AtkinsRéalis, Arup win Hong Kong Northern Metropolis deal

AtkinsRéalis and Arup have won a design and construction consultancy contract for two new development areas in Hong Kong. The award covers the remaining phase of Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen and phase one of Lau Fau Shan within the Northern Metropolis.

Awarded by the West Development Office of the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the contract adds another major advisory role in one of the territory's largest long-term urban expansion programmes.

The appointment covers the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area Remaining Phase and the Lau Fau Shan New Development Area Phase 1 Development. Both sit within the wider Northern Metropolis plan to reshape northern Hong Kong through new housing, transport links, public facilities and economic zones.

AtkinsRéalis and Arup are the incumbent consultant team for Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen and Lau Fau Shan, giving the joint venture continuity on planning, environmental and stakeholder issues as the programme moves into its next stage.

The work includes site formation and enabling works, transport infrastructure, public transport interchanges, pedestrian routes and cycling networks. It also covers provision for the Smart & Green Mass Transit System, alongside water, drainage and sewerage infrastructure.

One of the programme's most prominent elements is the planned revitalisation of the Tin Shui Wai River. The project is intended to combine flood resilience measures with environmental and ecological works while supporting surrounding utility infrastructure.

Urban expansion

The Northern Metropolis has become a central plank of Hong Kong's long-term land and development strategy. Authorities have positioned the area as a new engine for housing supply, economic activity and cross-boundary integration, with multiple new development areas forming the backbone of that approach.

Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen has long been viewed as a strategic node because of its location and links to existing and planned transport corridors. Lau Fau Shan, meanwhile, is part of the broader effort to connect emerging districts with established communities in the New Territories.

Details released with the award show the programme will emphasise linking new urban districts with surrounding rural and existing urban areas. That includes improving connectivity while maintaining local character and place identity.

The consultancy team is also expected to manage interfaces with other developments underway in the area. This coordination is a significant part of large Hong Kong infrastructure programmes, where housing, transport and utility projects often proceed in parallel across adjacent sites.

Delivery focus

For AtkinsRéalis, the contract extends its involvement in the two development areas and deepens its exposure to Hong Kong's public infrastructure pipeline. It said it would use digital tools, new construction methods and different materials as part of the delivery approach.

The project brings together several disciplines, including transportation, water, urban development and programme management. These are expected to support both the physical build-out of the sites and the public realm framework around them.

The development areas are also linked in official planning to wider ambitions for innovation and education in northern Hong Kong. Among the initiatives associated with the broader region is the emerging Northern Metropolis University Town, presented as part of plans to attract research activity, technology development and skilled workers.

Market participants have increasingly focused on consultancy and design roles in early and mid-stage development programmes, particularly where land formation, utility diversions and transport integration can shape the timing of later construction packages. In that context, incumbent consultants can hold an advantage because of accumulated site knowledge and established relationships with public authorities and local stakeholders.

Wing Law commented on the significance of the award and the broader development strategy in the area.

"The Northern Metropolis presents a generational opportunity to shape how Hong Kong grows and evolves. This appointment demonstrates how infrastructure can strengthen connections between communities, enhance environmental resilience and create economic opportunity through urban-rural integration, river revitalisation and climate resilience. By combining technical excellence, innovation and our longstanding experience in these development areas, we are helping create places that strengthen connections between people, communities and opportunity across northern Hong Kong," said Wing Law, Chief Executive Officer, Asia, AtkinsRéalis.