3.1What are the urban problems in Hong Kong?

**Table 1:

Urban problems

1. Housing

2. Pollution

3. Traffic congestion

Causes

1. Many people in a small area

2. Shortage of flat land H.K. is hilly

3. Economic growth

4. Lack of urban planning in the past

Land use conflict

Old urban area

5. Construction work, cars and home cause

pollution

What are the major urban problems in Hong

Kong?

1. Housing problems

Crowded conditions

Small housing units

Buildings are very close together

Not enough open spaces for recreation

Close to industrial areas

Close to busy roads

*example: Sham Shui Po

the living environment is poor

2. Traffic congestions *Hong Kong has the highest car density*

Car density=no. of cars /length of roads

There is usually traffic congestion at

bottlenecks in the main roads during

rush-hours.

It is also found in industrial areas where

loading and unloading of goods take place.

Traffic congestion at the entrance of the

Cross-Harbour Tunnel

Example: Lion Rock Tunnel

Picture in book p.70

3. Pollution

What kinds of pollution are there in Hong

Kong?

Air pollution (smoke), Water pollution (dirty

water), Noise pollution (loud noise), Land

pollution (garbage) and Light pollution

(bright light).

***(They are called pollutants)***

What are the causes of these urban problems?

1. Many people in a small area

What is the population density about Hong

Kong?

Hong Kong is densely populated or sparsely

populated? (Of course, it is densely populated)

Population density=no. of people /total area

Population in Hong Kong is unevenly

distributed. Many people are crowded into old

urban areas such as Mong Kok and Kwun

Tong.

2. Shortage of land for urban development

Hong Kong is small and hilly.

There is limited flat land for urban

development.

In some areas, such as Wan Chai, the buildings

are very close to each other.

We call these ‘concrete jungles’

3. Lack of urban planning in the past

Some factories were built near residential

areas.

Pollution is serious.

Narrow roads and lack of transport facilities

are common in these areas.

Urban planning was bad in these areas.

4. Economic growth

Hong Kong people have become richer.

The number of cars has increased.

Hong Kong is an important centre.

The demand for transport has also increased.

Figure1:

Hong Kong people become richer

Number of cars has increased

Figure2:

Growth of trade

Increase the demand for transport

Figure3:

The construction of new roads cannot catch up

with the increase in the number of cars

Traffic congestion and pollution

5. Cars, construction works and homes cause

pollution

Cars, buses and lorries give off waste gases.

Construction works and traffic produce loud

noise.

We also produce a lot of waste, such as

garbage and sewage, at home every day.

It causes water pollution.

Figure1:

Factories Cars Homes

Loud noise

(noise

pollution)

Waste gases

(air pollution)

Dirty water

(water

pollution)

Solid waste

(land pollution)

**Look the figure in book p.76*(Summary)

3.3What has been done to solve the urban

problems in Hong Kong

**Table 2:

Solutions to the problems

1. Lower population growth

a) Birth control

b) Limit number of immigrants

2. Develop more land

a) Develop new towns

b) Reclamation

3. Build more houses

4. Redevelop the old urban areas

5. Build more roads and improve public transport

6. Conserve the environment

7. Better urban planning

What has been done to solve the urban

problems?

1. Lower population growth

Suggest two reasons for the change.

*1.Government (Family Planning Association

of Hong Kong) encourage birth control.

*2. People like to have small family.

Describe the change in birth rates.

*The birth rate in Hong Kong is decreasing.

Look at the figure1 (in book) about the birth

rates in Hong Kong since 1955.

*Government also limits the flow of

immigrants.

**The first reason** (about Lower population growth)

**The second reason** (about Lower population growth)

*The government tries to lower population

growth by birth control and controlling the

number of immigrants from the mainland

of China.

2. Develop more land

*The government has developed nine new

towns.

This helps to lower the population density of

the old urban areas. The living environment

improves. It becomes less crowded.

Government has created more flat land by

reclamation.

Reclamation increases land for urban

development.

Most of the land in West Kowloon is obtained

from reclamation.

Look the figure3(in book p.87)

3. ̀ Build more houses

The government has built many public

**The first reason** (about Develop more land)

**The second reason** (about Lower population growth)

**The first reason** (about Build more houses)

housing estates to help low-income people

improve their living conditions.

The government also rebuilds some old

public housing estates. The new estates

provide more living spaces and better

facilities.

The government has built housing estates for

sale at prices below market value.

4. Redevelop the old urban areas

Example: Wan Chai, Yau Ma Tei and Sheung

Wan (have been redeveloped).

5. Build more roads and improve public

transport

Improve public transport and road network to

ease the traffic congestion problem.

Building nine tunnels, new roads and

highways which link up all the new towns, the

airport and the old urban areas.

**The second reason** (about Build more houses)

**The third reason** (about Build more houses)

Government also encourages the use of mass

transit systems, such as the MTR, the Light

Rail, the East Rail and the Airport Railway.

These systems provide convenient transport

for a large number of people.

West Rail (opening in 2003) and the Ma On

Shan Rail (opening in December 2004), there

are better links between the New Territories

and the urban areas.

Figure 1:

Public Transport

Light Rail: Tuen Mun

West Rail: ---

East Rail: Kowloon Lo Wu

MTR: Long form Mass Transit Railway

Airport Express: ---

Q: Which new towns will the West Rail link

up?

A: Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and

Tin Shui Wai.

Look the map (in book p.89)>>[link to p.62]

**The nine new towns need to spell!

6. Conserve the environment

The government set up the Environmental

Protection Department to promote

environment protection.

Figure 2:

Carry out improvement work

Noise barrier at roadsides

Pass laws to control pollution

Pass laws to control emission of waste gases

and sewage

Penalty for smoky vehicles is increased

to$1,000

Annoying noise is not allowed between 11 p.m.

and 7 a.m. and on holidays.

Educate the public

‘Waste recycling campaigns’ encourage people

to reduce and separate waste

7. Better urban planning

It is a way to help solve urban problems.

It can avoid land use conflict.

Example: there is little land use conflict in

Sha Tin new town because it is well-planned.

Are these good measures?

Some natural environment is under threat

As shown in Table 2 and Figure 9 (p.92), the

measures used to solve urban problems may cause

other bad effects.

**Look the figure 9 in book p.92**

Table 2

Place Urban

development

Bad effects

Ma Wan Reclamation A lot of fish

was killed

Mai Po Industrial

development in

Yuen Long

Endangered the

gei wai shrimp

in Mai Po

Long Valley Building a

tunnel for KCR

The living place of the

birds might be

damaged

Lantau Developing

into a tourism,

leisure and

international

transport centre

Greatly affect

the natural

environment

and the wildlife

living in the

area.

Victoria

Harbour

Reclamation Affected the

natural beauty

of our harbor.

The cost of a good environment is high

It needs money to improve the environment.

Water users are required to pay extra money to

cover the cost of new sewage systems.

Factory owners need to build new facilities to

meet pollution control standards. This

increases the cost of production.

**Look the Figure in the book p.95 (Summary)*

3.5 How can we make our city a better place to

live?

Table 3:

Is it easy to solve urban problems?

Solving urban problems is not easy. We should

develop our urban area in a sustainable way.

How can we help to make our city an ideal place

to live?

Is it easy to solve the urban problems?

1. Q: What urban problem can building flyovers

help solve?

A: To solve transport problem (traffic congestion)

2. Q: What problems will flyovers bring about?

Better living environment

Government

Provide facilities and carry out urban

planning and redevelopment

programs.

We

Pay tax to the government and

conserve the environment.

A: Noise pollution and air pollution.

How can we help to make our city an ideal place

to live?

Solving urban problems is not only the

responsibility of the government. Each of us

should help to improve the urban environment.

The government should provide community

facilities carry out good urban planning and

redevelop old urban areas

In recent years, more and more people have

argued that sustainable development of the

urban areas is important.

Sustainable development balances social,

economic and environmental needs, both for

present and future generations.

Example: we can reduce waste and separating

waste for recycling.

Figure 3:

We should:

1. Save energy

2. Pay tax, land rent and fees

3. Save water

4. Use public transport

5. Keep the environment clean