城市發展的拆與建

拆 天 星 碼 頭 事 件 鬧 得 滿 城 風 雨 ， 政 府 初 期 態 度 強 硬 ， 以 為 只 是 小 眾 鬧 事 ， 只 要 拆 得 快 ， 事 件 很 快 就 會 平 息 ， 誰 知 一 石 擊 起 千 重 浪 ， 輿 論 很 快 轉 向 支 持 示 威 者 ， 令 政 府 處 於 被 動 地 位 ， 被 視 作 處 理 不 當 ， 威 信 反 而 受 損 。 
為 了 亡 羊 補 牢 ， 政 府 立 即 著 古 物 古 蹟 委 員 會 推 出 百 多 項 考 慮 保 育 的 建 築 物 諮 詢 市 民 意 見 ， 以 表 示 政 府 其 實 一 樣 很 重 視 城 市 舊 建 築 物 的 保 育 問 題 ， 天 星 事 件 只 是 對 民 意 的 一 場 誤 會 ， 如 果 一 早 知 道 民 眾 的 取 態 ， 政 府 當 有 更 好 的 處 理 方 法 。 其 實 ， 隨 著 人 類 文 明 的 發 展 ， 一 個 城 市 不 可 能 永 遠 停 留 在 原 始 狀 態 ， 拆 舊 迎 新 乃 不 可 避 免 的 常 態 ， 否 則 我 們 的 生 活 就 無 法 跟 隨 時 代 一 起 進 步 。 
為 了 交 通 的 方 便 ， 我 們 當 然 要 建 高 速 公 路 ， 甚 至 磁 浮 路 軌 ， 但 若 果 城 內 仍 能 保 留 幾 條 鋪 滿 鵝 卵 石 的 馬 路 或 青 板 石 的 大 街 ， 一 定 可 以 令 這 個 城 市 生 色 不 少 。 遊 客 可 能 千 里 而 來 ， 只 是 為 了 在 這 條 大 街 上 漫 步 ， 順 便 在 附 近 的 小 商 店 買 幾 件 紀 念 品 。 這 並 非 只 為 了 賺 取 外 匯 ， 而 是 我 們 在 進 行 國 際 交 往 時 ， 不 單 需 要 讓 別 人 了 解 我 們 的 今 天 ， 亦 需 要 讓 別 人 了 解 我 們 的 歷 史 ， 知 道 我 們 的 今 天 是 通 過 怎 樣 的 途 徑 走 出 來 的 。 這 樣 才 能 增 進 世 界 各 族 的 融 合 ， 互 相 學 習 ， 共 同 發 展 。 
此 外 ， 即 使 是 城 市 本 身 的 市 民 ， 也 喜 歡 有 些 可 以 挑 起 集 體 回 憶 的 舊 建 築 物 ， 不 但 可 以 發 思 古 之 幽 情 ， 還 可 以 對 年 輕 一 代 進 行 歷 史 教 育 。 天 星 碼 頭 雖 非 別 有 藝 術 價 值 的 建 築 物 ， 但 在 未 有 海 底 隧 道 及 地 下 鐵 路 之 前 ， 天 星 小 輪 曾 是 來 往 九 龍 與 港 島 之 間 的 主 要 交 通 工 具 ， 很 多 人 都 留 下 不 少 生 活 的 影 子 。 再 者 ， 反 天 星 加 價 事 件 ， 在 香 港 社 會 運 動 發 展 史 中 ， 曾 扮 演 過 重 要 角 色 ， 有 一 定 的 象 徵 意 義 。 因 此 ， 有 人 這 麼 強 烈 地 反 對 拆 天 星 碼 頭 是 可 以 理 解 的 。 
然 而 ， 我 對 是 否 一 定 要 原 地 保 留 卻 不 太 堅 持 。 因 為 一 旦 填 海 ， 碼 頭 已 沒 有 功 能 ， 加 上 將 來 附 近 會 有 新 的 建 設 ， 原 有 的 環 境 氣 氛 都 會 改 變 ， 與 另 遷 新 址 已 沒 有 分 別 。 
此 外 ， 文 物 的 保 留 是 有 代 價 的 。 首 先 ， 這 會 妨 礙 局 部 地 區 的 城 市 現 代 化 ， 對 該 區 的 發 展 造 成 某 種 不 便 。 此 外 ， 光 是 保 留 是 不 足 夠 的 ， 還 需 要 長 期 維 修 保 養 ， 所 費 的 公 帑 不 菲 。 如 果 要 保 留 的 建 築 物 屬 私 人 財 產 ， 還 需 徵 得 業 主 同 意 ， 才 能 進 行 賠 償 及 收 購 。 因 此 ， 要 作 出 一 項 這 樣 的 決 定 ， 涉 及 各 方 利 益 及 社 會 代 價 ， 事 前 必 須 有 充 份 的 機 會 讓 社 會 參 與 討 論 ， 不 宜 讓 少 數 人 把 自 己 的 意 志 強 加 於 社 會 的 頭 上 。 
(轉 載 自 2007年 1月 17日 am730 C觀 點 )