There is a proposal to reclaim an artificial island measuring almost half the size of Kowloon to house up to 1.1 million people. One-third of the land would be allocated for housing, 70% of the residential areas would be dedicated to building affordable homes. The rest of the area would be for commercial uses, public facilities and new industries.
The foundation believed the island could be the city’s third commercial hub after Central and Kowloon East as it would be well connected with roads and railways to both Hong Kong Island and Tuen Mun. Neighbouring mainland cities such as Nansha and Zhongshan in Guangdong province would be within an hour’s reach.
A think tank led by Hong Kong’s first chief executive has partnered with three major global consultants to propose reclaiming 2,200 hectares of land to the east of Lantau Island in what would be the largest project of its kind in the city’s history. Hong Kong’s biggest reclamation project to date involved Hong Kong International Airport, which was carried out in the 1990s and entailed reclamation of 1,248 hectares at Chek Lap Kok on Lantau. Including the third runway now being built, the total reclamation amounts to about 1,900 hectares.
About 6% of Hong Kong is reclaimed land. Residents have joked that at some point ferries would not be needed to cross Hong Kong harbor, you just be able to walk over reclaimed land.
Hong Kong currently has 7.5 million people and is still growing. This project and some additional densification could push Hong Kong up to 9 million or even 10 million people.
The whole reclamation would take 14 years, with the first phase ready in 11 years.
The houses and office built on the new island tightly connected to Hong Kong, Kowloon and Lantau.
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Related reason: I work with a few Chinese engineering students, obviously studying here. Rich parents, very rich. The parents have all purchased homes here in California. A foothold on a better life in a nation of opportunities if things go wrong at home. I think they plan on staying.
Same worries as other posters. Isn’t the area seismic and wouldn’t the land chunk have liquefaction issues?
The general opinion is that “the chinese” who are pouring money into buying land throughout the anglosphere is the business class who want overseas assets in case “the chinese” government decides that it is time for some more class warfare.
The two groups are not just different, they are fundamentally at odds. It is precisely because of fear of the chinese government that the chinese investors want overseas assets.
This could be a major problem in an earthquake with liquefaction. You could loose half the population or more in an 8.0 earthquake. These projects are usually suggested where the water is shallow. But that is also where large amounts of wildlife lives. Floating islands over deep water is more responsible.
Or they could increase their penetration of British Columbia. Go to Vancouver sometime and you’ll see what I’m saying. Just a bit more and their political power would make it possible.
At least they are building this reclaimed island in their own territory.
So they build it taller, crisis averted.
I think they’re completely overlooking the coming sea level rise due to climate change. The project will fail before the end of the century.
Forget Hong Kong harbour. At this rate you’ll be able to walk from Japan to Malaysia.