A delegation from the Hong Kong government has visited Barcelona to share experiences on public housing policies. Headed by the Hong Kong Secretary for Housing, Winnie Ho, the delegation held a meeting with the Deputy Mayor for Economy, Housing, Finance and Tourism, Jordi Valls, where they analyzed the city’s initiatives in the construction of social housing and the promotion of sustainable construction with innovative technology.
In addition to meeting with the deputy mayor, during the visit the delegation learned about the APROP Glòries project, a block of modular housing built with containers, and a development of 72 public housing units for social rent in Ulldecona Street, in the Marina del Prat Vermell.
Exchange of experiences between Barcelona and Hong Kong on policies
Currently, Hong Kong, one of the world’s leading economic and financial centers, where approximately 30% of the population lives in public rental housing, is facing a high demand for public housing. To cope with the high demand, new technologies such as modular construction and robotics are being adopted to improve the efficiency, safety, sustainability and quality of buildings. The Hong Kong government’s goal is to provide 430,000 new housing units by 2022-2032, 70% of which will be public.
Jordi Valls stressed the importance of exchanging knowledge and best practices between cities to address the global challenges of housing, a problem that affects many metropolises around the world. This visit reinforces international collaboration to develop innovative solutions in the field of public housing.