bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Shirley Zhao

Concrete jungle Hong Kong will have a greater diversity of trees and shrubs in future, as part of a government plan to place at least 120 varieties of plants along the city’s streets to make the environment more pleasant, especially for pedestrians.
Why Hong Kong is scared of trees: the fight for urban forestry in city that sees them as a threat, not an enhancement
A cornerstone of the strategy, now being reviewed by the Development Bureau, is a guide for urban planners to match plants to places, by assessing factors such as the area’s traffic flow and layout of pedestrian pathways, and then recommending suitable trees and shrubs. 
Landscape architect Patrick Lau Hing-tat, a long-time champion of better greening in the city, said about 20 tree species could be found across the city’s urban areas.

His team at urban design firm Earth Asia Design Group helped craft the guide and expand the pool of recommended plants by studying their tolerance for pruning and roadside pollution, adaptability to variations in the climate, and how attractive they look, among other things.
For example, Hing Fat Street in Tin Hau, which is off a main road and has sidewalks with tree planters, was matched with six types of plants, including the Indian gooseberry and Hong Kong gordonia. 

For Po Heung Street, a main thoroughfare in Tai Po, there were five species recommended, including the Chinese elm, which has a slender trunk and is resistant to disease.
Lau was full of praise for the government’s efforts.
“This is the first time the government is establishing a [systematic] policy on greening,” Lau said. “In the past, the government only consulted landscape architects about tree planting project by project.”
Getting to the root of the problem with Hong Kong’s trees
Indeed, while the city’s unspoilt countryside and mountains are conserved as country parks, critics complain its urban greenery efforts have fallen short, compared to rival Singapore’s verdant cityscape.

One oft-cited example was how trees along walkways in the financial district were meticulously pruned, appearing more ornamental than lush. Official statistics show the number of trees and shrubs planted each year has also been decreasing since 2010, despite their proven benefits, such as filtering roadside pollution.
Another massive banyan tree crashes down onto busy Hong Kong street as city braces for week of heavy rain
Lau said besides beautifying the city, having a diversity of species meant they were less likely to be affected by the same pests or diseases that might cause them to weaken and collapse.
Falling trees have caused a number of casualties in the city, leading some to view the city’s heritage trees as accidents waiting to happen. In 2015, it was mainly conservationists who protested the felling of four iconic banyan trees in Sai Ying Pun. 

While the government watchdog later cleared the Highways Department’s controversial decision, it called on officials to improve their tree management and maintenance regime.
Lau added that the new greening policy was especially timely as the government continues replacing some 100,000 Taiwan acacia trees in heavily populated areas. These trees, planted in the 1950s and 1960s mainly on roadside slopes to prevent soil erosion, have almost reached their average lifespan of about 60 years.
Tracking the health of Hong Kong’s trees: an interactive map
University of Hong Kong geography professor Jim Chi-yung, who did a study in 1994 recommending that 111 species of trees be planted across the city, said the current plan did not seem to have considered the below ground conditions, such as the quality of soil and presence of pipes and cables.
Green envy: Hong Kong’s grey urban environment put to shame by lush Singapore
He added that some of the recommended species such as Burmese rosewood and cekiang machilus could grow up to 25 metres tall and 20 metres wide, which would be incompatible with Hong Kong’s narrow streets.
“If you don’t have enough space for these trees to grow, you will have to cut them quite heavily,” Jim said. “This will weaken the trees and possibly lead to them collapsing.”

A spokeswoman for the Greening, Landscape and Tree Management Section of the Development Bureau said the outcome of its partnership with Lau and his team was to “promote a more liveable Hong Kong by providing a sustainable street landscape environment”.
The government would now test the tree-matching scheme and see how to put all recommendations into practice, she added.
Cheng Lee-ming, a member of Kowloon City district council, said residents would like it if there were more flowering plants, so they could see blooms all year round. 
But greening older districts would be difficult, he said, as these areas were not planned with trees in mind.
Poor tree care puts Hong Kong’s green heritage at risk, warn experts
Lau said he hoped the government would in future have more pedestrian-only roads when planning for future infrastructure, instead of always prioritising the needs of traffic.
“Can we not think about the cars and plan for the pedestrians first?” he said. “Do pedestrians want to follow the directions of the traffic, turn where the cars turn and cross at inconvenient places? Such planning reflects a very outdated way of thinking.”


Concrete jungle Hong Kong to get diverse array of plants on urban streets in drive to green the city

Trees along Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: David Wong

A banyan tree in Kowloon Park, it's located above the spectator stand of the mini-soccer pitch, Tsim Sha Tsui. 31OCT14

Two people have been sent to hospital after being hit by a falling tree on Bonham Road in Mid-Levels. 22JUL15

Earthasia International Holdings Limited IPO press conference with Chairman Patrick Lau Hing-tat. 11JUN14

The beautiful flowers of the native tree Gordonia axillaris is a close relative of the tea plant.

People crossing the street on Hing Fat Street in Tin Hau. 13MAR18 SCMP / Sam Tsang

News

Hong Kong

Health & Environment

About 20 tree and shrub species can now be found across urban areas but this will increase to 120, with city planners shown how to ‘match plants to places’


About 20 tree and shrub species can now be found across urban areas but this will increase to 120, with city planners shown how to ‘match plants to places’.


Hong Kong environmental issues