Scenes of shuttle buses carrying students around the sprawling Chinese University campus in Sha Tin will be consigned to history under an ambitious plan to build a network of express lifts and covered walkways to encourage a culture of walking among students.
The plan to shrink the fleet is among measures proposed by Edward Cullinan, architect of the university's campus master plan, who has come to Hong Kong to collect opinions from students, staff and alumni about his design. Edward Cullinan Architects and Aedas were chosen from four teams in February last year to design the plan for the 134-hectare Ma Liu Shui campus.
The plan, which will guide campus development until 2021, involves a series of moves to transform the remote campus into a sustainable and pedestrian-friendly university.
The proposal to build more than 10 covered walkways and express lifts to connect the four existing and five soon-to-be-built colleges would drastically shorten the time taken to get around the campus.
Professor Cullinan said a walk from University station to Shaw College would take about 20 minutes. 'The number of shuttle buses will be diminished ... to probably next to nothing,' he said.
Other measures to achieve a carbon-neutral campus include construction of 'lock-up cycle racks', energy-efficient buildings using more sturdy insulation materials, natural lighting and roof gardens.