The area of Hong Kong is very mountainous and many places in the New Territories have limited access to roads. Hong Kong started developing new towns in the 1950s, to accommodate booming populations. In the early days the term "satellite towns" was used. The very first new towns included Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong. Wah Fu Estate was built in a remote corner on Hong Kong Island, with similar concepts in a smaller scale.
In the late 1960s and the 1970s, another stage of new town developments was launched. Nine new towns have been developed so far. Land use is carefully planned and development provides plenty of room for public housing projects. Rail transport is usually available at a later stage. The first towns are Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O. Tuen Mun was intended to be self-reliant, but was not successful and turned into a bedroom community like the other new towns. More recent developments are Tin Shui Wai and North Lantau (Tung Chung-Tai Ho). The government also plans to build such towns in Hung Shui Kiu and Kwu Tung North. At present, there are a total of nine new towns.
| New Towns | Time of development | Population (in persons) | Area (km²) | Population density (persons / km ²) | Administrative division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsuen Wan New Town (including Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung, and Tsing Yi) |
1959 (construction and planning begins) 1973 (formal, full scale development) |
774,000 | 24.00 | 32,300 | Tsuen Wan District and Kwai Tsing District |
| Sha Tin New Town (including Sha Tin, Tai Wai, and Ma On Shan) |
1973 | 630,000 | 35.87 | 18,000 | Sha Tin District |
| Tuen Mun New Town | 1973 | 488,500 | 19.00 | 25,710 | Tuen Mun District |
| Tai Po New Town | 1976 | 282,000 | 12.70 | 22,200 | Tai Po District |
| Fanling-Sheung Shui New Town | 1973 | 244,300 | 7.80 | 31,300 | North District |
| Yuen Long New Town | 1977 | 211,000 | 11.70 | 18,000 | Yuen Long District |
| Tseung Kwan O New Town (including Hang Hau, Po Lam, LOHAS Park, Tiu Keng Leng, and Tseung Kwan O) |
1982 | 350,000 | 10.05 | 34,800 | Sai Kung District |
| Tin Shui Wai New Town | 1987 | 270,000 | 4.30 | 63,000 | Yuen Long District |
| North Lantau New Town (Currently only includes Tung Chung) |
1996 | 80,000 | 8.30 | 9,700 | Islands District |
Planned New Towns
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