INDUSTRIAL/OFFICE IN HONG KONG - ITS APPLICABILITY IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Hong Kong's economy has undergone a clearly delineated structural transformation from a labour intensive manufacturing centre to a more service orientated economy. This transformation has been facilitated by the opening of China and many companies in Hong Kong have relocated their industrial operations to take advantage of lower production cost and abundant land. As part of the transformation, the concept of Industrial/Office has been introduced to meet the new industrial demand. Singapore has also been undergoing similar restructuring over the years, changing from labour intensive industries to one which is high value-added and capital intensive. Business parks have been introduced to cater for the changing needs. It is essentially a clean and planned park environment that houses high technology and knowledge based industries in modem well-designed buildings. The concept of I/O and business park, in many aspects, are similar except for the planning guidelines. These concepts are developed to suit the environment of their respective country and thus different restrictions have been imposed. This study examines the possibility of introducing the concept of I/O to Singapore. Changes and modifications to the concept are necessary to adapt it to local conditions. Recommendations on the various changes in terms of planning controls, plot ratio, amenities facilities and landscaping are made.