Private housing estates in Hong Kong


Private housing estate is a term used in Hong Kong for private mass housing - a housing estate developed by a private developer, as opposed to a public housing estate built by the Hong Kong Housing Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Society. It usually is characterised with a cluster of high-rise buildings, with its own market or shopping mall. Mei Foo Sun Chuen, built by Mobil, is the earliest and largest by number of blocks.
Early real estate development in Hong Kong followed the urban street pattern: single blocks are packed along streets and most of them are managed independently, with quality varying from block to block. Private housing estates on the other hand provide integrated management throughout whole estate, attracting more affluent residents.
Mei Foo Sun Chuen, Taikoo Shing, Whampoa Garden and City One Shatin are early notable examples. More projects followed and the idea became widely accepted as the middle class of Hong Kong emerged.

Trends

With the economies of scale of large developments, and the lifting of height restrictions since the opening of the new airport at Chek Lap Kok, there is the tendency of new private tower block developments with 10 to over 100 towers, ranging from 30-to-70-storeys high.
There has also been a trend in joint ventures between the already oligopolistic real-estate developer in Hong Kong. Developers have been increasingly partnering up to bid for development sites. At a land auction on 8 May 2007, the Government warned developers not to collude in bidding.

The wall effect

There is currently some controversy over the "wall effect" caused by uniform high-rise developments which adversely impact air circulation and aggravate the heat effect but also impact public hygiene and contribute to air pollution. Private developers seeking to maximise revenues have tended to build uniform blocks on seafront sites to give all units unrestricted sea view.
Environmental group Green Sense expressed concern that their survey on 155 housing estates found 104 have a 'wall-like' design. It cited estates in Tai Kok Tsui and Tseung Kwan O as the "best examples".
Head of the Planning Department, Ava Ng, argued that the air ventilation factor has been taken into consideration with regard to the auction of all prime sites on the land application list, and said the erection of tall buildings at these sites will not create any "wall effect."
An air ventilation assessment is required only for sites with a total gross floor area of more than 100,000 square metres, according to technical guidelines in existence since 2006.
In May, 2007, citing concern over developments in West Kowloon, and near Tai Wai and Yuen Long railway stations, Wong Kwok-hing of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions proposed a motion calling for measures to reduce screen-like buildings which maximise good views at the expense of air flow in densely populated areas. The motion was vetoed by functional constituency representatives.

Lists of estates

The following is a partial list of private housing estates in Hong Kong:

Hong Kong Island

NameChinese NameAreaCompletedNo BlocksNo UnitsDeveloperPhotoCoordinates
Bel-Air ResidenceSouthern District2004 and 200832 with 47 individual houses2,800Pacific Century Premium Developments
City GardenNorth Point1980s142,393Cheung Kong
39 Conduit Roadmid-Levels2009166Henderson Land Development
Grand Promenade嘉亨灣Sai Wan Ho200652020Henderson Land Development, The Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Co Ltd.
Heng Fa ChuenChai Wan1982486,504MTR Corporation
Kerry Properties
Hong Kong ParkviewTai Tam198918984Chyau Fwu
Island PlaceNorth Point19963784Swire Properties
China Motor Bus
Island ResortSiu Sai Wan200143,098Sino Land
KornhillQuarry Bay1986448,831Hang Lung Properties
New World Development
MTR Property
Nam Fung Sun ChuenQuarry Bay1978122,826Nam Fung Group
Provident CentreNorth Point1984171,450Hutchison Whampoa Property
South HorizonsAp Lei Chau1990s349,812Hutchison Whampoa Property
Taikoo ShingQuarry Bay1980s6112,698Swire

Kowloon

NameChinese NameAreaCompletedNo BlocksNo UnitsDeveloperPhotoCoordinates
Amoy GardensNgau Tau Kok1987194,896Hang Lung Properties
The Cullinan天璽West Kowloon20082825Sun Hung Kai Properties
Grand Waterfront翔龍灣Ma Tau Kok200651782Henderson Land Development, Hong Kong and China Towngas
Harbour GreenTai Kok Tsui200751,514Sun Hung Kai Properties
MTR Corporation
The Harbourfront LandmarkHung Hom20013324Cheung Kong Holdings
Island HarbourviewTai Kok Tsui200092,314MTR Corporation
Sino Land
Bank of China
Kerry Properties
China Overseas Land and Investment
Laguna CityLam Tin1991388,072Cheung Kong
Hutchison Whampoa Property
Mei Foo Sun ChuenLai Chi Kok19659913,500Mobil
Parc OasisYau Yat Chuen1995321,822Wheelock Properties
Sino Group
Parc PalaisKing's Park20048703Sino Group
New World Development
Wharf Estates
Royal PeninsulaHung Hom200151,669Sun Hung Kai Properties
Henderson Land
Sceneway GardenLam Tin1992174,112Cheung Kong
Hutchison Whampoa Property
Telford GardensNgau Tau Kok1980414,992Mass Transit Railway Corporation
Hang Lung Properties
Hopewell Holdings
Victoria TowersTsim Sha Tsui20033988Cheung Kong
Hutchison Whampoa Property
Whampoa GardenHung Hom1980s8810,431Whampoa Dockyards
Hutchison Whampoa Property
Wyler GardensMa Tau Kok1979302,730Hang Seng Bank

Kwai Tsing District

Sai Kung District

Sha Tin District

NameChinese NameAreaCompletedNo. of BlocksNo UnitsDeveloperPhotoCoordinates
Belair GardensSha Tin1982 and 1987141,940Chinachem Group
CastelloSha Tin199981,744Sun Hung Kai Properties
City OneSha Tin1981-19885210,642New World Development
Henderson Land Development
Sun Hung Kai Properties
Cheung Kong Holdings
Festival CityTai Wai2010–2012124,304Cheung Kong Holdings
MTR Corporation
Garden VistaShek Mun19906840
Glamour GardenTai Wai
Golden Lion GardensTai Wai
Grandeur GardenTai Wai
Greenview GardenTai Wai
Julimount GardenTai Wai
Lakeview GardensTai Wai
Man Lai CourtTai Wai1990-19934Cheung Kong Holdings
Parc RoyaleTai Wai
Peak OneTai Wai
Pristine VillaTai Wai199514498Sun Hung Kai Properties
Sha Tin HeightsTai Wai
The Great HillTai Wai
Worldwide GardensTai Wai
Royal AscotFo Tan1995-199710Sun Hung Kai Properties
Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
Double CoveMa On Shan2013-2015213,500
Lake SilverMa On Shan200972,169
Sunshine CityMa On Shan1990s204,761Henderson Land Development
Villa AthenaMa On Shan1994101,064

Tsuen Wan District

Sham Tseng

Tuen Mun District

Yuen Long District