Principles of Land Administration at Work

Public administration of government land allocated to the private sector as leasehold interests and short term tenancies etc. is a very complicated and challenging area of knowledge for property users, owners, investors, researchers and regulators. This book covers fundamental concepts and practices of this area with a focus on Hong Kong.

Author Biography

Prof. Lai, a fellow of the R.I.C.S. and H.K.I.S. and member of the P.I.A., is an Honorary Professor at the Ronald Coase Centre for Property Rights Research, Department of Real Estate and Construction, University of Hong Kong (HKU). He lectures on economics of property rights, planning law, town planning, heritage conservation, and land administration. He worked at the Hong Kong Government’s Town Planning Office and Environmental Protection Department before his HKU academic appointments. He was a member of the government’s Board of Review (Inland Revenue), Planning Appeal Board, Building Appeals Tribunal, and Transport Tribunal until 2011/2012. He has published over 175 refereed research articles and 80 professional papers. He has written 18 books in English and four in Chinese. His most recent book, co-authored with Sr. Dr. Jason W.Y. Kwong, is Principles of Town Planning: Translating Concepts to Applications (2025) published by Edward Elgar. He has lived in Melbourne since 2023.

Dr. Kwong, a fellow of the H.K.I.S. and member of the R.I.C.S., is a part-time lecturer in the Department of Real Estate and Construction, HKU. He is now an Executive Director, Head of Land Consultancy, at Colliers International (Hong Kong) Limited. He co-authored the Principles of Town Planning: Translating Concepts to Applications and a number of research journal articles on valuation, planning, and development.

Prof. Ho, a fellow of the R.I.C.S., H.K.I.S., and H.K.I.F.M., is an Honorary Professor in the Department of Real Estate and Construction, HKU. He lectures on development control, facilities management, and construction technology. He has work experience with the government’s Architectural Services Department and practices as an Authorized Person. He has extensive publications in books and research papers on land use, building control, and facility management studies.