Balanced growth through long-term planning

Sha Tin New Town in Hong Kong is a good example of how urban planners can achieve balanced, environmentally friendly growth via a long-term program for industrial development and an affordable public transportation network.

Situated in the New Territories area, Sha Tin was designed to ease the pressure on the overburdened city. Since its construction in the 1970s, Sha Tin has developed from a rural township of 30,000 residents to a community with a population of 630,000, according to data from the Hong Kong Civil Engineering and Development Department.

Sha Tin was built on a long-term plan for its development into a small, quasi-independent district, so public services and employment opportunities have been high on the list of priorities for the local planning office from its inception.