Page 17 - URA Annual Report 2021-22

Promoting digitisation to enhance work efficiency
Over the past year, the URA has allocated resources to extend the use of technology on all fronts of its operations and enhance work efficiency. This includes the registration of residents when launching new projects, case management in acquisition and clearance, case monitoring of building rehabilitation subsidy schemes, condition surveys and assessments of buildings in urban areas, and electronic document management.
In addition, we have strengthened staff training on new technologies and enhanced self-initiated learning through a one-stop online learning platform. By helping our employees acquire new knowledge in line with their varying professional needs, especially in such areas as artificial intelligence, geographic data analysis, 3D spatial data processing, building information modelling (BIM) and modular integrated construction (MiC), we can keep them abreast of the times and enhance the implementation of our urban renewal operations.
Five directions set to promote sustainable urban renewal
Our two forward looking strategic studies YMDS and NSBR have opened up new avenues for tackling critical issues of urban decay. At the time of writing, having started my third three-year term as Managing Director, I commit to taking forward the recommendations of these two studies and setting more ambitious targets in five areas:
(1) Promote private market participation in urban renewal
The existing large number of aged buildings with high development density and low residual plot ratio is a major factor that has reduced the incentives for private developers to pursue urban renewal, resulting in increasing reliance on the URA to take up this daunting task. However, the financial and organisational resources of the URA alone are far from adequate to deal with urban decay and the ageing of buildings. Therefore there is a need to encourage more private participation in regenerating old districts.
Going forward, we will take the lead in adopting new planning tools in projects which we see as appropriate, in order to share the experience with private developers as a reference. Meanwhile, we will collaborate with Government departments to expedite the formulation of implementation mechanisms for the new planning tools, so as to give private developers clear guidelines and specifications to follow in their projects. Through these joint efforts, we hope to enhance redevelopment potential and maximise the use of urban land resources to speed up the pace of urban renewal.
(2) Taking forward more complex and challenging projects
Over the past few years, the URA has launched large-scale district studies to examine on all fronts the land planning and regeneration opportunities for old districts, with a view to accelerating the formation of planning, project and financial reserves.
Over 520 hectares of land in old districts are currently being studied in the URA’s Planning Reserve. As more and more land will be needed for regeneration, the URA has to focus its limited resources on taking up more challenging redevelopment projects which have the potential of bringing great benefits to the community, but lack adequate financial incentives to attract market participation.
With a wider application of new planning tools in the URA projects, we will further expand development of the URIS to include more advanced functions, such as automatic exploration of sites in old districts which are suitable for applying the transfer of plot ratio; moving data applications from 2D to 3D; and creating ‘digital twins’ in the virtual world for building clusters in old districts. These initiatives will accelerate our team’s efforts in preparing different development options and assessing their impact on the neighbourhood, thus expediting the planning and execution of onerous urban renewal projects.
URA ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 15
Managing Director’s Statement Operating Review Corporate Sustainability Management Discussion and Analysis Projects at a Glance Corporate Governance