Private companies will build 10 pedestrian walkways in bustling parts of Hong Kong under an initiative aimed at improving connectivity in the city by offering land premium waivers, with two of the projects to open to the public next year.
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Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said on Sunday that the 10 approved projects in the incentive programme were located in densely populated areas, including Kowloon East, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hung Hom, Causeway Bay and Wan Chai.
“The policy is a successful example of the government effectively leveraging market forces and collaborating with the private sector,” Linn said on her blog.
“The Development Bureau will continue to promote and make good use of the policy to encourage and support more private developers to fund and build footbridges or underpasses to provide a more convenient, connected and high-quality walking environment for the public.”
The connectivity initiative, launched in 2016, provides land premium waivers to private sector companies that build pedestrian links, such as footbridges and underpasses.
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The Two Queensway Bridge, which opened in Admiralty in late April, is its most recent project. The bridge connects Pacific Place to Harcourt Garden, providing access to Admiralty MTR station and nearby facilities such as the Hong Kong government headquarters and commercial buildings.
Swire Properties was responsible for designing, building, managing and maintaining the facility, which is open to the public around the clock.