Urban Development
Mace Consult-Arup JV Picked for Program Management on $28.7B Hong Kong Megaproject
The 74-acre Northern Metropolis will create an “unprecedented” housing and tech district along the northern Shenzhen River border with China, government said
The appointment marks the HKSAR government’s first use of the program management office model on a construction project.
Mace Consult and Arup have been chosen in a joint venture to lead the Hong Kong government’s first implementation of its project management office model to build what it says is the transformative $28.7-billion Northern Metropolis urban development along the northern Shenzhen River border with China.
Hong Kong's Civil Engineering and Development Dept. announced Aug. 8 that the UK-based firms will establish the office to provide multi-disciplinary services for construction of the Kwu Tung North/Fanling North New Development Area and San Tin Technopole Project, key components of the 74-acre megaproject that will connect the northern part of Hong Kong to the southern part of Shenzhen in China.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's first use of the PM office model aims to streamline workflows, allow earlier stakeholder collaboration and enable digital integration to collect and analyze data for continuous improvement, said the department, adding that the project is expected to create around 650,000 jobs.
“The scale of the Northern Metropolis is unprecedented,” said department director Michael Fong Hok-shing. “It is a massive and complex program and the [program management office model] will provide support and oversight to help us navigate the challenges ahead.”
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government CEO Carrie Lam announced the Northern Metropolis development in 2021, presenting an ambitious plan to foster economic and tech growth while addressing the region’s housing shortages, Bloomberg reported.
AECOM, in a joint venture with AtkinsRéalis, announced in April 2025 that the region's Highways Dept. sought its technical services to build the Northern Metropolis Highway, another key component of the larger development.
Arup, ranked No. 16 on ENR’s 2025 Top International Design Firms list, noted its support to the Civil Engineering and Development Dept. in "shaping this transformative area,” said East Asia managing principal Theresa Yeung.
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Mace Group, previously ranked on ENR’s Top International Contractors list. announced in July that private equity firm Goldman Sachs Alternatives is acquiring a majority stake in the Mace Consult unit through a carve-out. The unit will operate as an independent business when all approvals become final. Mace Group did not disclosed the size of the stake or investment dollars in Mace Consult but said it generated $859 million in global revenue last year.
"The new partnership will support Mace Consult's ambition to become the world's leading program management consultant as an independent business," Mace Group said.
Davendra Dabasia will continue as Mace Consult CEO.
