Proposed Northern Metropolis near mainland China border will be ‘Hong Kong’s most important area’, leader says in policy address
- Scheme, repackaged and expanded from an existing new town plan, is seen as a major strategic change for the city’s development
- Some question burden on public finances as government is also pursuing a billion-dollar reclamation project to the west of Hong Kong Island
The scheme, repackaged and expanded from an existing new town plan, is seen as a major strategic change for development, moving the centre away from Hong Kong Island to the north, to integrate the city into the latest national development plan.
It would involve a new cross-border railway linking the city to the Qianhai economic zone in Shenzhen, and an extension of a local northern rail link that would stimulate development across Hong Kong’s rural hinterland.
The plan will also involve government resumption and conservation of about 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of ecologically important sites including wetlands, some of which are likely to be held by major developers.
While some observers noted the political reality of the city following the national strategy to develop the border area, others questioned the burden on public finances, as the government had also been pursuing a billion-dollar reclamation project to the west of Hong Kong Island.
