Got into a heated discussion with a coworker over this. My stance is it was probably for the best it was demolished. The entire thing was a massive fire and disease hazard. Massive amounts of crime and unlicensed businesses too. Despite its reputation for a kind of tight knit anarchist type community, most of the stuff I've read seems to suggest triads and the HK police were largely running the place.
I hate forceful eviction as much as the next person here. What else could have been done? There was some compensation given to the residents, but I know some residents complained it wasn't enough.
My coworker's stance is the place should have remained as it was, without any sort of intervention whatsoever, despite being so hazardous.
How do y'all feel?
Yes but they should have built high rises right next door and let everyone move there for free with no / very low rent
China does this when they seize peasants land for development. Each peasant gets an apartment in the new building.
Hell yeah, they do a pretty good job housing and training displaced (generally with full consent) people. Their poverty alleviation has similar policies for transitioning poor rural communities to dense urban housing and urban jobs, with subsidized or free housing, generally new construction, depending on people's situations.
Good reading?