Town Planning in Hong Kong

As Hong Kong town-planning legislation develops, there is an ever-growing demand for a better understanding of the rules and principles behind the discretionary decisions of the Town Planning Board regarding planning applications. Town Planning in Hong Kong: A Review of Planning Appeals is a thorough analysis of 50 unreported cases of the Town Planning Appeal Board on appeals against the Town Planning Board decisions concerning planning applications and review. This book goes beyond the usual requirements of books on ‘case and materials’: it systematically documents the facts and arguments presented in the decisions, distills the reasons and rules behind them, and comments on each in detail. It also provides a comparative study of all the cases from the perspective of town planning and economics. This book will be of great value to developers, planners, lawyers and professionals who work in the development and conservation of lands in Hong Kong.

Lawrence Wai-chung Lai has a bachelor and master’s degree in economics, a law degree and a master’s degree in town planning. His PhD thesis was on zoning and property rights. He is now an associate professor in the Department of Real Estate and Construction at the University of Hong Kong and specializes in the property rights aspects of town planning and environmentalism. He was previously specialist socio-economic planning consultant to the Planning Department, Environmental Protection Officer and Town Planner in the Hong Kong government. As a Registered Professional Planner, his professional affiliations include corporate membership with the Royal Australian Planning Institute, Hong Kong Institute of Planners and Chartered Institute of Transport.

“The volume fills an obvious niche. There is clearly a need for commentaries and summaries of this kind to be made publicly available in a form that is accessible to practitioners and researchers.” —Susan Batty, The Bartlett School of Planning, University College London

“The book covers an important aspect of statutory planning in Hong Kong . . .  is informative and provides a useful reference for researchers, students and practitioners interested in local planning appeal cases.” —Tang Bo-sin, Department of Building and Real Estate, Hong Kong Polytechnic University