The problem of urban villages in urban planning: historical legacy and future development--Based on a comparative study of the old urban areas of Beijing and Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative study of two different urban development models and urban planning concepts between the Mainland and the Special Administrative Region, based on an analysis of the historical process of urbanisation in Beijing and Hong Kong. This paper presents a multidimensional observation of the urban village problem in each of the two cities from four perspectives: land use, economic development, urban governance and urban culture. The finding shows that there are significant differences in the urban development patterns and urban planning philosophies of the two cities, Beijing and Hong Kong, influenced by different historical legacy factors, which have caused different manifestations and solutions of the urban village problem in the two cities. The purpose of this paper is to draw historical lessons from the analysis of the historical process and to provide a pathway solution for urban planning in other regions and for the solution of the urban village problem. This paper presents a comprehensive study on the issue of "urban villages" in two distinctive Chinese cities at the same level of development under the "one country, two systems" policy. The aim is to identify and analyze the social and demographic problems on the basis of an accurate picture of the urban development process, and to provide scientific strategies and suggestions for urban planning and management.