Multidimensional sustainability benchmarking for smart megacities

This paper is focused on sustainability assessment for some of the most prominent global megacities: London, New York, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Beijing, Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo. The alternative city rankings are compared and linkages between different sustainability and smart city dimensions are explored. The paper applied ELECTRE III multi-criteria decision aid tool to a panel of twenty indicators. The proposed approach allowed considering performance under four different policy priorities: environmental, economic, social and smart, changing the focus of the sustainability assessment. The results have shown that Singapore dominates the sustainability rankings under environmental policy priorities. Tokyo leads under economic and social priorities, and London and Tokyo – under smart city priorities. The worst performing cities were Shanghai, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro. The paper examines the innovative sustainability strategy and new governance structures that led Singapore to become the most sustainable city under environmental priorities and offers recommendations for the lower-ranking cities of Shanghai, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro. The assessment could be a valuable tool for policy makers and investors, and could help identify linkages between different sustainability dimensions, highlighting best practices as well as strategic opportunities in cities with sustainability potential.     

A critical review of Hong Kong’s proposed climate change strategy and action agenda

Climate change was not on the policy agenda in Hong Kong before 2007. In 2010, a consultation document, Hong Kong’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Agenda, was published proposing a voluntary carbon intensity reduction target of 50–60% by 2020 (from the 2005 level). This review attempts to understand why there was a sudden shift to climate issues and whether the proposed strategy, actions and targets are appropriate to the climate change challenges faced by the city. Through synthesizing existing literature on climate change at the city level, a framework outlining possible actions at the strategic, knowledge accumulation and implementation phases is developed to position Hong Kong’s experience. It is found that Hong Kong’s move towards climate change is strongly affected by China’s efforts. The city is facing some real climate change threats. However, while the carbon intensity reduction target looks impressive, it is actually too modest for the city’s developed economy. The city needs to reflect critically on its economics-first strategy and undertake more refined vulnerability studies and risk assessments to identify spatially and sectorally-specific adaptation measures. To be a responsible global citizen and to pursue sustainable development, Hong Kong needs more concerted and comprehensive efforts to combat climate change.     

香港公屋本质,公屋设计和居住实态

文章分析了香港在不同时期的公屋政策，公屋设计及居住实态。     

香港城市化初期的城市规划历史研究(1841-1904年)

香港由一个渔港村落快速演变为国际大都市而受到世界瞩目,是典型的近代新兴殖民城市。从城市规划史学的角度出发,选取1841-1904年之间的香港近代城市的形成及其城市规划为研究对象,探讨了香港近代早期城市发展的动因及其城市规划的历史分期和特点,剖析了该时期内城市规划理论的发展、城市建设活动的内容、规划管理机构的演变,进一步补充完善了香港近代城市史学研究,并为中国内地城市的城镇化进程提供宝贵的历史经验。     

Environmental Sustainability of Hong Kong's Housing System and the Housing Process Model

A preliminary assessment of the overall environmental sustainability of the existing housing system of Hong Kong is given, and the usefulness of M. Bhatti's building life-cycle model in developing a policy for sustainable housing development is assessed. While it is found that housing development in this highly compact city may not be ecologically sustainable, high-density living does enable some environment-friendly practices. The life-cycle model is instrumental in estimating the overall greenness of the housing processes, and prompts the need for formulating a sustainable housing policy. However, the model itself does not provide a framework for developing such a policy.     

城市跨界发展与融合——港深案例研究

探讨港深两地跨界城市发展与城市融合的进程。香港和深圳已建立了紧密的经济融合,制度层面上的融合也有一定的进展,但社会层面上的融合显著滞后。香港和深圳居民对边界另一边的对方缺乏充分认识。超过57%的香港和深圳居民不太熟悉或非常不熟悉另一个城市。超过四成的香港和深圳受访者认为价值观的差异是构建港深大都会的最主要的障碍。港深大都会的跨界社区尚未融合。香港和深圳在许多方面存在差异,造成两地之间难以实现完全的融合。港深两地有必要在"一国两制"的原则下,以提升两地城市竞争力与方便居民跨界居住与工作为出发点,推动城市跨界发展与融合。     

轨道交通建设促进城市健康发展与提高生活质量研究

我国各大城市发展快速,经济发展所衍生的城市问题众多,提高生活质量是城市规划未来发展的目标,城市轨道交通建设正是提高城市可持续发展的重大举措,本文针对新加坡、中国台湾、中国香港等轨道交通发展较成功的城市进行分析借镜,提出我国城市轨道交通建设促进城市健康发展与提高生活质量的方向。     

Utilisation of underground pedestrian systems for urban sustainability

Underground pedestrian systems (UPS) have emerged as an urban phenomenon in the city centres of mega-cities, providing alternative walkways that are safe, accessible, efficient and pleasant for pedestrians. Despite many successful UPS in operation around the world, the application and performance of UPS are not yet well understood by local authorities. While previous studies debated the impacts on cities and people that the development of UPS would bring, an understanding of how to develop UPS to contribute to sustainable urban development, including economic viability, environmental livability and social equity, should be improved. This paper presents a detailed discussion of potential contributions and challenges in developing UPS within the context of sustainable urban development. It contains a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between UPS and urban development with regard to urban planning concepts such as the compact city, city resilience, sustainable transport and urban renewal, within the context of contemporary challenges such as the need to achieve economic sustainability, managing a non-renewable and vulnerable underground resource, and humanisation and social sustainability. It demonstrates why UPS development presents opportunities for and challenges to achieving economic viability, environmental livability and social equity, how to develop UPS so that they make effective contributions to sustainable urban development, and how the challenge of each issue has been addressed in light of the experiences of cities with UPS developments globally.     

高密度城市形态与城市交通--以香港城市发展为例

随着中国城市化进程的加快，高密度城市中的交通已经成为亟需研究的重要课题。作为一个典型的高密度城市，香港以其高效率的城市交通系统，为全球许多有着相似情况的城市提供了成功的经验。详细考察了香港城市形态与城市交通的发展历程，指出城市形态与城市交通之间和谐适应的关系，是形成城市活力的必要条件。     

Customization of GBTool in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, there has been increasing public demand for developers to pay greater attention to the development of sustainable buildings. A creditable assessment scheme that provides targets and methods and recognition of the efforts that are made in this direction is considered to be an effective way to achieve the goal of construction sustainability. GBTool is by far the most comprehensive building environmental assessment framework and has been developed over the past 6 years through the efforts of 21 national teams. This study aims to address the customization of GBTool as a scheme to assist in the development of more sustainable buildings in Hong Kong. The general principle of triangulation is adopted in the customization process and the initiatives of the Hong Kong government and of voluntary bodies are reviewed. The gaps between the Hong Kong situation and the philosophy of GBTool are identified and a questionnaire survey and a series of in-depth interviews to elicit the attitudes of the parties involved toward the inclusion of additional issues into the customized scheme are conducted. The correlation of several major issues and the weightings across issues and criteria are identified. The results form a good basis for the development of a building sustainability assessment scheme for Hong Kong.     

绿色城市不是可持续发展城市--生态系统观念在城市发展研究中的重要性

在社会和经济发展的许多方面,保护环境和实现可持续发展已成为中国城市发展的目标,在城市零星 建筑设计中,与保护环境有关的具体措施,包括增加绿地面积,已开始逐步实施,然而对于城市在可持续发展中的地位和推进城市可持续发展战略的认识依然有限,对于２１世纪新的城市概念,新的城市形态和模式的研究还刚刚开始。已有百年历史的“花园城市”理论仍在毒化人的心灵和全球环境,因为这种城市模式在发达国家和部分发展中国家中实     

A review of the role of urban agriculture in the sustainable city discourse

The debate on the role of urban agriculture in the sustainable city discourse remains unresolved in the conventional literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to review relevant literature to clarify the role of urban agriculture in sustainable cities. The search for literature was guided by themes such as: a) urban agricultural practices, b) indicators for the measurement of sustainable cities, c) economic, social and environmental benefits of urban agriculture, and d) negative effects of urban agriculture on the city. The results from a synthesis of the literature indicate that urban agriculture supports the economic, social and environmental sustainability of cities. However, if the discussion gives credence to only the economic dimension of sustainability, then urban agriculture loses the debate. This is because the economic benefits of prime city land that is used used for non-agricultural purposes (such as commercial or industrial) is profound. However, the social and environmental functions of responsible urban agriculture, particularly in reducing the rift between urbanisation and nature, may be difficult to quantify. These social and environmental functions underscore the importance of urban agriculture in the city landscape. The paper concludes by arguing that focussing on only economic sustainability in the urban agriculture-sustainable city discourse is a travesty of the idea of sustainable development. The paper presents practical steps that can be taken to preserve agriculture in cities towards their sustainability.     

紧凑城市理念下轨道交通综合体内涵解读

我国城市快速轨道交通正处于大规模建设的关键时期,如何利用这一机遇,引导城市的可持续发展是值得我们研究的关键问题。紧凑城市理论提倡一种高密度而多样变化的城市,是一种基于土地资源高效利用的城市发展模式。文章分析论证了轨道交通综合体之于城市紧凑化发展的重要价值。并结合日本、香港等地轨道交通综合体的实例,归纳了构建基于紧凑城市的轨道交通综合体的重要途径,以期对我国轨道交通综合体的开发与设计提供借鉴。     

善用地下空间资源——香港地下空间发展的经验和启示

在过去三十多年的城市建设过程中,香港一直面临着人口密集与土地资源稀缺的巨大挑战,为增加土地供应,香港在开发利用地下岩洞空间方面积累了丰富的经验,并建成诸多高效运转的地下设施。自2009年开始,香港政府启动了一系列城市地下空间发展策略及工程技术研究的计划,并已经完成了“善用香港地下空间可行性研究”课题。本文简要介绍香港地下空间开发利用的经验和存在问题,希望能为高速发展的内地城市提供了重新思考现有工作和未来发展的新视角。     

香港市区更新策略与实践的回顾——以荃湾、观塘市中心项目为例

香港作为人口高度集中的世界级城市,市区更新是其战后城市规划与建设的主要内容之一。因市区老化问题日益严重。且涉及政府、发展商及社区居民多方利益而使市区更新的推动过程困难重重。该文回顾了香港市区更新的历史进程并总结各个时期市区更新的主要内容和特点．通过介绍荃湾和观塘市中心两个实践项目,分析市区更新在策略与管理机构方面的变革,着重介绍2001年市区重建局成立以来香港近十年市区更新工作强调可持续发展理念并强化公众参与意识的经验。该文可为内地城市当前的城市发展提供参考。     

Restructuring and repositioning Shenzhen,China's new mega city

Shenzhen, a new mega city founded under China's ‘open door’ policy, has experienced dramatic urban development over the past 30 years. From humble beginnings as a fishing village before the 1980s, it benefited from locational advantage next to Hong Kong, an autonomous city with a global role in finance and trade. Shenzhen was first among cities in China to adapt the capitalist world's urban development practices to an indigenous, centrally controlled land management system. As a new city, Shenzhen may best represent the role of planning in a time of economic transition. Urban planning in Shenzhen was ambitious in its reach, using ‘experimental reform’ as a vehicle for institutionalising changes in management of the land resource. These reforms became generalised in China, leading to a recent decline in academic investigation of Shenzhen. While the city as ‘reformer’ seems to have run its course, new challenges upset the old assumptions and call for more research. Today, as industry moves inland away from increasingly costly coastal areas, the city is grappling with the need to restructure its economic base. The city has undertaken major infrastructural projects in a bid to secure its role as a major transhipment hub and logistics command centre, while also developing a rail-based mass transit system. The regeneration of disused industrial land and ‘urban villages’, built up to accommodate at low cost a huge factory workforce, are important ongoing city programmes. While the city extends its infrastructure to connect more effectively with the rest of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and with Hong Kong, more fundamental questions surround its role within a restructuring regional economy. Ambitions for international stature, bolstered by a large and young population base, a world-class port and modern facilities are challenged by a rapidly evolving regional economy.     

Perceptions of building professionals on sustainable development: A comparative study between Hong Kong and Shenyang

It is logical to believe that the building professionals (architect, structural engineers, building services engineers, etc.) are the relevant persons that may influence the decision-making process on a real estate development process. Accordingly, the attitudes and perception of building professionals should have a significant influence on sustainable development. This article describes a survey concerning the perceptions of different building professionals, which include architects, construction engineers and building services engineers, on the environment, resource sustainability, and green consumerism in two major cities in China: Hong Kong and Shenyang. It is recognized that energy is central to sustainable development and in 2006/2007, the United Nation Commission on Sustainable Development will focus on energy issue. The discussion in this article will concentrate on the building professionals’ perception on energy related issues. Nevertheless, the findings in respect of their awareness of the environment, resources sustainability and other related issues are also summarized. At global level, apart from the need to preserve historical buildings, the professionals in Shenyang feel that ‘exhaustion of natural resources’ is of major concern and energy preservation is significant. However, the Hong Kong professionals do not consider energy resource sustainability is of urgency.     

Rehabilitation of existing building stock: A system dynamics model to support policy development

The development of policies to support an agenda of urban rehabilitation as a part of a city's approach to engender sustainability is a difficult process owing to the need to consider a large number of stakeholder needs and demands. For example, Hong Kong has accumulated a considerable amount of building stock due to its rapid economic development over the last 50 years. However, despite Hong Kong's economic growth, it has overlooked the need to rehabilitate its existing building stock (i.e. to restore the condition, operation and capacity of buildings). As such, a significant proportion of Hong Kong's ageing building stock is in need of rehabilitation. Further, the absence of a systemic maintenance policy, has stymied the Hong Kong's government's ability to ensure that its private building stock are resilient and adaptable for the future. Responding to the resulting need to develop urban rehabilitation policies for Hong Kong, this paper develops a system dynamics (SD) model to: (1) understand the future trend of the aged private buildings, particularly their sizes and age distribution; and (2) examine the complex relationships between allocated resources such as building professionals, number of aged private buildings and the strength of rehabilitation policies. The SD model developed can be used as a planning tool to simulate the effects of regulatory changes on aged private building stock management in consideration of available resources. The model development relies on a real-life database that can be applied to any city that faces the need to rehabilitate its ageing building stock as a part of an urban rehabilitation strategy.     

Forecasting cargo growth and regional role of the port of Hong Kong

The port of Hong Kong is a critical component of both the city’s and the region’s economy. However, forecasts of cargo growth and development of the port of Hong Kong have been scarce and the findings conflict, while systematic treatments on the subject are rare. This paper predicts cargo growth and the development of the port of Hong Kong by means of regression analysis. Factors affecting cargo throughput in Hong Kong are identified, qualitatively evaluated and then entered into a forecast model that generates a projection of cargo throughput. Based on the cargo throughput forecast, and an assessment of the Pearl River Delta (the hinterland of the port), the future role of the port is postulated. Further, the current cargo forecast is compared to the official forecast by the Port and Maritime Board, on which policy decisions are based.     

Adaptive reuse of traditional Chinese shophouses in government-led urban renewal projects in Hong Kong

Conservationists and government authorities acknowledge that adaptive reuse of historic buildings contributes to urban sustainability. Traditional Chinese shophouses are a major historic building typology found in the old districts of Asian cities. In Hong Kong, the few remaining shophouses are generally deteriorating and are increasingly under threat of demolition for urban renewal. However, adaptive reuse of these buildings has created many social concerns. In light of these concerns, evaluating adaptive reuse potential needs to incorporate a much broader sustainability framework than simply physical building conditions. This study examines the extent to which obsolescence, heritage value and redevelopment pressures have affected the adaptive reuse of shophouse intervention in government-led urban renewal projects. Interestingly, the results based on adaptive reuse potential find no consistent relationships among the adaptive reuse actions of eight cases in urban renewal districts of Hong Kong. Instead, the question of revitalizing shophouses is determined by whether they are within an urban renewal redevelopment plan. This study further explores the broader urban sustainability framework reflected in eight case studies of shophouse revitalization in three renewal districts. It includes a qualitative synthesis of the social, environmental, economic, and political considerations contributing to the adaptive reuse of shophouses in urban renewal.