Building Hong Kong: Environmental Considerations

1. Sustainability And Urban Design

Sustainability And Urban Design Peter Cookson Smith 1 INTRODUCTIO N In a development sense , 'sustainability' i s about maintainin g an d enhancin g the quality of life while respecting the carrying capacity of the biosphere, the supporting ecosystem and resource base. At a more detailed and specific level, spatial plannin g an d urba n desig n nee d to be se t within th e urban an d cit y planning contex t o f natural resourc e conservatio n an d loca l environmenta l quality. Global initiatives reflectin g sustainabl e concern s fo r the planet have , in recent years, helped to develop a clear ecological dimension for strategic and local planning. It is recognized that the formulation of responsive urban design parameters mus t als o relate to the creation o f lasting environments . The UK Urban Design Group's 'Agenda for Urban Design'1 includes the statement that 'urban design is concerned with the careful stewardship of the resources of the 18 I P.C . Smith built environmen t i n the creation an d maintenance o f the public realm.' This requires a strong direction for change that allows comprehensive and realistic schemes to be produced. It involves the integration of economic, environmental and community interests in order to implement tangible projects that achieve the objectives of'Agenda 21' , which followed the 'Earth Summit' in Rio under the auspices of the United Nations in 1992 . The Hon g Kon g governmen t i s currentl y carryin g ou t a stud y calle d 'Sustainable Developmen t fo r th e 21s t Century' . Th e intentio n o f thi s i s t o provide a basis for an improved system of corporate decision-making on how best to achieve the primary goal of creating a sustainable, urban-based way of living. Thi s wil l nee d t o tak e int o accoun t th e nee d fo r economi c vitality , along wit h th e capacit y o f Hong Kong's uniquely constraine d environment , infrastructure system s and land use resources. Improving the environmenta l performanc e o f cities is possibly the mos t pressing issue to be addressed in the twenty-first century . As Hong Kong faces the challeng e o f accommodatin g u p t o 2 millio n peopl e ove r th e nex t 1 5 years, the achievement of sustainable human settlements must be matched by the environmental performance of the city itself as it expands from 6.5 million people to around 8.3 million. At first glance, this might not seem such a severe task by world standards where 100 cities now accommodate 550 million people, with the 2 0 largest conurbations eac h having in excess of 20 million.2 Urban populations i n genera l ar e no w increasin g thre e time s faste r tha n overal l population growth . However, th e Hong Kong Specia l Administrative Regio n (SAR) lies at the seaward end of a sprawling regional growth corridor aroun d 150km in length extending through the Pearl River Delta to Guangzhou, where continued economic growth is leading to long-term industrial-led urbanization with immense demographic pressure, lifting it s population to perhaps over 40 million peopl e b y 201 1 - wa y beyon d th e carryin g capacit y o f its regiona l resource base. Most concern s regardin g sustainabilit y ar e relate d t o globa l ecologica l factors, and the somewhat simplistic objective of limiting the consumption of renewable natural resources to within the capacity of their replenishment. The key consideration a t a planning an d urba n desig n leve l i s to interpre t thes e broad principles into practical desig n policies. The challenge for engenderin g conditions for sustainability in the Hong Kong SAR is not necessarily in making sense o f variou s disparat e elements , bu t i n evolvin g a greate r degre e o f collaboration amon g various interests, in particular government department s and agencies at different levels to ensure that sustainability works at a practical level. Sustainability And Urban Design 1 1 9 Several key dimensions can be identified: spatia l form, energ y efficienc y and pollutio...