Density and overcrowding - A Case of Hong Kong

Pavanika.patil, I sem M.Arch(Habitat Design), BMSCE,Bangalore

E-mail pavanika.patil@gmail.com
Abstract:
Keywords:
Density, Spatial Distribution, Population, Hong Kong, Overcrowding,

1.

Introduction

Density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume; it is a quantity of

type number density. Urban density is considered an important factor in understanding how
cities function. The profile of densities is key to understanding a citys structure and its
livability. Cities where the land market works reasonably well have a common structure:
densities decrease from the city center outward. Population growth is the change in density
over time. The factors affecting density of population are Terrain, Climate, Soil, Water
Bodies, Mineral Resources, Industries, Transport and Urbanization.
Density is an objective measure and refers to the number of people in any given space - e.g.
per square meter, per room, per dwelling or per hectare. High density doesnt always lead to
crowding. Overcrowding generally refers to peoples psychological response to density that
is, to their feelings of being crowded, having a lack of privacy or an increase in unwanted
interactions or psychological distress.

1.1

Population, Density And Overcrowding

The spatial distribution of population density is classified into following categories:

Areas of extremely low density: Areas having 100 persons per sq. km and less than that are
included in this class
Areas of low density: Areas having population density of 101 to 250 persons per sq. km are
included in this class.
Areas of Moderate Density: This class includes those areas which are having 251 to 500
persons per sq. km.
Areas of High Density: These are areas having population density of 501 to 1000 per sq. km.
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Areas of Very High Density: Areas having more than 100 persons per sq. km are termed as
areas of very high population density.

Population is defined as the total number of individuals of a species present in a particular

area at a given time. A species has many populations living in different regions.
The scientific study of human population is called demography. It deals with three
phenomena;
(1) Changes in population size (growth or
decline)
(2) The composition of population and
(3) The distribution of population in space.

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It deals with five demographic processes namely fertility, mortality, marriage, migration
and social mobility. These five processes are continually at work within a population
determining size, composition and distribution. The profile of densities is key to
understanding a citys structure and its livability.
There are two main reasons cities are becoming so crowded: one economic and the other
socio-cultural. Undoubtedly, the primary cause for cities becoming so crowded is economic.
As a country develops, its cities become the engines of development. Therefore, many jobs
are available in these areas. Second, another factor in the huge increase in urban populations
is the socio-cultural factor. Thousands of people migrate to the cities not only for jobs but
also for educational and personal reasons. The better universities are always located in big
cities and this attracts tens of thousands of students every year. These students usually stay on
and work in the city after they graduate. Moreover, young people will move to the city as the
villages and rural areas are often governed by custom and tradition, which they believe is an
obstacle to their personal freedom.
Now in the world there are many cities which are facing overcrowding, such as London,
Tokyo, New york, Paris, Beijing, Singapore, Manila and Rio, Hong Kong but, few people
know the exact meaning of the term overcrowding. There is a popular definition which is
widely accepted by scholars: an outgrowth of excessive size is overcrowding, meaning too
many people occupying little space. (Brunn et al, 1983, p37). Overcrowding causes huge
problems such as housing, congestion, unemployment, air pollution, social problems and
energy tension.

1.2 A case study of Hong Kong

The meaning of high density is a matter of perception; it is subjective and depends upon the
society or individuals judgment against specific norms. Hence, societies or individuals of
different backgrounds and under different contexts come up with different definitions of high
density.
The term high density is always associated with overcrowding; however, the notion of high
density expressed in terms of building density has little to do with overcrowding. High
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building density measured in terms of plot ratio, for instance, refers to a high proportion of
built-up floor area. In the case of larger dwelling size and smaller household size, higher plot
ratio may lead to lower occupancy density and, therefore, more habitable area for individuals,
in turn mitigating the crowding condition. For instance, the plot ratio of government housing
development in Hong Kong rose from about 3 during the 1970s to about 5 in the 1980s;
accompanied with this growth in building density, the living space for occupants. Increased
from about 3.2 to 5 square meters per person Thus, higher building density, in this case,
actually helped to ease the problem of overcrowding in dwellings. The phenomenon of
overcrowding has resulted from the lack of space for individuals; thus, it is more about high
people density. The average residential density of government housing projects completed
during the 1970s was approximately 2300 individuals per hectare; during the 1980s, it was
2500 persons per hectare. Hence, although higher building density reduced occupancy
density within the dwelling, it also increased the overall people density on the site.
The average population density of Hong Kong over the entire territory is about 6300 persons
per square kilometer. Nevertheless, the distribution of the population is very uneven across
districts, ranging from 780 people per square kilometer in the outlying islands to 52,000
people per square kilometer in the urban area (Hong Kong census and statistics department,
2006).

Scarcity of land has also dictated the building typology in Hong Kong. The high-density
neighborhoods are made up of different building types. It consists of high density star
shaped towers, mixed high rise block form and super blocks. At the same instance, low
density developments, usually of the 1960s and 70s consists of double tubes or ten storey
high slabs.

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Problems of land scarcity and increase in population have posed challenges to the urban
development of Hong Kong. Only 21% of Hong Kongs land area is build-able, the
remaining area is largely mountainous and water bound. Continuous urban migration from
Mainland China, which started in the early 1950s, has contributed to a population increase of,
on average, 1 million or more people per decade. Of the nearly 7 million people living in
Hong Kong, more than 50% live and work in the small inner city centers. As a result,
population density reaches 46,000 people per square kilometer, in the densest areas with an
average of approximately 6250 plus people per square kilometer overall. The remaining 50%
of the population live in new towns shaped by a planned strategy developed since the 1990s,
the majority of whom travel to work in the urban centers by means of public transport. These
constraints have directly determined Hong Kongs high-rise urban habitat (Hong Kong
Government, 2002).

The urban area of Hong Kong has the highest population and employment density in the
world. Measured at block level, some areas may have population densities of more than
400,000 people per square kilometre. As of 2011, there are seven million people for its 1,068
square kilometres (412 square miles) of land. However, more than 75 per cent of this land
comprises no-built-up areas. The high concentration of people in just a few square kilometers
is due partly to the fact that new town development did not take place until well into the
1970s and therefore most of the population (which had experienced a post-war boom in the
1950s)had to be accommodated in the main urban area along the waterfront of the Victoria
Harbour on Hong Kong Island. The high price of land in Hong Kong also contributes to its
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high-density development. Those on low and middle incomes, and even some on high
incomes, can only afford to live in high-rise buildings. Despite its very high density, Hong
Kong is a still a very livable city compared to other large cities in the world.
High density has many advantages. It can create more efficient land use and is more costeffective in providing public services and facilities. In terms of transportation, Hong Kong
has one of the lowest energy consumption per capita in the world. High density maximizes
the effectiveness of public transport while minimizing the distance between the sites of dayto-day activities. It also reduces energy and infrastructure costs.
The negative effects of density can be mitigated by the design, layout, open spaces, traffic
and community facilities of both external and personal spaces. For external space, with a
fixed density, people will have a sensation of less crowdedness if there is more open space,
less traffic congestion and more community facilities. Over the past few years, Hong Kong
has developed planning, design and management measures to continue improving its highrise living environments.

2.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that amongst the many causes behind urban population density,
the economic and cultural are the most significant. People always move to the areas
which provide opportunity and the freedom they desire. It is now the responsibility of
urban designer, habitat designers and planners to make sure these people are housed,
clothed, fed and educated.
.

3.0 References
Website resources
1.
2.
3.

http://www.wsscc.org/how-advocacy/identify-partners (Accessed on 18-12-2014)

http://www.shipo-tz.org/news/advocacy (Accessed on 18-12-2014)
http://www.washadvocates.org/act/2013wfw/ (Accessed on 19-12-2014)
Reference Maps

Figures and Tables:

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