New path to urban regeneration

For Tim Blackburn-led Swire, rise of the middle class is opportunity to develop mixed-use properties

For Tim Blackburn, 47, CEO of Swire Properties' Chinese mainland arm, development or regeneration of high-quality properties over the long term, with emphasis on aesthetics and adding value to the local community, is a philosophy close to his heart.

That has held him in good stead through his decadeslong career with Swire, a Hong Kong-based developer, owner and operator of mixed-use commercial properties. He is now finding new meanings for that philosophy in the mainland.