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Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis: What It Is, Key Zones, Timeline, and ... Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis is often described as a “mega-project,” but that label doesn’t quite fit. It isn’t one site, one contractor, or one completion date. It’s a long-horizon development strategy to reshape the northern New Territories into a new urban and economic belt, one designed to deliver housing at scale, expand new industries, and strengthen cross-boundary connectivity with Shenzhen. As of February 1, 2026, the Northern Metropolis has moved beyond a vision statement. It now has a defined geographic scope, named development zones, specific transport projects with target years, and delivery mechanisms that aim to accelerate land formation and infrastructure, alongside pledged conservation initiatives in sensitive wetland areas. What Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis is (and where it is) At its simplest, the Northern Metropolis is a plan to develop and upgrade a large swath of territory across Yuen Long District and the North District, covering a sizeable share of Hong Kong’s land area. It stretches along the border with Shenzhen and includes: existing new towns and communities, multiple New Dev…

Northern Metropolis key to city's future academic success The QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026 has placed Hong Kong among the leading educational centers in the region, with five of its universities ranked well within the top 10. This impressive achievement serves as a clear marker of Hong Kong’s growing academic influence and its ability to uphold rigorous international standards. It also reflects the city’s distinctive role within China’s national strategy that seeks to advance scientific inquiry, global engagement, and innovation. These accomplishments carry implications far beyond symbolic prestige. They reaffirm the city’s potential to become a major contributor to the intellectual development of Asia and to China’s vision for building a knowledge-based modern society that leads through research, innovation, and education. Given Hong Kong’s impressive academic success, it is imperative to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis strategy, which envisions a large university cluster that not only creates an internationally recognized academic town but also lays the foundation for sustained educational growth. The initiative goes beyond physical construction…

Northern Metropolis needs early success stories to draw investors, John Lee says Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis will adopt a multi-focused strategy to drive advances in technology, industry and education, while helping the city overcome its bottleneck in talent attraction. Lee also said that the megaproject would need early success stories to attract mainland Chinese and international investors, with the Hetao cooperation zone set to be the first such successful draw. Spanning about 30,000 hectares (74,130 acres) near the border...

New measures aim to ease cross-border flow of resources within Northern Metropolis More areas within the Northern Metropolis development could benefit from new measures to ease cross-border flows of data, materials and capital, with pilot initiatives set to launch this year in Hong Kong’s innovation zone with Shenzhen. The details were revealed on Saturday in a paper submitted to the Legislative Council by the Development Bureau, which provided an update on drafting dedicated legislation to accelerate development of the megaproject, a 30,000-hectare (74,131 acres) initiative...

Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis university town tender to launch in 2 months As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. The first tender for the university town in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis will be launched in two months, with successful bidders to be announced after the site formation of the plot is completed by the end of this year, the education minister has revealed. Secretary for...

Hong Kong plans major shift with proposed Northern Metropolis Hong Kong’s border area with mainland China will be built into a new Northern Metropolis of 2.5 million people in 20 years, including a “Silicon Valley” that will closely interact with neighbouring Shenzhen, according to a blueprint laid down by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in her policy address on Wednesday.The scheme, repackaged and expanded from an existing new town plan, is seen as a major strategic change for development, moving the centre away from Hong Kong Island to the north, to integrate the city into the latest national development plan.It would involve a new cross-border railway linking the city to the Qianhai economic zone in Shenzhen, and an extension of a local northern rail link that would stimulate development across Hong Kong’s rural hinterland. The plan will also involve government resumption and conservation of about 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of ecologically important sites including wetlands, some of which are likely to be held by major developers.While some observers noted the political reality of the city following the national strategy to develop the border area, others question…

Hong Kong Plans Northern Metropolis University Town to Integrate ... The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has outlined plans for the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT), a major higher education initiative intended to support talent development, research collaboration and industry partnerships. Speaking in the Legislative Council on 10 June 2026, Secretary for Education Dr Choi Yuk-lin described how the project forms part of broader efforts to expand Hong Kong’s post‑secondary capacity while strengthening the city’s role as an international education hub. According to details released in the official government statement , the university town will be developed as a key component of the Northern Metropolis strategy. The initiative aligns with Hong Kong’s first Five‑Year Plan designed to coordinate with the National 15th Five‑Year Plan, with the aim of deepening collaboration between academia, industry and research institutions. International Study Visits Inform Planning A government Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town, chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, has been tasked with studying development models and advisi…

Hong Kong to roll out more targeted measures to boost innovation ... HONG KONG, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will introduce more targeted measures to boost innovation and technology (I&T) development in the Policy Address to be announced later this month, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said Saturday. Lee made the remarks while addressing the opening of the 2023 Future Science Prize Week via video. The four-day 2023 Future Science Prize Week consists of a series of events, attracting world-renowned scientists to the city. I&T development is a top policy priority of the HKSAR government, Lee said. Throughout the years, the HKSAR government has already invested more than 200 billion Hong Kong dollars in such measures as developing infrastructure, promoting research and development, nurturing talents and supporting the industry, he said. Over 100 outstanding scientists from all over the world will take part in a two-day Science Symposium, part of the events for the 2023 Future Science Prize Week. Noting that it is the first time that the Future Science Prize Week is held in Hong Kong, Lee said these world-class scientific events and e…

Hong Kong to roll out more targeted measures to boost innovation ... Xinhua | Updated: 2023-10-14 14:04 HONG KONG -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will introduce more targeted measures to boost innovation and technology (I&T) development in the Policy Address to be announced later this month, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said Saturday. Lee made the remarks while addressing the opening of the 2023 Future Science Prize Week via video. The four-day 2023 Future Science Prize Week consists of a series of events, attracting world-renowned scientists to the city. I&T development is a top policy priority of the HKSAR government, Lee said. Throughout the years, the HKSAR government has already invested more than 200 billion Hong Kong dollars in such measures as developing infrastructure, promoting research and development, nurturing talents and supporting the industry, he said. Over 100 outstanding scientists from all over the world will take part in a two-day Science Symposium, part of the events for the 2023 Future Science Prize Week. Noting that it is the first time that the Future Science Prize Week is held in Hong Kong, Lee said these world-c…

Opinion | Positioning the Northern Metropolis University Town as a new ... By S. Joe Qin The Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong, recently visited the Hong Kong SAR on an inspection tour, during which he expressed concern about Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan, a blueprint intended to help chart the city's future. Among its priorities, the Northern Metropolis is expected to become a major new driver of growth for Hong Kong, with four key objectives: industry, innovation and technology, a university town, and the creation of a liveable, business-friendly, and welcoming environment. At the same time, the AI + Education Action Plan, jointly issued by five central government departments led by the Ministry of Education, sets out four main priorities: strengthening AI talent and literacy, promoting the seamless integration of AI and education, enhancing the foundational environment for AI + Education, and improving the overall ecosystem. Together, these initiatives reflect a common theme as technological innovation and talent cultivation become critical drivers in …

Northern Metropolis | SkyscraperCity Forum Hong Kong’s ‘big four’ developers stand to win big from government’s proposed Northern Metropolis South China Morning Post Excerpt Oct 7, 2021 Hong Kong developers sitting on massive holdings of farmland are expected to be the biggest winners of the government’s latest proposal to develop a new hub called Northern Metropolis. While the plan covers an area of 300 sq km, the government will develop 600 hectares (1,480 acres) of land including farmland, wetland and brownfield sites, some of which is held by developers and private owners. Sun Hung Kai Properties, CK Asset, Henderson Land and New World Development, the city’s top four by market value, together own a total of 106.3 million sq ft of farmland in the designated area, according to CGS-CIMB Securities. More : Top Hong Kong developers to win big from proposed Northern Metropolis

Northern Metropolis can be Hong Kong's new growth engine | Success ... Sep 19, 2025|INVESTING Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis is no longer a distant blueprint but a defining project of our times. In his policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made clear that its delivery will be a top priority, with new structures, legislation and transport links to ensure momentum. This marks a significant step forward for Hong Kong, signalling a determination to transform vision into reality.The creation of a committee tasked with developing the Northern Metropolis, backed by working groups… Read More Jun 14, 2026|INVESTING Jun 14, 2026|INVESTING Jun 14, 2026|EARNINGS Jun 14, 2026|INVESTING Jun 14, 2026|INVESTING

Hong Kong’s John Lee pledges 10-fold expansion of new university town Hong Kong’s leader has vowed to expand its proposed university town near the border by tenfold to 1,000 hectares from its current size, after Beijing’s point man on local affairs endorsed the concept of linking education with industry, while recognising the city’s economic and innovation and technology (I&T) development. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Wednesday that Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, had pointed out that the Northern Metropolis...

HK to reveal development blueprint for Northern Metropolis University ... by Judy Cui The "Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town" has commenced its work, with a conceptual development plan expected to be released next year, according to Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin. The task force, which was revealed in the policy address, is responsible for studying successful development models of university towns elsewhere for application in the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT). Speaking on a radio program on Sunday (Sep 28), Choi noted that various institutions have submitted preliminary development proposals, which were adjusted following the increase in the site area for the NMUT. Choi stated that participating institutions must explore ways to integrate industry development with the academic sectors, as well as approaches to collaboration among other institutions to introduce new elements to the Northern Metropolis. She added that international students from approximately 100 countries or regions are currently studying in Hong Kong, distributed across about 200 programs at the eight publicly funded universities. The authorities …

news.gov.hk - Northern Metropolis task force meets Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong (front row, middle) gives opening remarks at the meeting. Mr Wong (left), Shenzhen Vice Mayor Tao Yongxin (right), and the Hong Kong SAR and Shenzhen delegations visit the site for the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area. The Task Force for Collaboration on the Northern Metropolis (NM) Development Strategy held its eighth meeting in Hong Kong today. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong and Shenzhen Vice Mayor Tao Yongxin led delegations of the governments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Shenzhen respectively. The Hong Kong SAR Government presented the latest progress of the development of the Northern Metropolis at today’s meeting. The progress updates include the setting up of Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited, the tendering for the pilot large-scale land disposal sites of about 11 hectares within the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area, and the ongoing work to formulate dedicated legislation for the NM. The Hong Kong SAR Government also briefly introduced the findings of a pl…

HK Park of Hetao zone opened to lift cross-border I&T development Officials attending the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone on Monday said the hub will foster greater innovation synergy in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and boost the nation’s new quality productive forces. The Hetao zone, a pioneering national innovation platform established under the vision of “one zone, two parks”, includes the 87-hectare Hong Kong Park and the adjacent 300-hectare Shenzhen Park. READ MORE:Hong Kong to launch tech park amid sci-tech development push Addressing the ceremony on Monday, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee Ka-chiu said the first three buildings of Hong Kong Park’s initial stage are in full operation. Among them, two wet-laboratory buildings have attracted over 60 enterprises from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and overseas. Meanwhile, an apartment building has also welcomed residents, while facilities such as a biobank and a data center have also opened, he said. The remaining five buildings planned in the park’s first stage will be complet…

news.gov.hk - HK aims to be int'l education hub - 香港政府新聞網 Chief Executive John Lee revealed in his 2025 Policy Address that Hong Kong will enhance the building of an international education hub by measures such as increasing the number of places for non-local students to study in the city on a self-financing basis and the provision of student hostels. Starting from the 2026-27 academic year, the enrolment ceiling for self‑financing non‑local students of each funded post‑secondary institution will be raised from the level currently equivalent to 40% of local student places to 50%, while the over‑enrolment ceiling of self‑financing places of funded research postgraduate programmes will be increased from 100% to 120%. On increasing student hostel supply, the Government launched the Hostels in the City Scheme in July to facilitate the market in converting existing commercial buildings into student hostels by obviating the need for rezoning and allowing excessive plot ratio be retained. Effective today, cases involving redevelopment of original commercial buildings into new student hostels can also enjoy the facilitation measures under the scheme. The Government will also earmark n…

Bigger space, better living: what Northern Metropolis public flats have to offer As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. New homes in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis will offer 10 per cent more space than standard public flats, the housing minister has said while revealing plans to integrate more than 30 estates with the area’s environment, heritage and technology. In an exclusive interview with the...

How the Northern Metropolis university town can deliver on innovation The recent visit of Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, carried the task of accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis. This is not another urban expansion, but a strategic test of whether Hong Kong can reinvent its role in the nation’s innovation landscape. At its core, the Northern Metropolis bears a dual mission. For Hong Kong, it must become a growth engine, creating a third curve of development, beyond finance and real estate, by nurturing original...

Hong Kong to further accelerate development of Northern Metropolis Xinhua | Updated: 2025-09-17 16:56 HONG KONG -- John Lee, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Wednesday announced the establishment of the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis under his leadership with the aim of speeding up the development of the area. "The Northern Metropolis, our city's strategic development area bordering Shenzhen, covers a land area and planned population intake accounting for about one-third of Hong Kong's total," Lee said, while delivering his policy address, adding that the area represents a substantial source of economic value and development potential. Lee said that the committee, under which three working groups will be set up, will be tasked with streamlining administrative workflows and removing unnecessary barriers and restrictions. The Working Group on Devising Development & Operation Models will formulate development and operation models for industry parks in the Northern Metropolis, taking into account their nature and scale. The Working Group on Planning & Construction of the University Town will set up a res…

Moving north: the making of Northern Metropolis in Hong Kong - RLB Dec 12, 2023. 6 Min read Author Eric Yu Themes Sign Up for Market Trends & Insights The existing northern part of Hong Kong consists of a significant amount of agricultural farms, villages and rural areas. With just one river away, Shenzhen, has experienced rapid development and urbanization with many prestige high rise buildings. Under the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy launched by the HKSAR government, Hong Kong will collaborate with other Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area cities, Shenzhen in particular, to promote closer, deeper and more thorough co-operation for creating better development potential and opportunities. It can strengthen the synergy effect and paving the way for Hong Kong to better integrate into the country’s overall development. Under this ambitious plan, the government will expand the Northern Economic Belt and encompasses to cover new towns in Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai and Fanling / Sheung Shui areas, various new development areas and development nodes in different planning and construction stages as well as their neighboring rural areas, making a holistic metropolis w…