Rock caverns and underground spaces ?

Really?

What does CYL have in mind here?


Hong Kong Leader Pledges to Ease Housing Shortage


Leung Chun-ying, who took office last July, pledged to help produce 100,000 new units of housing over the next five years by streamlining approvals, opening up undeveloped lands for housing, and even tapping rock caverns and underground spaces for development.

. . .

In his speech on Wednesday, Mr. Leung tried to change the political narrative by addressing the bread-and-butter concerns of the residents of Hong Kong, where an influx of money, much of it from the Chinese mainland, have led to yawning wealth disparities while driving up housing prices and creating a shortage of affordable homes.


“While Hong Kong is a generally affluent society, there are still many people who live a hand-to-mouth existence.” he said. “Public resources should be devoted to those who cannot provide for themselves.”

. . .

Large-scale developments in Hong Kong take 10 to 20 years to approve and build because they involve considerable public consultation, elaborate engineering to adapt to the challenges of building on steep slopes and sometimes the construction of additional subway stops. Mr. Leung cautioned in his speech that his suggested measures may not bring quick relief from the city’s housing shortage.


Teenagers and people in their 20s have become increasingly active in the past year in street protests that previously had more middle-aged demonstrators, and Mr. Leung tried to seek their support. The city’s youth face higher unemployment than previous generations and more worries about housing affordability. But they have also tended to be sympathetic to environmental concerns about encroachment on the city’s many hillside parks, which real estate developers regard as a source of delay.


“Our young people should recognize that the planning proposals and development options under discussion today are intended to address their future needs,” Mr. Leung said. "It is all too easy for the government to sidestep the problem but it is today’s young people who will have to bear the adverse consequences in future."


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+more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/world/asia/hong-kong-leader-pledges-to-ease-housing-shortage.html?_r=0#h[]



"Tapping rock caverns and underground spaces for development"

???

How does THAT work ?

Perhaps Henry Tang knows...

Your future luxury Hong Kong home?


http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/1817/hkhomes.jpg


Rock Cavern and Underground Space Development

82. Reclamation aside, rock caverns and underground spaces are viable sources of land supply. We are studying the feasibility of relocating the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to a cavern to make way for housing or other uses. We are also conducting a study on the long-term strategy for rock cavern development with a view to preparing rock cavern master plans and formulating policy guidelines. Moreover, we will further explore the potential of developing underground spaces in the urban areas. This includes studying the possibility of linking up the underground spaces of existing or planned structures in the urban areas.

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CYL's Address: http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201301/16/P201301160282.htm