Our file ref: (41/18) in TS I/AI/1 Pt. 61

Dear Mr. Morgan,

We acknowledge receipt of your email dated 14.8.2018 on the subject matter
below.  Your enquiry under the "Code on Access to Information" will be
passed to the office concerned for direct reply.

Regards,

(C. T. IP)
for Access to Information Officer
Planning Department
Enquiry Hotline: 2231 5000

From:        Brett Morgan <[FOI #294 email]>
To:        FOI requests at Planning Department <[Planning Department request email]>,
Date:        14/08/2018 12:53
Subject:        Freedom of Information request - Land Use Distribution
Shapefiles or Raster Data

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Dear Planning Department,

I would like to request digital geographic data regarding land use
distributions over all of Hong Kong. This would include data on locations
with residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and natural
(undeveloped) land cover. The data could be in vector or raster format,
suitable for use with GIS software.

In order to illustrate the type of data desired, I refer you to the
following publication:
"Modelling the fine-scale spatiotemporal pattern of urban heat island
effect using land use regression approach in a megacity" in Science of the
Total Environment
[1]https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017...

The publication states that to obtain the data for the study, "the land
distribution of Hong Kong was requested from the Hong Kong Planning
Department."

Yours faithfully,
Brett Morgan

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This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
the accessinfo.hk website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #294 email]

Is [Planning Department request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Planning Department? If so, please contact us using this form:
[2]https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[3]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

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References

Visible links
1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017...
2. https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...
3. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

Our ref.: PLD ISLS/6-20/6

Dear Mr. Morgan,

Freedom of Information Request - Land Use Distribution Shapefiles or
Raster Data

I refer to your request on 14.8.2018 for the captioned information
submitted under the Code on Access to Information.  

Once every two years, the Planning Department will publish a map entitled
"Land Utilization in Hong Kong" (LUHK) which shows broad land use pattern
of Hong Kong (current version 2016 Edition).  It is a paper map produced
from an image without geo-reference, and hence a geo-referenced map of
LUHK suitable for use with GIS software is not available.

The paper map is available for sale from the Map Publications Centres of
the Lands Department of Hong Kong.  For details, please visit the
following link:

[1]https://www.landsd.gov.hk/mapping/en/pap...

Yours sincerely,

K.C. Kan
for Chief Town Planner/
Information System and Land Supply
Planning Department

References

Visible links
1. https://www.landsd.gov.hk/mapping/en/pap...

Dear Mr. Morgan,

We acknowledge receipt of your email dated 28.8.2018 below.  Your enquiry
has been passed to the officers concerned for follow-up action.
Regards,

(C. T. IP)
for Director of Planning
Planning Department
Our Enquiry Hotline: 2231 5000

From:        Brett Morgan <[FOI #294 email]>
To:        FOI requests at Planning Department <[Planning Department request email]>,
Date:        28/08/2018 17:30
Subject:        Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Land
Use Distribution Shapefiles or Raster Data

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Dear Planning Department,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information
reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Planning Department's
handling of my FOI request 'Land Use Distribution Shapefiles or Raster
Data'. The goal of this request is to obtain digital geographic data
regarding land use distributions over all of Hong Kong.

Producing a map requires the use of georeferenced data. This is true for
the "Land Utilization in Hong Kong" map that the Planning Department
releases every two years. Therefore the Planning Department must have some
type of georeferenced land use data for Hong Kong, which it used to
produce the printed land use map.

It seems quite clear that the authors of the study I cited (
[1]https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017... ) requested and
subsequently received such data from the Planning Department, so I would
like to either get the data as well, or be given an explanation for why
this data is distributed to only certain members of the public.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[2]https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/land_us...

Yours faithfully,

Brett Morgan

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #294 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[3]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017...
2. https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/land_us...
3. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

Dear Mr. Morgan,

I refer to your email of 28.8.2018 requesting for a review of your
application to obtain the shape files or raster data on land use
distribution of Hong Kong under the Code on Access to Information.

We are looking into the case.  As more time is required to consult
concerned parties, a substantive reply will be provided to you as soon as
possible.

Regards,

(W.M. Lam)
Access to Information Officer
Planning Department

Dear Mr. Morgan,

I refer to your email of 28.8.2018 requesting for a review of your
application to obtain shape files or raster data of land use distribution
of Hong Kong under the Code on Access to Information.

Upon your request, our Departmental Complaints Officer has conducted a
review of the case.  It is noted that data related to land use
distribution in Hong Kong were working materials from various sources in
different data formats for compilation of the relevant land use
statistics, which were used in preparing the paper map of Land Utilization
in Hong Kong (2016 Edition) without geo-reference.  Amongst these working
materials, there are indeed data in raster image with geo-reference
available during the map preparation process and could be provided to you.
 

However, as the paper map of Land Utilization in Hong Kong is available
for sale to the public, we have to sort out with the relevant government
bureau the charge implications of the release of the said data, which form
the basis for producing the map, in accordance with the established
procedures.  We will revert to you as soon as the necessary procedures are
completed.

As regards the study that you mentioned in your email, please note that we
have not provided any geo-referenced data on land use distribution in Hong
Kong to the researchers for the purpose of the study.

If you are not satisfied with the above decision, you may bring the matter
to The Ombudsman, whose address is -

30/F, China Merchants Tower
Shun Tak Centre
168-200 Connaught Road Central
Hong Kong
(Home Page: [1]www.ombudsman.hk, Tel: 2629 0555)

Regards,

(W.M. Lam)
Access to Information Officer
Planning Department

Mr. Brett Morgan,

Thank you for your email on 2.10.2018.  We are working on the charge
arrangements in consultation with the relevant government
bureau and will revert to you as soon as possible.

(W.M. Lam)
Access to Information Officer
Planning Department

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Mr. Brett Morgan,

Grateful if you could provide your personal email address to us for use in
our reply.

W.M. Lam
TS Section

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Mr. Brett Morgan,

Further to my earlier e-mail  of 29.10.2018, please note that the dataset
is ready now.  The dataset is not the final product of the paper map of
Land Utilization in Hong Kong.  It is only an input for preparing the
paper map of Land Utilization in Hong Kong, which is a broad-brush
presentation of distribution of land uses in Hong Kong.   In this regard,
the dataset is not designed or intended for detailed analysis or
calculations.    The dataset is provided for your personal use only.  It
is not redistributable and not transferable.

I note that your email address is connected to a website and all
correspondence is published.  An email reply with the dataset to the email
address will automatically publish the dataset.  Therefore, please let us
have your personal e-mail address for transference of the dataset.  

Regards,

W.M. Lam
Technical Services Section
Planning Department
 

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