Building guidelines fail to curb proliferation of shoebox flats

The proportion of small units increased.

Shoebox flats are still mushrooming across the island despite the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) policy on the maximum number of dwelling units for all new flats and condominuim developments outside the Central Area.

Knight Frank's report analyzed 105 projects which received Provisional Permission (PP) within eighteen months before and after the URA's guidelines were issued in November 2012.

The report showed that the average proportion of shoebox units across developments has actually increased from 12.3% in the pre-guideline period to 12.4% in the post-guideline period.

"The increase in the ratio of these 'Mickey Mouse' units pre- and post-guideline demonstrates that the guideline did not serve to reduce the proportion of shoebox units in the private residential market outside the central area," the report noted.