A) HK once had rent control?

B) I'll explain in next tweet.

C) People have been doing this already, but it's illegal. Good friends of mine had to abandon a place they spent a small fortune renovating when building was sold. No compensation, b/c illegal. https://twitter.com/OldChinaBland/status/1335042107795333121
So what is the small housing policy? Let's start with the basics. The boundaries of HK were expanded in three waves by treaty:

1842: HK Island
1860: Kowloon and Stonecutters Island
1898: Everything else
So what is the small housing policy? Let's start with the basics. The boundaries of HK were expanded in three waves by treaty:1842: HK Island1860: Kowloon and Stonecutters Island 1898: Everything else
So what is the small housing policy? Let's start with the basics. The boundaries of HK were expanded in three waves by treaty:1842: HK Island1860: Kowloon and Stonecutters Island 1898: Everything else
The 1898 expansion was different from the first two in important ways: it was a lease and there were already people living there. The former is proximate cause for how we got Handover in 1997, the latter left some really weird policy arrangements in place.
@OldChinaBland knows this history a lot better, but the British weren't universally welcomed with open arms in the New Territories. There was some fighting, especially around Tai Po. And Brits have no interest in fighting so sign off on what you could call One Colony, Two Systems
So in this green area, the HK colonial govt agreed to a traditional male descendent land inheretence and somewhere along the way there was a rule that (unless otherwise authorized), ‘village’ homes here could only have a max 700 sq/ft footprint and no taller than three stories. https://twitter.com/Comparativist/status/1335088939292450816
I want to use Pak Pok on Lamma Island to explain why there's not actually a 'land shortage' in Hong Kong.

At least not one that would justify paving in half the sea between Lantau and HK Island for reclamation.
I want to use Pak Pok on Lamma Island to explain why there's not actually a 'land shortage' in Hong Kong. At least not one that would justify paving in half the sea between Lantau and HK Island for reclamation.
I want to use Pak Pok on Lamma Island to explain why there's not actually a 'land shortage' in Hong Kong. At least not one that would justify paving in half the sea between Lantau and HK Island for reclamation.
I want to use Pak Pok on Lamma Island to explain why there's not actually a 'land shortage' in Hong Kong. At least not one that would justify paving in half the sea between Lantau and HK Island for reclamation.
I want to use Pak Pok on Lamma Island to explain why there's not actually a 'land shortage' in Hong Kong. At least not one that would justify paving in half the sea between Lantau and HK Island for reclamation.
I quite like Pak Kok, but what the govt is proposing is filling in half the sea visible in this picture with sand and concrete.

There's more land available here than Park Island (15k ppl). Maybe 150 live there now.
I quite like Pak Kok, but what the govt is proposing is filling in half the sea visible in this picture with sand and concrete. There's more land available here than Park Island (15k ppl). Maybe 150 live there now.
I quite like Pak Kok, but what the govt is proposing is filling in half the sea visible in this picture with sand and concrete. There's more land available here than Park Island (15k ppl). Maybe 150 live there now.
I quite like Pak Kok, but what the govt is proposing is filling in half the sea visible in this picture with sand and concrete. There's more land available here than Park Island (15k ppl). Maybe 150 live there now.
I quite like Pak Kok, but what the govt is proposing is filling in half the sea visible in this picture with sand and concrete. There's more land available here than Park Island (15k ppl). Maybe 150 live there now.
Let's zoom in to the village that used to be a twenty minute hike from my house. Like other villagers around Lamma, it's abandoned because ferry service is bad. There's wetlands that need protecting, but there's still a lot of room to responsibility develop under Small House
Let's zoom in to the village that used to be a twenty minute hike from my house. Like other villagers around Lamma, it's abandoned because ferry service is bad. There's wetlands that need protecting, but there's still a lot of room to responsibility develop under Small House
Let's zoom in to the village that used to be a twenty minute hike from my house. Like other villagers around Lamma, it's abandoned because ferry service is bad. There's wetlands that need protecting, but there's still a lot of room to responsibility develop under Small House
Let's zoom in to the village that used to be a twenty minute hike from my house. Like other villagers around Lamma, it's abandoned because ferry service is bad. There's wetlands that need protecting, but there's still a lot of room to responsibility develop under Small House
Let's zoom in to the village that used to be a twenty minute hike from my house. Like other villagers around Lamma, it's abandoned because ferry service is bad. There's wetlands that need protecting, but there's still a lot of room to responsibility develop under Small House
Then there's spots like Lo Tik Wan that are 99% abandoned because the gov cut ferry subsidies, so ferry's stopped coming.

Lo Tik Wan is now 3km from an MTR station. <50 people probably live there today.
Then there's spots like Lo Tik Wan that are 99% abandoned because the gov cut ferry subsidies, so ferry's stopped coming. Lo Tik Wan is now 3km from an MTR station. <50 people probably live there today.
Then there's spots like Lo Tik Wan that are 99% abandoned because the gov cut ferry subsidies, so ferry's stopped coming. Lo Tik Wan is now 3km from an MTR station. <50 people probably live there today.
Then there's spots like Lo Tik Wan that are 99% abandoned because the gov cut ferry subsidies, so ferry's stopped coming. Lo Tik Wan is now 3km from an MTR station. <50 people probably live there today.
Then there's spots like Lo Tik Wan that are 99% abandoned because the gov cut ferry subsidies, so ferry's stopped coming. Lo Tik Wan is now 3km from an MTR station. <50 people probably live there today.
Pause to note that @ssataline wrote in 2014 about how this abandoned fishing village gets a vote in HK's electoral system

https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/11/06/let-them-eat-fish/

https://twitter.com/Comparativist/status/1335101143643430913?s=19
So to recap: I'm pointing to lots of abandoned land just around Lamma. If the govt provided better ferry service, many of them could house thousands of people even under Small Home Policy (700 sq/ft | 3 floors per housing unit).
So to recap: I'm pointing to lots of abandoned land just around Lamma. If the govt provided better ferry service, many of them could house thousands of people even under Small Home Policy (700 sq/ft | 3 floors per housing unit).
So to recap: I'm pointing to lots of abandoned land just around Lamma. If the govt provided better ferry service, many of them could house thousands of people even under Small Home Policy (700 sq/ft | 3 floors per housing unit).
So to recap: I'm pointing to lots of abandoned land just around Lamma. If the govt provided better ferry service, many of them could house thousands of people even under Small Home Policy (700 sq/ft | 3 floors per housing unit).
So to recap: I'm pointing to lots of abandoned land just around Lamma. If the govt provided better ferry service, many of them could house thousands of people even under Small Home Policy (700 sq/ft | 3 floors per housing unit).
But you could also turn these places into something like Park Island without ruining the ‘character’ of Lamma. These places aren’t parkland. The greenery is pretty, but no need to abandon these places to pythons and wild boars. https://twitter.com/comparativist/status/1335102677114527746
But you could also turn these places into something like Park Island without ruining the ‘character’ of Lamma. These places aren’t parkland. The greenery is pretty, but no need to abandon these places to pythons and wild boars. https://twitter.com/comparativist/status/1335102677114527746
But you could also turn these places into something like Park Island without ruining the ‘character’ of Lamma. These places aren’t parkland. The greenery is pretty, but no need to abandon these places to pythons and wild boars. https://twitter.com/comparativist/status/1335102677114527746
So far we’ve just covered one New Territories island I know like the back of my hand b/c I’ve lived there for eight of the past ten years. It would be difficult to track down all the heritary owners of these abandoned homes. I’ve never once seen any buy or rent real estate ads.
Now let’s look at somewhere people more traditionally associate with the New Territories: Tai Po. Specifically, the land around the last university I worked at. It’s a beautiful, if isolated, campus built along the ridge of a valley.
Now let’s look at somewhere people more traditionally associate with the New Territories: Tai Po. Specifically, the land around the last university I worked at. It’s a beautiful, if isolated, campus built along the ridge of a valley.
Now let’s look at somewhere people more traditionally associate with the New Territories: Tai Po. Specifically, the land around the last university I worked at. It’s a beautiful, if isolated, campus built along the ridge of a valley.
Now let’s look at somewhere people more traditionally associate with the New Territories: Tai Po. Specifically, the land around the last university I worked at. It’s a beautiful, if isolated, campus built along the ridge of a valley.
Let’s zoom in on one my pics, then look above and measure with Google Earth.

The EduHK campus overlooks a valley that’s been turned into a 8.6 hectare garbage dump.
Let’s zoom in on one my pics, then look above and measure with Google Earth. The EduHK campus overlooks a valley that’s been turned into a 8.6 hectare garbage dump.
Let’s zoom in on one my pics, then look above and measure with Google Earth. The EduHK campus overlooks a valley that’s been turned into a 8.6 hectare garbage dump.
Let’s zoom in on one my pics, then look above and measure with Google Earth. The EduHK campus overlooks a valley that’s been turned into a 8.6 hectare garbage dump.
It’s everywhere in the New Territories. Here’s 4.3 km2 (426 hectares) of land south of Shek Kong Air Base that’s a mix of abandoned farmland, 3 story 700 sq/ft ‘village’ houses, and industrial dumping ground.
It’s everywhere in the New Territories. Here’s 4.3 km2 (426 hectares) of land south of Shek Kong Air Base that’s a mix of abandoned farmland, 3 story 700 sq/ft ‘village’ houses, and industrial dumping ground.
It’s everywhere in the New Territories. Here’s 4.3 km2 (426 hectares) of land south of Shek Kong Air Base that’s a mix of abandoned farmland, 3 story 700 sq/ft ‘village’ houses, and industrial dumping ground.
It’s everywhere in the New Territories. Here’s 4.3 km2 (426 hectares) of land south of Shek Kong Air Base that’s a mix of abandoned farmland, 3 story 700 sq/ft ‘village’ houses, and industrial dumping ground.
It’s everywhere in the New Territories. Here’s 4.3 km2 (426 hectares) of land south of Shek Kong Air Base that’s a mix of abandoned farmland, 3 story 700 sq/ft ‘village’ houses, and industrial dumping ground.
I meant to cover the Heung Yee Kuk in this thread but I’ll save it for another day. tbh, I don’t think I’m well read enough into either their origins or how, exactly, they fit into the larger picture of fisheries and Outer Islands DAB-concrete rackets. https://twitter.com/28481k/status/1335095826863935489
I took @Noahpinion too the dai pai dongs in Central when he visited. He was extremely unimpressed w/ the grimy residential aesthetics in HK’s banking district. And I just said, “look, they were built 40-50 yrs ago. They’re nicer inside. What do you propose replacing them with?” https://twitter.com/28481k/status/1335094252989161472
We don’t have a ‘land shortage’ in Hong Kong. What we have is extremely inefficient land usage in a context where property prices everywhere are some of the highest in the world. HK govt’s solution has always knee-jerked to “more reclamation.” https://twitter.com/comparativist/status/1335111757895925761
I just don’t know why no one seems to have proposed making Pak Kok as dense as Tsing Yi. Connect it with Lok Tik Wan and the abandoned mine and it’s 220 hectares of land that maybe 200 people currently live on. Development wouldn’t destroy Yung Shue Wan or Sok Kwu Wan’s character https://twitter.com/comparativist/status/1335097984128671745
The developments Lamma 'purists' have objected to in my time:

- filling YSW bay with concrete, redrawing the waterfront, thus killing off every current seaview restaurant

- a proposal to turn 'Turtle Beach' area (Tung O) into a yacht & golf club/resort

https://twitter.com/chopkickpunch/status/1335141799770222592?s=19
The developments Lamma 'purists' have objected to in my time:- filling YSW bay with concrete, redrawing the waterfront, thus killing off every current seaview restaurant- a proposal to turn 'Turtle Beach' area (Tung O) into a yacht & golf club/resort https://twitter.com/chopkickpunch/status/1335141799770222592?s=19
The developments Lamma 'purists' have objected to in my time:- filling YSW bay with concrete, redrawing the waterfront, thus killing off every current seaview restaurant- a proposal to turn 'Turtle Beach' area (Tung O) into a yacht & golf club/resort https://twitter.com/chopkickpunch/status/1335141799770222592?s=19
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