Unauthorised structures in a high-rise high-density environment-The case of Hong Kong

Extending the ground works of Ho (1993), Baldwin (1994), Walters and Hastings (1998a, 1998b) on property management in Hong Kong, this short paper documents the context[1] of research on illegal structures, explains the incentive for building illegal structures on government land and private property and discusses the significance of illegal structures for the proprietor and the property manager, as well as the relevant legislative provisions and policies.published_or_final_versio

'Farms are not Zoos': a Post-Colonial Study on Enclosure and Conservation of Military Heritage Buildings in Hong Kong

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A pregnant woman with a rapidly growing breast lump

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Palpable asymmetrical thickening of the breast: A clinical, radiological and pathological study

While management protocols for a discrete palpable breast lump are standardized in most centres, the approach to an area of palpable asymmetrical thickening in the breast has seldom been addressed. A diagnostic algorithm for palpable asymmetrical thickening of the breast was prospectively evaluated in 116 Oriental women, followed by a retrospective review of their mammograms and histology specimens. Most women (86%) were pre-menopausal and 82% complained of a lump. The thickening eventually resolved spontaneously in 93 (80%) women. None of these 93 women developed cancer at a median follow-up of 41 months. A total of 9 (7.8%) cancers were found in the series of 116 women, including two with a lobular component. The occurrence of cancer was more likely when the woman was older than 43 years or when the thickening was marked (p<0.04). Mammographic review showed correlation of the palpable thickening with localized increase in breast tissue density and/or microcalcifications in 18% of cases. Histology review suggested fibrosis as an explanation for the clinical presentation. Although most cases of thickening tend to resolve with time, a significant number of cancers present in this way. A diagnostic approach with early and liberal imaging and biopsy for high risk women is required.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Facilities management and planning for heritage sites: Lessons learnt from a pilot study on disused military sites

This short paper presents the lessons learnt for conservation planning of heritage sites from a pilot study on disused military structures on Devil's Peak, Hong Kong. Stakeholders' interest and surveying as facilities management factors should be well considered in the planning stage for heritage conservation. Thus, public education and involvement and on-site land surveying is essential for future project success.published_or_final_versio

Mammography screening in general practice - a pilot study

Objectives: To evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and performance of a mammography screening programme for female patients in general practice. Design: A cross sectional study. Setting: A general practice clinic and a resiona/ hospital in Hong Kong. Subjects: 500 Chinese women aged 45 years or older attending a university teaching general practice clinic on Hong Kong Island. Main outcome measures: The rates of uptake of screening, retakes, recall for further evaluation and fine needle aspiration (FNA), and participants' opinion on mammography. Results: The uptake rate of screening was 37%. Mammography was feasible for all participants, 12% had additional films and 7% required retakes. Sixteen percent were recalled for further evaluation, 4% had FNA, one had an excisional biopsy which revealed no cancer. Most women rated pain of mammography mild to moderate and did not find it embarrassing, 98% said that they would recommend it to their friends and 87% indicated that they would do it again. Conclusions: Mammography screening for Chinese women presenting to general practice was technically feasible. Most women found the experience of mammography screening acceptable. The uptake rate of mammography screening was much lower than what would be required to benefit the overall breast cancer mortality. There was also room for improvement in our retake and recall rates. We need to weigh the possible benefit of mammography screening against the stress and resources associated with additional films, retakes, recalls for further evaluation, FNA and excisional biopsy in individuals with false positive results.published_or_final_versio

Repeated Planning Applications by Developers under Statutory Zoning: A Hong Kong Case Study of Delays and Design Improvements in Private Residential Development

Delays in obtaining development approvals have been advanced as a major reason for shortages if not also increase in cost of housing. This paper is the first systematic attempt to examine whether the apparently long period of time taken to obtaining statutory planning permissions by developers for major development projects under Comprehensive Development Area (CDA) zoning is due to Town Planning Board rejections or developers’ strategy to hoard land or improve building design. Publicly available Town Planning Board data obtained from the Planning Department, property transaction records kept by the Land Registry, property market statistics released by the Rating and Valuation Department and macro-economic data from the Census and Statistics Department are used to find out the number of planning applications and time taken for a real estate project in a CDA zone involving residential components to start construction from the date of the first valid planning application as the means to ascertain if any delay in development was due to business innovation in building design to cater to sustainable development; or strategic behaviour to hoard land

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: a Comparative Study of Public Bus Terminals as Civic Spaces

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Zone separation: A probit analysis of Hong Kong planning application statistics

In this paper we demonstrate the use of a probit model to evaluate whether two classes of apparently similar/dissimilar zones with identical uses, that may be carried out with planning permissions, are in fact similar (and hence 'inseparable') or otherwise. Four empirical hypotheses about comprehensive development area, commercial/residential, and community-use zones in Hong Kong are tested by using nonaggregate planning application statistics of 793 observations.link_to_subscribed_fulltex