Page 10 - URA Annual Report 2021-22

CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT
Visiting the miniature art exhibition at Central Market with the then Chief Executive Mrs Carrie Lam.
Turning a new chapter on urban renewal
In other areas of urban renewal work, we have completed all restoration and revitalisation works of Central Market with the conclusion of the second phase of works in April 2022. Since its opening in August 2021, Central Market has become an iconic landmark in the heart of the city and has received over 10 million visitors.
The URA strives to promote urban renewal in a sustainable way. To this end, a holistic and forward looking strategy has been developed. New planning tools are proposed from the URA’s Yau Mong District Study (YMDS) to be applied in urban redevelopment in a bid to fully utilise land resources. The application of new planning tools will also incentivise more private market participation, thereby speeding up the pace of urban renewal for better living environment.
In this connection, the URA has been supporting the Government to initiate amendments to the relevant Outline Zoning Plans, as well as other city planning rules and regulations to implement the proposed recommendations in the YMDS. We will also apply the YMDS experience to new district studies to be conducted in Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po.
20 years marks a significant milestone for the URA. While we celebrated our 20th anniversary last year, we also laid out three key principles for sustainable urban renewal going forward. The principles are:
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Simplifying and streamlining planning procedures and workflow to expedite urban renewal projects
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Making the best use of resources, particularly land resources, in our urban renewal planning and building rehabilitation programmes
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Applying technology
to build Hong Kong into a liveable and sustainable smart city