On The Waterfront

The inaccessibility of Hong Kong’s waterfront has been a widespread source of complaint for years now. Along both sides of Victoria Harbour, where one should find open space devoted to the public, one instead finds disconnected stretches of land frequently obstructed by large buildings. It’s no surprise then that residents in Hung Hom recently decided to take a stand against a government proposal to sell waterfront land in their area. The government proposals would effectively allow vacant sites in the area to be dominated by extensive podium developments. In response, the residents have put forward a counter-proposal that would have the land rezoned as open space.

The counter-proposal suggests having a large park in front of the local ferry pier, with recreational facilities that include a stadium. It has been put forward in light of the significant deficit of open space that Hung Hom possesses relative to other areas in Hong Kong. The local standard proportion of open space per person is two square meters per person, which puts Hung Hom (with 147,640 people over 13.4 hectares of open space) 16 hectares short. Rezoning the existing vacant sites as open space would add 3 hectares.

Supporters of the residents’ proposal see it within the context of a larger overall debate about quality of life in Hong Kong. Paul Zimmerman, convenor of Designing Hong Kong, emphasizes that as people have more leisure time in today’s society, there will be a greater demand for recreational facilities outside the home. He adds that with an aging population, there are already a considerable number of people who have seven days a week of leisure time. “Bear in mind that many of these people are not rich, and want access to things such as parks that don’t cost a lot,” he says.

Another point made in favor of the residents’ proposal is that further development along the waterfront would block airflow through the city, and would contribute to the heat island effect and air pollution both in Hung Hom and surrounding areas such as Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok. “Hung Hom is a major air ventilation gateway,” says Ian Brownlee, architect and director of Masterplan Limited. “It’s one of the prime areas where wind comes in from the northeast and the southwest.” He adds that those most affected by the resulting heat island effect and air pollution will be the poor.

Of course, the counter-proposal is not without its opponents. Some believe that new public housing developments in the area are necessary to provide for those with low incomes. The alternative would be to move the latter into the New Territories, where critics say they will face a lack of jobs in nearby areas, which will in turn only worsen social disparity.

Others believe the counter-proposal is simply not realistic. Peter Cookson Smith, an urban planner who worked on the government’s own proposal, points to the particular example of the stadium. “It’s simply not compatible to have a stadium, which is only used for a short time once in a while, on the waterfront,” he says. He adds more generally that we cannot aim to have a waterfront park everywhere, particularly not in a “comprehensive development area” such as Hung Hom.