Expected Achievement of Kwun Tong District Renewal
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Urban renewal is always a big challenge to the governments in the world. Especially in Hong Kong, shortage of land is always besetting our government. As the first satellite city of Hong Kong, Kwun Tong, which its boundary stretches from Lion Rock in the north to Lei Yue Mun in the south, and from the winding paths of Kowloon Peak in the east to the north coast of the former Kai Tak Airport runway in the west, had been suffering a serious urban aging problem, the redevelopment of Kwun Tong District became one of the major projects since 2007. By redeveloping and revitalizing Kwun Tong District, it can temporarily ease the overcrowding of population and transform the old industrial buildings into the multi-functional financial complex in Hong Kong. This is why we take Kwun Tong renewal plan as the main concern in our project. Once the renewal project finished, the positive impacts are much more significant than other renewal projects carried out in the same period. We can say that, the urban renewal project of Kwun Tong District is expected to bring benefits to the business environment, investing activities and tourist industry.
The urban renewal project will create a better business environment in Kwun Tong District due to the improvement of the connection systems and the urban forestation. By enhancing and supplementing infrastructure, the project will benefit retailers in Kwun Tong District since a well-organized transportation network is an important supporting facility for a shop. A study shows that about 78.4% of surveyed retailers consider accessibility to be the most important factor in choosing premises to operate their business (Planning department, 2005). Consider the project of Anderson Road Development, Civil Engineering and Development Department has arranged about 20 hectares of land to build infrastructure there such as roads and bridges (CEDD, 2010). Besides, Mut Wah Street will be widened for 33-foot in order to increase the road capacity and reduce traffic jam (URA, 2010). Additionally, a 550-metre covered footbridge system along Sheung Yuent Road, connecting the Kowloon Bay MTR Station and MegaBox has been suggested (Legislative Council, 2010). All these construction works will lead to a higher pedestrian flow in the district which can help the retailers to generate a better business environment. Another factor contribute to the business environment is urban forestation. A number of overseas research studies show that greening works will stimulate the economy of community (Human Dimensions of Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 2010). It is found that customers respond positively to greening areas in downtown business districts (Human Dimensions of Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 2010). Trees do not only influence the visual quality but also the place perceptions, consumers patronage and pricing perceptions (Wolf, 2007). By mid-2011, the greenery will be maximized in Ngau Tau Kok, Sau Mau Ping and Lam Tin