Private housing estates in Hong Kong
Private housing estate is a term used in Hong Kong for private mass housing – a housing estate developed by a private developer, as opposed to a public housing estate built by the Hong Kong Housing Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Society. It usually is characterised with a cluster of high-rise buildings, with its own market or shopping mall. Mei Foo Sun Chuen, built by Mobil, is the earliest (1965) and largest by number of blocks (99).
| Private housing estates in Hong Kong | |||||||||||||
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 Mei Foo Sun Chuen is the earliest and largest private housing estate in Hong Kong | |||||||||||||
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Early real estate development in Hong Kong followed the urban street pattern: single blocks are packed along streets and most of them are managed independently, with quality varying from block to block. Private housing estates on the other hand provide integrated management throughout whole estate, attracting more affluent residents.
Mei Foo Sun Chuen, Taikoo Shing, Whampoa Garden and City One Shatin are early notable examples. More projects followed and the idea became widely accepted as the middle class of Hong Kong emerged.
Trends
With the economies of scale of large developments, and the lifting of height restrictions since the opening of the new airport at Chek Lap Kok, there is the tendency of new private tower block developments with 10 to over 100 towers, ranging from 30-to-70-storeys high.
There has also been a trend in joint ventures between the already oligopolistic real-estate developer in Hong Kong. Developers have been increasingly partnering up to bid for development sites.[1] At a land auction on 8 May 2007, the Government warned developers not to collude in bidding.
The wall effect
There is currently some controversy over the "wall effect" (Chinese: 屏風樓, literally "folding screen building") caused by uniform high-rise developments which adversely impact air circulation, leading to an aggravation of the heat effect while also impact public hygiene and contribute to air pollution.[2] Private developers seeking to maximise revenues have tended to build uniform blocks on seafront sites to give all units unrestricted sea view.
Environmental group Green Sense[3] expressed concern that their survey on 155 housing estates found 104 have a 'wall-like' design. It cited estates in Tai Kok Tsui and Tseung Kwan O as the "best examples".[4]
Head of the Planning Department, Ava Ng, argued that the air ventilation factor has been taken into consideration with regard to the auction of all prime sites on the land application list, and said the erection of tall buildings at these sites will not create any "wall effect."[5]
An air ventilation assessment is required only for sites with a total gross floor area of more than 100,000 square metres, according to technical guidelines in existence since 2006.[5]
In May 2007, citing concern over developments in West Kowloon, and near Tai Wai and Yuen Long railway stations, Wong Kwok-hing of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions proposed a motion calling for measures to reduce screen-like buildings which maximise good views at the expense of air flow in densely populated areas. The motion was vetoed by functional constituency representatives.[6][7]
Lists of estates
The following is a partial list of widely known private housing estates in Hong Kong:
Hong Kong Island
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Kowloon
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Kwai Tsing District
| Name | Chinese name | Area | Completed | No. blocks | No. units | Developer | Photo | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenfield Garden | 翠怡花園 | Tsing Yi | 1990 | 11 | 3,216 | Sun Hung Kai Properties |  | |
| Mayfair Gardens | 美景花園 | Tsing Yi | 1984 | 8 | 1,912 | Sun Hung Kai Properties |  | |
| Tierra Verde | 盈翠半島 | Tsing Yi | 1999 | 12 | 3,459 | MTR Corporation |  | |
| Rambler Crest | 藍澄灣 | Tsing Yi | 2003 | 5 | 1,587 | Cheung Kong |  | |
| Tsing Yi Garden | 青怡花園 | Tsing Yi | 1986 | 7 | 1,520 | Cheung Kong |  | |
| Villa Esplanada | 灝景灣 | Tsing Yi | 2000 | 10 | 2,824 | Sun Hung Kai Properties Cheung Kong China Resources |  | |
| Wonderland Villas | 華景山莊 | Kwai Chung | 1984 and 1987 | 22 | 1,502 | Sun Hung Kai Properties Henderson Land Development | .jpg.webp) | 22.307°N 114.233°E |
Sai Kung District
| Name | Chinese name | Area | Completed | No. blocks | No. units | Developer | Photo | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Grandiose | 君傲灣 | Tseung Kwan O | 2006 | 3 | 1,472 | New World Development |  | |
| Oscar by the Sea | 清水灣半島 | Pak Shing Kok | 2002 | 7 | 1,959 | Sun Hung Kai Properties |  | |
| Ocean Shores | 維景灣畔 | Tiu Keng Leng | 2001–2003 | 17 | 5,728 | Swire Properties Sun Hung Kai Properties |  | 22.3024°N 114.2532°E |
| Tseung Kwan O Plaza | 將軍澳廣場 | Tseung Kwan O | 2004 | 8 | 2,880 | Nan Fung Group |  | 22.3089°N 114.2621°E |
| LOHAS Park | 日出康城 | Tseung Kwan O | 2008–ongoing | 50 | 21,500 | MTR Corporation and others | .jpg.webp) | 22.295°N 114.271°E |
Sha Tin District
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Tsuen Wan District
| Name | Chinese name | Area | Completed | No. blocks | No. units | Developer | Photo | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allway Gardens | 荃威花園 | Tsuen Wan | 1978 and 1981 | 16 | 3,423 | Hopewell Holdings |  | 22.3788°N 114.1078°E |
| Bayview Garden | 灣景花園 | Tsuen Wan | 1993 | 5 | 1,200 | Hang Lung Properties |  | 22.369702°N 114.099369°E |
| Belvedere Garden | 麗城花園 | Tsuen Wan West | 1987–1991 | 19 | 6,016 | Cheung Kong Holdings |  | 22.3719°N 114.1020°E |
| City Point | 環宇海灣 | Tsuen Wan | 2014 | 7 | 1,717 | Cheung Kong Nan Fung MTR Corporation | .JPG.webp) | |
| Discovery Park | 愉景新城 | Tsuen Wan | 1998 | 12 | 3,360 | Hong Kong Resort Company |  | |
| The Dynasty | 御凱 | Tsuen Wan | 2009 | 2 | 256 | Sino Land Urban Renewal Authority |  | 22.36793°N 114.11411°E |
| Luk Yeung Sun Chuen | 綠楊新邨 | Tsuen Wan | 1984 | 17 | 4,056 | Mass Transit Railway Corporation and others |  | 22.3736°N 114.1199°E |
| Riviera Gardens | 海濱花園 | Tsuen Wan | 1990 | 20 | 5,692 | Caltex New World Development |  | |
| Serenade Cove | 韻濤居 | Tsuen Wan West | 2001 | 3 | 792 | The Wharf (Holdings) |  | 22.3725°N 114.1031°E |
| Tsuen King Garden | 荃景花園 | Tsuen Wan | 1988 | 12 | 3,024 |  | ||
| Tsuen Wan Centre | 荃灣中心 | Tsuen Wan | 1989 | 20 | 5,692 |  | ||
| Vision City | 萬景峯 | Tsuen Wan West | 2007 | 5 | 1,446 | Urban Renewal Authority |  | |
| Waterside Plaza | 海灣花園 | Tsuen Wan | 1991 | 4 | 822 | .jpg.webp) |
Sham Tseng
| Name | Chinese name | Area | Completed | No. blocks | No. units | Developer | Photo | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellagio | 碧堤半島 | Sham Tseng | Wheelock & Co. New Asia Realty Wharf Holdings |  | 22.36698°N 114.06129°E | |||
| Lido Garden | 麗都花園 | Sham Tseng |  | |||||
| Ocean Pointe | 縉皇居 | Sham Tseng | 2001 | 1 | 560 | Kerry Properties | 22.3657°N 114.0624°E | |
| Rhine Garden | 海韻花園 | Sham Tseng |  | |||||
| Rhine Terrace | 海韻臺 | Sham Tseng | 1992 | 1 | 212 | Cheung Kong Holdings |  | |
| Sea Crest Villa | 浪翠園 | Sham Tseng Tsing Lung Tau | 1992–1997 | 15 | 2,409 | Sun Hung Kai Properties |  | 22.3663°N 114.0560°E |
Tuen Mun District
| Name | Chinese name | Area | Completed | No. blocks | No. units | Developer | Photo | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Beach Towers | 邁亞美海灣 | Tuen Mun | 1991 | 6 | 1,272 | Sino Group | 22.3719°N 113.9695°E | |
| Pierhead Garden | 海翠花園 | Tuen Mun | 1988 | 6 | 1,432 | Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation |  | 22.3725°N 113.9666°E |
| Sun Tuen Mun Centre | 新屯門中心 | Tuen Mun | 1990 | 10 | 3,500 | Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation |  | 22.3812°N 113.9650°E |
| Tai Hing Gardens | 大興花園 | Tuen Mun | 1994 | 15 | 3,647 | Hang Lung Properties |  | 22.3996°N 113.9715°E |
| Tuen Mun Town Plaza | 屯門市廣場 | Tuen Mun | 1992 | 8 | 1,968 | Sino Group |  | 22.3929°N 113.9767°E |
So Kwun Wat
| Name | Chinese name | Area | Completed | No. blocks | No. units | Developer | Photo | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aegean Coast | 愛琴海岸 | So Kwun Wat | 2002 | 7 | 1,624 | Sun Hung Kai Properties The Luk Hoi Tong Company Henderson Land Development |  | 22.3724°N 113.9950°E |
| Avignon | 星堤 | So Kwun Wat | 2011 | 40 | 459 | Sun Hung Kai Properties |  | 22.3757°N 114.0003°E |
| Emerald Bay | 恆大‧珺瓏灣 | So Kwun Wat | 2021 | 8 | 1,982 | China Evergrande |  | 22.3731°N 113.9997°E |
| Hong Kong Gold Coast | 香港黃金海岸 | So Kwun Wat | 1990–1993 | 20 | 2,052 | Sino Group |  | 22.3673°N 113.9944°E |
| Le Pont | 上源 | So Kwun Wat | 2020 | 40 | 1,154 | Vanke Property |  | 22.3727°N 114.0012°E |
| OMA OMA | So Kwun Wat | 2021 | 4 | 466 | Wing Tai Properties |  | 22.3720°N 114.0008°E | |
| NAPA | 洋房 | So Kwun Wat | 2017 | 67 | 460 | Wheelock & Co. |  | 22.3732°N 114.0025°E |
| Seacoast Royale | 帝御‧金灣 | So Kwun Wat | 2022 | 2 | 611 | Henderson Land Development |  | 22.3743°N 113.9910°E |
| Spring Seaview Terrace | 春和海景花園 | So Kwun Wat | 1990 | 3 | 82 | 22.3733°N 113.9869°E | ||
| The Bloomsway | 滿名山 | So Kwun Wat | 2017 | 63 | 1,101 | Kerry Properties |  | 22.3772°N 113.9861°E |
Yuen Long District
| Name | Chinese name | Area | Completed | No. blocks | No. units | Developer | Photo | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Park Towers | 栢慧豪園 | Tin Shui Wai | 2010 | 8 | 2,960 | Cheung Kong Holdings | .JPG.webp) | 22.4593°N 114.0011°E |
| Kingswood Villas | 嘉湖山莊 | Tin Shui Wai | 1991– | 58 | 15,808 | Cheung Kong Holdings |  | 22.4600°N 114.0049°E |
| Vianni Cove | 慧景軒 | Tin Shui Wai | 2004 | 3 | 1,091 | Cheung Kong Holdings Sun Hung Kai Properties |  | 22.4661°N 114.0041°E |
| Sun Yuen Long Centre | 新元朗中心 | Yuen Long | 1993 | 5 | Sun Hung Kai Properties Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation |  | 22.4455°N 114.0351°E | |
| YOHO Town | 新時代廣場 | Yuen Long | 2004 2010 | 16 | 4,091 | Sun Hung Kai Properties |  | 22.4422°N 114.0368°E |
References
- RaymondWang & DannyChung Low-end $4b win Archived 9 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine, The Standard, 8 May 2007
- "The Vertical City, Part I: How Hong Kong Grew up so high". 6 October 2016.
- "環保觸覺".
- Yung, Chester (21 December 2006). "'Asia's walled city' leaves – residents longing for air". The Standard. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
- Carol Chung, `Wall effect' argument rejected Archived 22 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The Standard, 17 April 2007
- Michael Ng Screen-effect motion vetoed Archived 22 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The Standard, 10 May 2007
- Olga Wong, "Call for law against 'wall effect' fails", South China Morning Post, 10 May 2007
