Along with the increase of big data and the advancement of technologies, comprehensive data-driven knowledge of urban systems is becoming more attainable, yet the connection between big-data research and its application e.g., in smart city development, is not clearly articulated. Focusing on Human Mobility, one of the most frequently investigated applications of big data analytics, a framework for linking international academic research and city-level management policy was established and applied to the case of Hong Kong. Literature regarding human mobility research using big data are reviewed. These studies contribute to (1) discovering the spatial-temporal phenomenon, (2) identifying the difference in human behaviour or spatial attributes, (3) explaining the dynamic of mobility, and (4) applying to city management. Then, the application of the research to smart city development are scrutinised based on email queries to various governmental departments in Hong Kong. The identified challenges include data isolation, data unavailability, gaming between costs and quality of data, limited knowledge derived from rich data, as well as estrangement between public and private sectors. With further improvement in the practical value of data analytics and the utilization of data sourced from multiple sectors, paths to achieve smarter cities from policymaking perspectives are highlighted.

There is a worldwide trend for planning bodies to allow, require, or encourage developers to provide open spaces in their properties for public enjoyment to complement the open spaces on government lands. The two types of privately owned open space and government-owned open space, both accessible to public, can influence on people’s quality of life. Whether and how the land ownership of open spaces would influence their performance and, in turn, affect user satisfaction has not yet been studied and is worthy of exploration. This paper aims to examine the interactive relationships among three variables: ‘publicness’, quality/performance, and user satisfaction in both types of open space in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey was administered to users of privately owned open space and government-owned open space and found that satisfaction with government-owned open space was marginally higher than with privately owned open space, with respect to activity facilities, amenities, and the overall utilization. Nevertheless, the differences in satisfaction were mainly the result of open space quality rather than land ownership per se. This study also examines the determinants of satisfaction, open space provision, and management and trends in spatial use. Findings from this study can deepen the understanding of utilizing both government-owned open space and privately owned open space from the user’s perspective, which will help improve the planning, design, and management of open spaces in cities.

Statutory land-use planning allocates different uses of land resources. However, local governments may focus on economic development and financial revenue, leading to environmentally unfavourable outcomes, such as a shortage of public urban green space (UGS). Land resource allocation in planning is associated with institutional arrangements. This study aims to link the corresponding institutional factors under the themes of initial land ownership and governing instruments to the fiscal effect of UGS provision. A comparative study with different scenarios is conducted using land market data to demonstrate quantitatively the influence of such factors on government revenue. The results suggest that the situation with initial public land ownership status backed up by regulatory instruments is more advantageous for providing UGS than that with the initial private land ownership status relying on market-based instruments. The study identifies the characteristics of different institutional arrangements, outlining institutional changes and possible strategies for improving urban sustainability.

Land in urban fringe area is the primary source for land supply and development. In Hong Kong (HK), nine new towns have been built in New Territories since 1970s, providing 172.6 km2 built-up land and large amount of residences for 3.4 million people. However, due to land scarcity, development restriction, and social opposition, New Development Area (NDA), as the small-scale extension of New Town (NT), was designated as one of the main approaches for HK medium and long term land supply. To demonstrate the characteristics of urban fringe land use transitions in Hong Kong, literature review and case study were used in this research. The history of new town development and the scheme of new development areas were introduced firstly. Afterwards, the land use features of NT and NDA were compared and the case of Hung Shui Kiu NDA was illustrated. It is concluded that while housing, infrastructure and facility were the main elements in NTs, employment, vibrancy and environment were suggested to be the new compulsory elements in NDAs integrated to the traditional planning concepts. As for the development approach, lease modification was adopted in NDA to allow private landowners directly develop their land, in addition to the traditional development approach of land resumption in NT. It is suggested to ensure the development of NDA, the proposed development plan should be persuasive to provide the optimal land use distribution as a trade-off among the profits of developers, the interests of local villager, government concern and the provision of land for future residents. Also, community engagement will play a more important role in NDA planning process. Referring to the analysis of urban fringe land use transitions and strategies for planning and development, the study would also be helpful to others growing cities.