A Central Park between HK and Shenzhen?

There have been more headlines about the new metropolis in the city's north than the gigantic land creation plan off Lantau in the south. A shift of the focus from the south to the north is inevitable as the SAR continues to merge with the mainland with an emphasis on the Greater Bay Area.

An outstanding question is how Hong Kong is expected to grapple with the opportunity to make the best possible use of the inevitable trend.

I received an e-mail from a reader recently that, although short, was rich in information.

He recalled the moment he saw a photograph showing how Shenzhen has been built right to the edge of the small Shenzhen River that forms the border between the two cities.

Apparently, he was scared by the thought that Hong Kong may do the same and keep building until the strip is filled up to the Shenzhen River as the SAR continues to open up the border area to commercial and technology development.

Could a major piece like New York's world-famous Central Park be put in the middle of the new metropolis? That is the idea the reader has put forward. To be fair, it is a good one.

It is true that government planners have incorporated plenty of green space in their masterplan for the ambitious Northern Metropolis that will provide a vital economic and technology linkage with Shenzhen, together with effects radiating to outer cities in the Greater Bat Area.

Instead of creating small green spaces over the areas, is it possible to group these green spaces together to create a major iconic green zone and build around it as the border of the Shenzhen River will likely become increasingly blurred over time?

An iconic centerpiece may attract locals from all sides to enrich a sense of community.

It could also be something else if not a major central park. What really matters is that, as the SAR plans what to do with all those brown fields and the farmland owned by villagers and developers, it would be nice to try to be creative and have the courage to come up with bold ideas.

Hong Kong's focus of development has traditionally been towards the south due to reasons that have ceased to be relevant.

In the past, people were able to say readily, even in the midst of darkness, that the side illuminated with lights in the distance must be in the direction of Hong Kong.

It is now vice versa.

Over the years, Shenzhen has been developed up to the river bank, while our countryside within the northern strip is just opening up for new zoning uses.

This also allows potential for planners to do better.

When the New York City government decided in the mid-nineteenth century to build a major oasis in the middle of the city for residents from diverse backgrounds and different social classes to share, a public competition was held to invite design concepts to turn a large strip of barren land into what it is today.

Central Park is now the centerpiece of the world's No 1 financial center. Does the Northern Metropolis deserve to have a masterpiece of its own too?