Hong Kong Housing Authority unveils Wah Fu Estate redevelopment, AI traffic plan
Hong Kong Housing Authority briefs Southern District Council on Wah Fu Estate redevelopment and first phase of new Wah Fu Estate public housing, gaining broad support. The first reception estate, Wah Fu North, will finish this year, with residents moving in by Q3 2027. The authority plans AI-powered
Hong Kong's Housing Authority on 2 November briefed the Southern District Council on the latest progress of the Wah Fu Estate redevelopment and relocation plan, and sought councillors' views on the first phase of the new Wah Fu Estate public housing development, receiving general support.
The first completed reception estate, Wah Fu North on Wah Keng Street, will finish construction by the end of this year. Residents of Wah On House and Wah Lok House will gradually move in, with relocation expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2027. Demolition will then begin to make way for the first phase of the new Wah Fu Estate, enabling it to receive residents of Wah Chui House and Wah King House six years earlier than originally planned.
To help households affected by phase 1b clearance – those in Wah Cheung House, Wah Kin House and Wah Tai House – the authority is offering an early relocation scheme with more than 400 flats at Wah Fu North. Successful applicants are expected to move in by March 2027. The other four reception estates will be completed between 2028 and 2031.
The new Wah Fu Estate adopts a 'community-based' core design concept. Through the 'Ten Kinds of Wah Fu' public participation programme, the design team has gathered stakeholder views and developed four strategies: conservation and revitalisation, community building, sustainable development, and innovative technology. The authority will use digital information management and data analysis platforms to simulate and analyse key engineering and environmental parameters. The authority is also coordinating with the Highways Department's Railway Development Division and MTR Corporation on the South Island Line (West Section) alignment and Wah Fu station location. Overall planning and design are expected to be largely completed by the first half of 2028.
The first phase of the new Wah Fu Estate, themed 'Rebuilding Wah Fu', proposes three residential towers for Wah Chui House and Wah King House residents. It will conserve and revitalise the existing Wah Fu (1) Shopping Centre and the 'Banyan Tree Head' outside, continuing the original 'town centre' concept. The plan includes social welfare facilities, outdoor courtyards, covered public spaces and a Wah Fu history archive. Part of Wah Fu Road will be realigned. The authority expects to gazette related road works in early 2027 and begin construction by mid-2028.
The Civil Engineering and Development Department's pedestrian and road improvement works in Pok Fu Lam South are expected to finish in 2027. MTR Corporation is conducting detailed planning and design for the South Island Line (West Section), which is scheduled to open by 2034. The authority is collaborating with a research team from the University of Hong Kong to develop an integrated smart monitoring platform, using artificial intelligence and real-time traffic data to dynamically plan construction vehicle routes, aiming to reduce traffic impact on surrounding areas.