hong kong

Post on Seaside tomorrow. But today, I'll discuss another lovely, well-planned oceanfront community, albeit one that is a bit larger than any New Urbanist vision. I'm intrigued and perplexed by Hong Kong. Like Singapore, it is a social, economic and architectural success--at least by the ways we tend to measure such things. I have been told that one of the reasons that Hong Kong is so successful financially is that it has low taxes, which attracts business, which means the tax base is broad so that taxes can stay low. Another factor, which can serve as a counterbalance to the argument that free market systems are glorious and not to be tampered with, is that development and management are well regulated by a strong, centralized government.
Hong Kong, in my mind, is essentially a well structured corporation with competent leadership and independent division heads who can pursue a variety of projects that maximize profit for the company as a whole.

Maybe I read too much Drucker.