Francis Neoton Cheung

Opinion | Hong Kong’s Lantau Tomorrow development risks being too densely populated to function as a business district

The 1,000 ha of reclaimed land earmarked for the project are expected to accommodate a new business district plus some half a million residents

But with most of the space to be taken up by transport infrastructure and communal facilities, the project may be stretching itself too thin

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Kau Yi Chau, an island off the coast of Lantau. The Lantau Tomorrow Vision project will consist of three artificial islands built around the existing island. Photo: Jelly Tse

Francis Neoton Cheung

Published: 8:15am, 28 Mar 2023

The notion of creating artificial islands nestled between the idyllic Lantau and bustling Hong Kong Island to house a third central business district might have sounded fantastical a decade ago. But it is on the way to becoming a reality, provided careful planning is carried out.

A public consultation for initial studies of the Kau Yi Chau artificial islands project draws to a close at the end of this month. A pivotal component of the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project and an essential piece of infrastructure worth supporting, its construction costs have now risen to HK$580 billion (US$73.8 billion).

This reclamation project, creating 1,000 hectares of new land connected to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories by rail and road links, is set in a strategic location to alleviate the city’s acute shortage of land. It will provide the long-awaited solution to the housing and economic development needs of Hong Kong.

What makes me sceptical of the plan is the crafting of certain development parameters on the artificial islands. Look closely and one will find the new islands are plainly incompatible with the character and structure of a central business district.

According to the land use concept plan, 45 per cent of the 1,000 ha of land will be dedicated to transport infrastructure and open spaces, and 20 per cent for cultural and communal facilities.

That leaves 35 per cent of the land for housing and economic developments. Within those 350 ha of land, only 200 ha are set aside for buildings. It is projected that about half a million people will be moving onto around 15 million square metres of residential area, with another 5 million sq m of floor area designated for office and commercial purposes.

An illustration of the three artificial islands of the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project. Photo: Hong Kong’s Legislative Council

Opinion | Hong Kong’s Lantau Tomorrow development risks being too densely populated to function as a business district

The 1,000 ha of reclaimed land earmarked for the project are expected to accommodate a new business district plus some half a million residents But with most of the space to be taken up by transport infrastructure and communal facilities, the project may be stretching itself too thin

The 1,000 ha of reclaimed land earmarked for the project are expected to accommodate a new business district plus some half a million residents

But with most of the space to be taken up by transport infrastructure and communal facilities, the project may be stretching itself too thin