'Lantau Reclamation Demands Vision, Clarity'

The Hong Kong Institute of Architects says the government must thoroughly think through what it wants to do with a thousand hectares of land it is planning to reclaim off Lantau, because it could be a game changer in drastically improving people's quality of life.

At a media luncheon on Tuesday, institute president Felix Li gave Shenzhen's Qianhai and Marina Bay in Singapore as examples of what can be achieved.

But he said the authorities must plan at least 30 to 50 years ahead, and adopt a forward-thinking and innovative approach when it comes to design planning.

"Conservative" and "piecemeal" is what Hong Kong has had over the past decade, he said.

Li also said that for such a mega project, the government shouldn't make decisions behind closed doors based on the suggestions of just one or two consultants.

He said as many talented professionals as possible should have an input, with design competitions a way to achieve this.

Li also said a high-level committee should be set up involving all the relevant government departments as well as architectural, surveying and engineering experts, to oversee the planning and execution of the project.