Private housing estates in Hong Kong explained

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).

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: t=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

Name Chinese name Area Completed No. blocks No. units Developer Photo Coordinates
1975-1979 21 1,535
2004 and 2008 32 with 47 individual houses 2,800 Pacific Century Premium Developments 22.2617°N 114.1301°W
2001 6 2,136
1988 10 698
1980s 14 2,393
2009 1 66 22.2816°N 114.1469°W
嘉亨灣 2006 5 2,020 Henderson Land Development, The Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Co Ltd.22.285°N 114.2247°W
1982 48 6,504 22.2756°N 114.2416°W
2003 1 113 Central Development Limited 22.265°N 114.1842°W
1989 18 984
2001 4 3,098 22.2655°N 114.2512°W
1986 44 8,831 22.2828°N 114.2164°W
2002 8 544
逸濤灣 2001 4 864 Swire Properties, China Motor Bus, Sun Hung Kai Properties
1978 12 2,826 22.2829°N 114.2134°W
2012 1 12 22.2693°N 114.1742°W
1990 and 1992 4 490
1990s 34 9,812 22.2433°N 114.1475°W
1980s 61 12,698 22.2863°N 114.2176°W

Kowloon

Name Chinese name Area Completed No. blocks No. units Developer Photo Coordinates
1987 19 4,896 22.3244°N 114.2165°W
2006 4 1,054 22.3036°N 114.1631°W
天璽 2008 2 82522.3054°N 114.1608°W
翔龍灣 2006 5 1782
2001 3 324 22.3033°N 114.1931°W
君臨天下 2004 3 1,12222.3031°N 114.1617°W
2000 9 2,314
1991 38 8,072 22.285°N 114.1588°W
2006 8 1,829
2007 5 1,115
2007 1 345 22.2975°N 114.1739°W
1965 99 13,500 22.338°N 114.139°W
1995 32 1,822
2001 5 1,669 22.3047°N 114.1839°W
1992 17 4,112 22.3069°N 114.2327°W
1980 41 4,992 22.3247°N 114.2122°W
2003 3 988
1980s 88 10,431 22.3041°N 114.1922°W

Kwai Tsing District

Name Chinese name Area Completed No. blocks No. units Developer Photo Coordinates
Greenfield Garden Tsing Yi1990 11 3,216
Tsing Yi1984 8 1,912
Tsing Yi1999 12 3,459
Tsing Yi2003 5 1,587
Tsing Yi Garden 青怡花園 Tsing Yi1986 7 1,520
Tsing Yi2000 10 2,824
Wonderland Villas Kwai Chung1984 and 1987 22 1,502 22.307°N 114.233°W

Sai Kung District

Name Chinese name Area Completed No. blocks No. units Developer Photo Coordinates
2006 3 1,472
2002 7 1,959
Ocean Shores Tiu Keng Leng2001–2003 17 5,728 22.3024°N 114.2532°W
2004 8 2,880 22.3089°N 114.2621°W
2008–ongoing 50 21,500 MTR Corporation
and others 		22.295°N 114.271°W

Sha Tin District

See main article: Private housing estates in Sha Tin District.

Name Chinese name Area Completed No. blocks No. units Developer Photo Coordinates
1982 and 1987 14 1,940 22.3847°N 114.1987°W
1999 8 1,744 22.3837°N 114.2153°W
1981–1988 52 10,642 New World Development
Henderson Land Development
Sun Hung Kai Properties
Cheung Kong Holdings		22.3864°N 114.2039°W
2010–2012 12 4,304 22.3692°N 114.1743°W
1990 6 840 22.3933°N 114.2068°W
1990–1993 4
Peak One
1995 14 498
1995–1997 10 22.3991°N 114.201°W
2013–2015 21 3,500
2009 7 2,169
1990s 20 4,761 22.4244°N 114.2321°W
Villa Athena 1994 10 1,064

Tsuen Wan District

Name Chinese name Area Completed No. blocks No. units Developer Photo Coordinates
1978 and 1981 16 3,423 22.3788°N 114.1078°W
Bayview Garden 1993 5 1,200 22.3697°N 114.0994°W
19871991 19 6,016 22.3719°N 114.102°W
City Point 2014 7 1,717
1998 12 3,360
The Dynasty 2009 2 256
1984 17 4,056 Mass Transit Railway Corporation and others 22.3736°N 114.1199°W
1990 20 5,692
2001 3 792 22.3725°N 114.1031°W
1988 12 3,024
1989 20 5,692
2007 5 1,446
Waterside Plaza 1991 4 822

Sham Tseng

Name Chinese name Area Completed No. blocks No. units Developer Photo Coordinates
Wheelock & Co.
New Asia Realty
Wharf Holdings		22.367°N 114.0613°W
Lido Garden
2001 1 560 22.3657°N 114.0624°W
Rhine Garden
Rhine Terrace 1992 1 212
Sea Crest Villa 19921997 15 2,409 22.3663°N 114.056°W

Tuen Mun District

Name Chinese name Area Completed No. blocks No. units Developer Photo Coordinates
1991 6 1,272 22.3719°N 113.9695°W
Pierhead Garden 1988 6 1,432 22.3725°N 113.9666°W
Sun Tuen Mun Centre 1990 10 3,500 22.3812°N 113.965°W
Tai Hing Gardens 1994 15 3,647 22.3996°N 113.9715°W
Tuen Mun Town Plaza 1992 8 1,968 22.3929°N 113.9767°W

So Kwun Wat

Name Chinese name Area Completed No. blocks No. units Developer Photo Coordinates
Aegean Coast 2002 7 1,624 22.3724°N 113.995°W
Avignon 2011 40 459 22.3757°N 114.0003°W
Emerald Bay 2021 8 1,982 22.3731°N 113.9997°W
1990–1993 20 2,052 22.3673°N 113.9944°W
Le Pont 2020 40 1,154 22.3727°N 114.0012°W
OMA OMA 2021 4 466 22.372°N 114.0008°W
NAPA 2017 67 460 22.3732°N 114.0025°W
Seacoast Royale 2022 2 611 22.3743°N 113.991°W
Spring Seaview Terrace 1990 3 82 22.3733°N 113.9869°W
The Bloomsway 2017 63 1,101 22.3772°N 113.9861°W

Yuen Long District

Name Chinese name Area Completed No. blocks No. units Developer Photo Coordinates
Central Park Towers 2010 8 2,960 22.4593°N 114.0011°W
1991– 58 15,808 22.46°N 114.0049°W
Vianni Cove Tin Shui Wai 2004 3 1,091 Cheung Kong Holdings
Sun Hung Kai Properties 		22.4661°N 114.0041°W
1993 5 22.4455°N 114.0351°W
2004
2010 		16 4,091 22.4422°N 114.0368°W

See also

Notes and References

  1. RaymondWang & DannyChungLow-end $4b win, The Standard, 8 May 2007
  2. Web site: The Vertical City, Part I: How Hong Kong Grew up so high. 6 October 2016.
  3. Web site: 環保觸覺.
  4. News: 'Asia's walled city' leaves – residents longing for air. The Standard. Yung. Chester. 21 December 2006. 21 March 2007. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20071217052500/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=34625&sid=11441787&con_type=1&d_str=20061221&sear_year=2006. 17 December 2007.
  5. Carol Chung, `Wall effect' argument rejected, The Standard, 17 April 2007
  6. Michael NgScreen-effect motion vetoed, The Standard, 10 May 2007
  7. Olga Wong, "Call for law against 'wall effect' fails", South China Morning Post, 10 May 2007

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