URA Welcomes the Appointment of Wilfred Au as Executive Director
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (14 July 2023) welcomes the Government’s appointment of Mr Wilfred Au as an Executive Director of the URA for a term of three years commencing from 15 July 2023.
Mr Au will succeed Mr Eric Poon who is retiring upon completion of his term of office. Mr Au will be responsible for formulating and implementing policies and initiatives on matters relating to planning and design, property and land, and corporate services.
“Joined in 2008 and later promoted as Director of Planning and Design of the URA, Mr Au is well versed with the entire range of operations at the URA and has extensive experience in urban renewal project planning. He has been involved in various aspects of these projects, including setting strategic directions for large-scale redevelopment projects, overseeing preservation and revitalisation efforts, and leading the Yau Mong District Study (YMDS). His effort in setting up the URA self-developed Urban Renewal Information System (URIS) was of particular importance. The system has enhanced the URA’s decision-making capabilities regarding district-based projects, project reserves, and design options, through data exploration and intelligence analysis.
The work of URA in the coming years will be challenging. They include among others, taking forward the implementation of new planning tools as recommended by the YMDS to promote more effective urban renewal, and formulating master renewal plans for the sustainable development of the Sham Shui Po and Tsuen Wan districts, utilising the experience gained from the YMDS in unleashing the development potential of lands in older districts. We look forward to working closely with Mr Au, in his new capacity as one of the two Executive Directors of the URA, to further the work of urban renewal in Hong Kong,” said the Chairman of the URA, Mr Chow Chung-kong.
Expressing his gratitude to the retiring Executive Director, Mr Chow said, “Mr Eric Poon has worked for the former Land Development Corporation and the URA since 1997, and has played a key role in spearheading a number of major initiatives in urban renewal. He was instrumental in steering the district-based and planning-led approach in redevelopment, which has led to greater effectiveness and planning benefits in improving the living environment of old districts; the district studies for Sham Shui Po and Tsuen Wan, the agreement and implementation framework with The Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation Limited in the redevelopment of the Tai Hang Sai Estate, and the collaboration with government bureau and various departments to streamline relevant work processes to advance project tendering and land grant applications. The recent award of a Bronze Bauhinia Star by the HKSAR Government is a further attestation of his notable contributions in advancing application of new technology in building projects, as well as promoting the standards and development of sustainable buildings in Hong Kong.
On behalf of the URA Board, I wish to express our gratitude to Mr Poon for his long and distinguished service at the URA, and wish him a happy retirement.”
(ENDS)