Planning standards, population densities, sense of place, and subjective well-being: comparing five sub-regions in Hong Kong

Source abstract

The Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) have artificially produced distinct density regimes in Hong Kong. Despite these variations, the HKPSG provides population-threshold-based planning standards for specified social amenities across the city. To explore the relationship between population density and people’s environmental satisfaction, sense of place, and subjective well-being, this research conducted an audit of social amenities using the HKPSG and surveyed 1,933 respondents across five sub-regions with different population densities in Hong Kong. The survey assesses citizens’ satisfaction with the built environment, sense of place, and subjective well-being. The findings reveal that individuals residing in densely populated urban areas, those living in remote sub-regions from the city centre, and those with lower socio-economic status report a weaker sense of place and poorer subjective well-being in bivariate comparisons. However, regression analysis demonstrates that these associations are shaped through environmental satisfaction rather than population density per se. Regression analysis reveals that residence quality and community facilities are the strongest predictors of both sense of place and subjective well-being. Additionally, neighbourhood environmental quality predicts sense of place but not subjective well-being. This study reveals the critical importance of ensuring equitable planning and provision of quality environmental amenities across all density regimes.