rooms. Assuming each hotel room holds an average of one and a half people at a time, Kai Tak has the capacity of holding 100,000 people. The Kai Tak government plan breaks up housing blocks by including open areas and other facilities. The population density does not change, but through open spaces and other facilities it doesnt feel as dense. Kai Tak does this to fit more facilities and services in a small amount of space by making it not appear crowded by breaking up the spaces with green areas. Evidence of breaking up space with green space can be seen on the picture to the right. Elderlies can easily integrate their lives into Kai Tak and free themselves from the stress of the city life through the innovation of the development plan. There is also plenty of space to accommodate them. Other infrastructure the Kai Tak plan includes that help solve the aging population problem of Hong Kong is providing sufficient transportation. Aging population and Master plan of KT Redevelopment. Hong Kong population in general commonly dont own their own vehicles of transport, and therefore rely on public Taken from CityU HK, n.d. transport. There are a great deal of road networks and bus routes weaving through Kai Tak that allow people to get around places, as well as a proposed link up to the MTR Sha-Tin Central line. Elderly can get where they want around the city whenever they want in very convenient ways, while also having access to outside of Kai Tak through the MTR line. Although the plan has many strengths, it also has weaknesses which are not really helping in accommodating the aging population of Hong Kong. For instance, a 50,000 sports stadium is a positive contribution to entertainment and tourism levels of Kai Tak, but elderlies commonly dont entertain themselves in this fashion and therefore this is external to their needs.Other examples of this same principle exist in the cruise terminal, commercial properties and sports centers. Although these are all good for the welfare of Hong Kong tourism and Kai Tak entertainment, they simply do not help in meeting the needs of the elderlies of Hong Kong. One thing Kai Tak is really missing is elderly homes and community centers which can accommodate the vast community of elderlies. At the time being there only stands one community centre in Kai Tak which can holy two thousand people at one point. However, this is a very small number considering if 1/3 of Hong Kongs population will be elderlies in 2041. This will not constitute enough resources to the elderlies and more infrastructure and facilities needs to be planned that will meet these needs.

Kai Tak Government Plan Report Possible Improvements Commercial/retail areas are already in great supply for Kowloon and Hong Kong in general. There is no need to add more commercial areas, they can be replaced with community centres/elderly homes

Jarom Hyde 11.6 As of Hong Kongs aging population, schools will soon no longer be needed in excess as it doesnt provide for Hong Kongs demands. These can be replaced with community centres and elderly homes.

Cruise terminal can be placed by residential area, elderly homes and community centers for the prime location, thus increasing its value appeal to buyers.

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Section Three:
Conclusion The Kai Tak government plan as it stands it not very effective at solving the aging population of Hong Kong. It covers things like transportation and urban stress which are already recognized as general needs of Hong Kong. It looks aesthetically pleasing and accommodates the great population in the small land mass Hong Kong is. but it provides nothing which is specific to the aging population. In this respect, if the improvements listed above were implemented into the Kai Tak government plan, the Kai Tak plan could be the most suitable for the Hong Kongs needs.

Kai Tak Government Plan Report

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Biography:
Primary Sources:
Hyde, J. (2014). Kai Tak Humanities Survey. [Online Survey]. Retrieved 27 January, 2014, from https://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/ Dejp50AYew2ghlmpTw0L9gT1DV1oll5Nrt4pjNGX8WU_3D

Secondary Sources:
CIA World Factbook. (2013). Easy & Southeast Asia: Hong Kong.Retrieved 20 January, 2014, from

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/hk.html

CityU, HK. (n.d.). The 10 Major Infrastructure Projects- New Urban Development Areas. Retrieved 20 January, 2014, from http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~bswmwong/contents/resources/new_urban_development_areas.pdf CityU, HK. (n.d.). Kai Tak Airfield in 2005. (Image). Retrieved 25 January, 2014, from http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~bswmwong/contents/resources/new_urban_development_areas.pdf CityU, HK. (n.d.). Master plan of KT Redevelopment. (Image). Retrieved 25 January, 2014, from http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~bswmwong/contents/resources/new_urban_development_areas.pdf Civil Engineering and Development Department, GovHK. (2013). Kai Tak Development: Our Mission. Retrieved 20 January, 2013, from http://www.ktd.gov.hk/eng/ Civil Engineering and Development Department, GovHK. (n.d.). [Kai Tak Development Plan Map] (Image). Retrieved 20 January, 2014, from http://www.ktd.gov.hk/lung%20tsun%20stone%20bridge/photo/map2.jpg Conexpoasia. (n.d.). [Artistic impression of Kai Tak Development outlook.] (Image). Retrieved 27 January, 2014, from http://www.conexpoasia.com/EN/Overview/SouthChinaProjects/images/KaiTak.jpg Grundy T. (2013). Blog- If Everyone Lived at the Same Density as Hong Kongers... Retrieved 20 January, 2014, from http://hongwrong.com/hong-kong-population-density/ Industry Tap. (2013). $17 Billion Kai Tak Development in Hong Kong. Retrieved 20 January, 2014, from http://www.industrytap.com/17-billion-kai-tak-development-in-hong-kong/697 SCMP. (2013). Hong Kong Facing Hit to Economy as Ageing Population Looms. Retrieved 7 March, 2014, from http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1392501/hong-kong-facing-hit-economy-ageing -population-looms The Standard. (2006). A mixed reception. Retrieved 20 January, 2014, from http://www.thestandard.com.hk/archive_news_detail.asp? pp_cat=11&art_id=21289&sid=8524523&con_type=3&archive_d_str=20060622 Xinhua News. (2012). Backgrounder: Hong Kong Kai Tak Development Plan. Retrieved 20 January, 2014, from http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-06/30/c_131686206.htm