Town Planning Board is asked to protect ‘Old Central' as a Special Design Area
Last Friday (8 August 2008), the Town Planning Board published a rezoning application (number Y/H3/3) by the Central & Western District Concern Group for the preservation of the 'Old City of Hong Kong', including Graham Street, Hollywood Road, and SoHo.
The public can make its views known. Click here to express your support on the Town Planning Board website BEFORE 29 August 2008.
For the first time ever, the Town Planning Board is asked to decide on protecting an entire area, Hong Kong's ‘Old' Central District, to be zoned as a "Special Design Area":
- Keep the original street layout of Hong Kong's Old City intact.
- Limit the height (maximum 12 storeys) and bulk of buildings to a human-scale and design.
- Designate specific streets as "market streets".
- Retain Graham/Peel/Gage/Staveley/Gutzlaff Streets as a functioning street market;
- Let dai pai dongs continue to operate;
- Keep the character in line with historic buildings such as the Central Police Station; the Bishop's House on Lower Albert Road; Man Mo Temple; and other features of the Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail.
- Encourage organic regeneration by a diverse group of many smaller property owners.
- Limit the development
- Improve open space, improve traffic, air quality and natural light.
Katty Law and John Batten, Convenors of the Central & Western Concern Group, explain: "Our application allows regeneration of this wonderful area and ensures that the sense of community, market vibrancy and open space is retained. We must acknowledge the historic character and protect this through zoning."
Express your support: Safeguard Graham Street, Hollywood Road, SoHo and adjoining areas
Express your support for the rezoning application with an email to the Town Planning Board at [email protected] before 29 August 2008 (quote application Y/H3/3).
Or click here to comment via the Town Planning Board website.
http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/en/plan_application/Y_H3_3.html
Further details about this application
Please visit http://www.centralandwestern.org/ or contact the Central & Western Concern Group: Katty Law ([email protected]), John Batten ([email protected])
This community project has professional planning support from Masterplan Limited