President's Message
會長獻辭

June 2026 | November 2025 | June 2025

HKIP President’s Message

It has been a year since I assumed the Presidency of our Institute. The Annual General Meeting held on 18 June offered a meaningful moment to reflect on how far we have come, and more importantly, to look ahead to the future we are shaping together. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all our members. Your dedication, passion and unwavering support have made this journey both impactful and inspiring.

I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our outgoing Council and Committee members for their invaluable service and contributions. At the same time, I warmly welcome our newly elected Council and Committee members, as well as new members joining the Institute. Your fresh perspectives, energy and enthusiasm will undoubtedly strengthen our profession and help define the Institute’s next chapter.

Looking back, there is much to be proud of. In an increasingly complex and rapidly changing environment, our members have demonstrated remarkable expertise, vision and passion, addressing climate resilience, championing community wellbeing, and supporting sustainable economic and regional development. These achievements remind us of the vital role planners play in shaping not just places, but the lives and futures of communities.

To sustain this momentum, we have continued to expand the reach of our planning community. The relaunch of the Friends of HKIP Programme under the theme “City Friends, Shared Growth” offers a renewed platform to engage members of the public who share an interest in Hong Kong’s development. Together with a series of workshops, networking events and community engagement activities, the programme showcases our commitment to fostering broader understanding of planning and encouraging greater participation in shaping our city.

International engagement has remained a key priority. I am pleased that HKIP now maintains nine Memorandums of Understanding with planning institutes and professional organisations across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Over the past year, we have organised a range of international conferences, webinars and professional exchanges, including a memorable delegation visit to New York. These initiatives have connected planners from around the world to discuss shared challenges and exchange valuable insights.

The Institute has also deepened its engagement with the Chinese Mainland, particularly within the Greater Bay Area. Through participation in major planning forums and conferences, as well as ongoing exchanges with government departments, professional institutions and planning organisations, we have strengthened professional ties and created new opportunities for collaboration. Notably, significant progress has been made in advancing professional recognition, including the signing of a framework agreement on mutual recognition of professional qualifications with the Guangdong Institution of Engineers. With the support of the Development Bureau, HKIP members are now eligible to apply for professional title evaluation under the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area framework. This marks an important milestone in enhancing cross-boundary professional mobility and opening new pathways for Hong Kong planners to contribute to national development.

Alongside these efforts, HKIP has continued to play an active role in shaping Hong Kong’s long-term development. The Institute has contributed to the Government’s preparation of the city’s first Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), aligned with the nation’s Fifteenth Five-Year Plan, and has advocated for a clear 2035 vision to ensure alignment with national goals. Going forward, we believe this is the moment to think boldly—to embark on a new era of strategic planning towards HK2050+, one that integrates spatial planning, infrastructure, sustainability and community aspirations. Importantly, this vision must engage and inspire our younger generations, who will carry forward the legacy we are building today.

To support this agenda, the Institute hosted a dedicated sharing session with Mr Ma Xiangming, Member of the Expert Committee for Guangdong’s Fifteenth Five-Year Development Plan and President of the Guangdong Territorial Spatial Planning Association. He provided valuable insights into the Five-Year Planning mechanism and its implications for Hong Kong, sparking meaningful dialogue on how planners can play a more effective role in shaping future development strategies. Such exchanges remind us that our strength lies not only in expertise, but in our willingness to listen, learn and adapt.

Together, we have further strengthened the Institute’s role as a trusted professional voice, fostering dialogue, advancing planning excellence, and creating opportunities for learning, collaboration and growth. Our strategic brainstorming session last year helped define clear priorities for the future, from broadening professional development and membership growth to enhancing the Institute’s visibility and deepening collaboration with partner organisations.

The achievements of the past year reflect the collective efforts of our entire membership. They demonstrate a shared commitment to excellence and a strong belief in the power of planning to create better places and brighter futures.

As we look ahead, I am filled with optimism and confidence. By upholding our professional standards, embracing innovation, strengthening our regional and global linkages, and contributing actively to Hong Kong’s development, we are not only responding to change, we are shaping it.

Together, let us continue to imagine, to lead, and to build a future that we can all be proud of.

Theresa Yeung
President of HKIP, FHKIP
June 2026