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^ 1 FOREWOR D There ar e severa l feature s o f tow n plannin g tha t suppor t an d encourag e a broader rang e o f argument s an d point s o f view tha n foun d anywher e els e i n the urba n developmen t process . Tw o tha t stan d ou t ar e firstly , th e multi disciplinary background s o f ke y actor s involve d who , beside s professiona l planners, ar e urban designers , engineers, surveyors , environmental scientists , sociologists, lawyer s an d financ e specialists ; an d secondly , th e fac t tha t planning i s a ver y loca l activity . Thi s ne w boo k stand s ou t i n bot h regards . I t recognizes tha t tow n plannin g i s no t th e sol e preserv e o f thos e wit h a professional qualificatio n i n th e subjec t and , fro m th e firs t page , situate s discussion i n th e rea l worl d o f the consumer . Hon g Kon g i s no t th e sam e a s Singapore, Bangko k o r Sydney, to name just thre e othe r regiona l centres , an d local conditions , cultur e an d histor y determin e th e developmen t scene . Thi s book coul d onl y have bee n writte n b y a residen t o f Hong Kong , someon e wh o has grow n u p amon g it s intricat e space s an d wh o understand s th e wa y decisions ar e mad e there . Wher e els e coul d on e discove r tha t colour-blin d applicants wer e refuse d employmen t wit h th e ol d Hon g Kon g governmen t planning departmen t fo r example ? Indeed, i n hi s fift h boo k o n tow n plannin g i n Hon g Kong , Lawrenc e Lai , together wit h hi s forme r studen t K i Fong, present s a welcom e departur e an d break wit h th e publishin g situatio n i n colonial days when urba n studie s o f all kinds wer e generall y writte n b y expatriates . Th e fac t tha t D r Lai , th e senio r author, ha s produce d s o much wor k i n thi s fiel d i n just thre e year s say s a lo t about th e enthusias m an d energ y surroundin g th e perio d immediatel y befor e and afte r th e reunification wit h mainland China . From the limited perspectiv e of a n outsid e observer , i t i s possibl e t o underlin e th e wa y i n whic h thi s boo k stands ou t fro m th e genera l ru n o f text s o n tow n plannin g practice . I t demonstrates ver y wel l tha t suc h practic e rest s o n th e accumulatio n o f pas t VIII Town฀Plannin g฀Practice:฀Context,฀Procedures฀and฀Statistic s฀ decisions. Thi s experienc e i n Hon g Kon g is explaine d wit h hypothetica l case s and th e analysi s o f real developmen t statistic s (i n Part II) . Although i t migh t seem a n obviou s need , ther e ar e remarkabl y fe w plannin g publication s apar t from thi s on e that identif y succes s rates o f planning application s accordin g t o their typ e an d locations . The book is full o f useful an d pertinen t illustrations . We discove r fo r exampl e tha t ther e ar e aroun d 36 0 professiona l planner s i n Hong Kong , tha t abou t 60 % o f the m wor k fo r th e governmen t an d tha t registered tow n planner s ar e par t o f an elit e functional constituenc y wit h tw o votes eac h in the Legislativ e Counci l elections . This boo k will, along...

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