Fairview Park: A Forerunner of the Northern Metropolis

Four decades ago, the Fairview Park housing development became the first and largest project of its kind to provide an affordable, low-rise alternative to the concrete jungle of predominantly high-rise apartment blocks in Hong Kong. In this development, 12.5 million square feet of undeveloped pond-lands were transformed into a self-contained community of more than 5,000 semi-detached houses with private gardens, schools, recreational facilities and a commercial center adjoining Mai Po Nature Reserve.

How does Fairview Park serve as a precursor to the future Northern Metropolis Development (NMD) which promises to give priority to urban-rural integration, proactive conservation, and quality outdoor eco-recreation / tourism?

Join us for a panel discussion and walking tour of this pioneering development on April 20th (Saturday) with four distinguished practitioners in this AIA Hong Kong program, supported by ULI Hong Kong, featuring developers, architects and surveyors with extensive knowledge of how Fairview Park came into existence years ago - and how its planning principles may be applicable to the NMD.

About the Speakers

Professor Nelson Chen, FAIA FRIBA FHKIA
Principal of Nelson Chen Architects

Nelson Chen is an award-winning architect and Principal of Nelson Chen Architects, which was founded in 1987. His firm is the recipient of the Architecture Firm Award from both the AIA Hong Kong Chapter (1999) and the AIA International Region (2020). Since 1992, he has served in several academic and advisory roles at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, including Professor of Practice in Architecture, Director of the School of Architecture (2014-19), and University Council member (2024-26). He was the Founding President of the AIA Hong Kong Chapter in 1997 and received its Distinguished Leadership Award (2022). Professor Chen was born in New York, educated at Harvard, where he received the AIA School Medal as first-ranked graduate, and was a Knox Fellow at Cambridge. He is the only concurrently elected Fellow of the American, British, and Hong Kong Institutes of Architects.

Roger Nissim, FRICS FHKIS RPS
Board Member of Hong Kong Countryside Foundation

Roger Nissim practiced as a chartered surveyor in England before moving to Hong Kong more than five decades ago. He worked in the Lands Department of the HK Government (1973-1993), Sun Hung Kai Properties (1993-2007) and at the University of Hong Kong as an adjunct professor in the Department of Real Estate and Construction (2007-2018). Currently, Roger is a board member of the Hong Kong Countryside Foundation and the Ebenezer School for the Visually Impaired. He is the author of Land Administration and Practice in Hong Kong (first published in 1998, now in its fifth printing) and The First Estates: The Story of Fairview Park and Hong Lok Yuen (2020), both published by the HKU Press. A third book titled The Placemakers of Hong Kong will be published by the HKU Press later this year.

Professor Stephen Tang, BBS FHKIA FHKIP HKIUD
Head of the Countryside Conservation Office

Stephen Tang is the Head of the Countryside Conservation Office established in Hong Kong’s Policy Address of 2017. He is the former Deputy Director of the Architectural Services Department (ASD) and has over 40 years of experience in architecture, urban planning and design. Currently, Stephen is Chairman of the Prince of Wales Hospital Capital Works Subcommittee, overseeing the redevelopment of the teaching hospital towards wellness design. He is also the Vice-chairman of the CreateSmart Initiatives Vetting Committee appointed by Hong Kong's Secretary for Culture Sports and Tourism, an Advisory Committee member of the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. Stephen was elected President of the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design (2016 - 2018).

Douglas Wu
Executive Director, Fairland Holdings

Douglas Wu has an extensive background in Hong Kong real estate investment and architecture. He is currently the Executive Director of Fairland Holdings, a private real estate development company focused on value-add projects to refurbish and reposition older buildings in Hong Kong and overseas. His recent projects include the refurbishment of the Fairview Park Town Centre neighborhood mall and the creation of a branded series of lifestyle buildings - Spark City - located in Cheung Sha Wan and Mongkok. Soon to come is the upgrading of a neighborhood mall in To Kwa Wan. Douglas obtained his Master of Architecture at Harvard University and is a Founding Patron of the M+ Museum. He also currently serves as a Global Governing Trustee on the Hong Kong Executive Committee for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and on the Board of Governors at the ISF Academy in Hong Kong.

Moderator

Shannon Ho, AIA HKIA
Executive Director, Aedas

Shannon Ho is an Executive Director at Aedas, where she works on a diverse range of projects, including high-end hospitality, retail, large-scale commercial, and complex infrastructure developments. With extensive experience in her role as executive architect and project coordinator, she oversees and develops designs from concept to realization. Shannon attained her architectural degree from McGill University in Canada and practiced architecture for two years in Chicago before joining Aedas. She is passionate about charitable work and giving back to society and currently serves as Chairperson of the Lighthouse Club Hong Kong Branch, a non-political organization that supports the construction industry by promoting fellowship among its members and providing assistance to individuals in need within the industry. She is also a committee member of the AIA Hong Kong Chapter.