modern estates. Demographics In line with the trend of diminishing household sizes across Hong Kong over the decades, the population of Lok Wah Estate has declined. Lok Wah Estate was designed to house over 42,000 people. According to the District Council Election 2003, the estimated population in Lok Wah Estate was around 31,500. In the 2011 census the population had dropped to 28,051. There are a total of 10,794 households. The majority of residents are ethnic Chinese who speak Cantonese. Facilities Commerce Most commercial space in the estate is housed in the Lok Wah Commercial Centre, a multi-storey open-air shopping centre between Lok Wah North Estate and Lok Nga Court. It was opened in 1985 and comprises an internal floor area of . It is built atop a multi-storey car park with 650 spaces, but as the complex is built within a valley the car park is barely noticeable – the shopping centre appears to be at ground level. The commercial centre and car park were originally owned and managed by the Housing Authority, but were transferred to The Link REIT on 25 November 2005. The Link was criticised for abandoning the fountain at the shopping centre, and for raising rents. The estate also has a covered open-air market, the Lok Wah Market, with a wide range of goods including fresh produce and meats, flowers, groceries, and dry goods. In terms of dining, there is an area of outdoor cooked food stalls (similar to dai pai dong) with seating underneath large mushroom-shaped concrete canopies. These are popular with residents late into the night. The commercial centre has a range of fast food options including McDonald's and Café de Coral as well as a large Chinese restaurant. Parks and open spaces There are several parks near the estate. The Lok Wah Playground, opened in 1977, is the largest. It is spread over three platforms linked by staircases. It was originally called the Fook Wah Tsuen Playground, after the former name of the area, until the 2000s. Due to wear-and-tear, the park was renovated at a cost of $45 million over 2002–2003. It is now home to two five-a-side hard-surfaced football pitches, two children's playgrounds, two basketball-cum-volleyball courts, gardens, and sitting-out areas. The Kung Lok Road Playground is a hard-surfaced open space intended for use by bicyclists, but also popular with joggers. It opened in 1988. There is a bicycle rental kiosk,