Land, Housing and Social Values - The Context of Hong Kong

Land is pertinent for the provision of Housing which can form cozy Homes well located in a congenial Habitat. The three Hs intertwine in the context of available land articulated by land governance. Since WWII up till the present, there have been different strands of paradigmatic changes in the nature of urban planning in Hong Kong. Exactly how to strike a balance between competing demands in urban planning, amidst rising aspirations, to forge a vision for future Hong Kong necessitates the answering of fundamental definition-process-client question: What is the definition of the ‘good’ or the ‘vision’ in the city planning (definition)? How is it defined (process)? For whom does it serve (client—different classes, stakeholders, generations)? The dynamics underlying the conflicts that may arise for finding the “answer” for the fundamental definition-process-client question often triggers off the town planning controversies or “politics”, within which the normative (e.g. equity, justice, rights, equality) may lead the way as the guiding light, striking a balance between interests among “winners” and “losers”, forming the basis of land and housing governance. Urban land and housing controversies (often related to city planning) form the main “issue” of this book, while “justice and social values” form the “perspective” and the “main thread” linking all discussed controversies, highlighting related theoretical and philosophical underpinnings. The “Politics-Justice-Governance” Model is highlighted in this book. It is hoped that academic and intellectual analysis from the “justice and social values” perspective, being applied to examine land and housing controversies, can bring about sound policy suggestions and conclusions, thereby bringing about a new angle to land and housing governance.