Public Spaces or Public Housing?
by Wong Tsz Ying Chloe (5D)

     The Hong Kong Government has lots of measures to improve our lives. One way to help the poor end is to provide them with more public housing. However, I disagree with a part of our public areas being released to build public housing because it will affect the natural environment.

     Hong Kong is a small city, so if it loses its public spaces, it will become even more cramped. This would deteriorate our citizens’ quality of life, since the community would lack sufficient outdoor recreational facilities from shopping, cycling to playing in the park. If people just live in such a densely populated environment, they will feel stressed.

     Public spaces are the most essential to people who work in the office for relaxation. They need to work for at least 8 hours every day so they get great pressure from work. If we don’t have enough public places, they may have no place to relax and some of them may even develop mood disorders in some extreme cases. This is surely an avoidable mental health issue.

     Moreover, developing concentrated public housing will negatively influence our physical health. Many of the public housing buildings are constructed closely and they accumulate waste gases such as carbon dioxide. It causes insufficient ventilation and fresh air so residents will get sick easily. Also, the construction of buildings reduces the green belt; consequently, people may suffer from respiratory diseases.

     Building public housing not only causes negative impacts to our health, but also uses lots of resources. In order to increase the supply of public housing, the buildings are built as high as 40 floors. Besides, the construction projects cause pollution, such as air pollution and noise pollution. The damage to the environment is irreversible.

     Last but not least, Hong Kong depends on tourism to boost its economy. Therefore, it is important to maintain the public spaces like public squares, beaches and parks to generate revenue. These places can attract travelers to visit. Their consumption on souvenirs, products and food can increase the financial revenue of Hong Kong.

     Although some people think developing public housing is the fastest way to alleviate current housing problems, this ‘quick’ policy will destroy our health, our environment and the habitats of wildlife. It is significant enough that the government should be concerned about it. In order to have a prosperous city, we need to strike a balance between urban development and conservation.

     In fact, the Hong Kong Government can develop better urban planning. For example, it can carry out urban redevelopment and revitalization to relieve such housing issues and protect the green belt and public spaces for gathering and relaxation. There is no doubt that all Hong Kong people want to live in a wonderful city in which they can breathe fresh air, enjoy the natural scenery and live comfortably.