High-density, High-rise and Multiple and Intensive Land Use in Hong Kong: A Future City Form for the New Millennium

There has been much research on the ‘compact city’ as an alternative urban form to the urban sprawl endemic in many developed countries (Burgess, 2000). In addition, Dutch researchers have initiated a global study of high-density, mixed-use city growth, introducing the concept of Multiple and Intensive Land Use (MILU).1 The authors of this chapter suggest that, if the urban experiment of Hong Kong is examined closely, there is a similarity between the principles established for the compact city, and the ideas embodied in MILU research.The chapter reports on MILU research started in early 2001. The central theme of MILU is to intensify the use of land resources within single sites through high residential densities and mixed land uses, supported by public transport and pedestrian-based facilities. The research was carried out by means of field studies that demonstrate attributes of an effective MILU urban approach in Hong Kong. This depends on intensification and inter-connection of mixed land uses, which generally comprise six uses: residential, commercial, recreational, community, institutional and transportation. It was observed that the intensification of mixed land use was associated with a number of distinguishable features related to compact urban form. © 2005, Mike Jenks and Nicola Dempsey. All rights reserved.