HK lawmaker likens university town to northern metropolis 'main course', urges infrastructure-first approach
Hong Kong legislators debated the city's first five-year plan, focusing on the Northern Metropolis. One lawmaker called the university town the 'main course' of the project, while another urged infrastructure-first development. The plan includes three university towns and aims to attract tech firms
Hong Kong legislators on Thursday continued debating the city's first five-year plan, with a focus on accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis, a key part of the plan.
Yao Cho-fai, a lawmaker representing the commercial sector, described the planned university town as the 'main course' of the Northern Metropolis. He said a well-executed university town would attract tech enterprises, top talent, leading companies and investors, boosting the area's reputation and helping Hong Kong become an international innovation and technology hub.
Yao also stressed the need to connect industry, academia and research. He supported the planned Hung Shui Kiu university town focusing on smart manufacturing and applied higher education, and urged the government to inject more capital into the Hong Kong Investment Corporation to enable flexible investment in hard tech, life and health tech, new energy and green tech, building an ecosystem with patient capital.
Michael Ng, leader of the Business and Professionals Alliance, said the government's decision to upgrade the university town planning group to a higher-level committee reflects a change in thinking. He proposed that the Northern Metropolis adopt an 'infrastructure-first' approach, prioritising transport networks, road works, public facilities and cross-border passenger flow planning.
Yiu Ming, a lawmaker from the New Territories North, welcomed the government's clear direction for the university towns in San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu and Ta Kwu Ling. He hoped traditional local schools would open branches there and international schools would set up campuses, offering diverse education options.
Yiu also called for the implementation of a 15-minute living circle, ensuring public clinics, modern markets, sports and welfare facilities are completed alongside housing. He urged the government to introduce private hospitals to the Northern Metropolis, complementing the medical school in the university town to ease pressure on healthcare and create an innovation system linking industry, academia and research.