https://www.scmp.com/rss/10552/feed Paul Zimmerman is the elected district councillor for Southern District (Pok Fu Lam), the CEO of Designing Hong Kong, and a co-convenor of Save Our Country Parks. He has a master's degree in social science (economics) from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, and a Master of Arts (transport policy and planning) from the University of Hong Kong. Designing Hong Kong is a non-profit organisation devoted to promoting liveable density. For more information: www.paulzimmerman.hk and... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Have you ever walked or cycled across the bridges of San Francisco, New York, Tokyo, London or Rotterdam? Did you enjoy the panoramic views offered by these vantage points? Ever wondered what the views would be if you were allowed access to Hong Kong’s bridges on foot or by bicycle? Imagine walking along Stonecutters Bridge high above the cranes moving containers between vessels and trucks below. Imagine cycling along the Tsing Ma Bridge while ships pass beneath and planes... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245788/hardly-bridge-too-far-hong-kong-be-inclusive-pedestrians-and-cyclists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245788/hardly-bridge-too-far-hong-kong-be-inclusive-pedestrians-and-cyclists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Dec 2023 01:30:09 +0000 In our efforts to revive the economy, we are looking for opportunities and to showcase the unique strengths of our city. With the “Hello Hong Kong” and “Happy Hong Kong” campaigns, we have focused on our nightlife and the tradition of street markets. Yet there is another strength, much overlooked, that we can build on. Hong Kong has the longest coastline of any global city: 456km around the main area, and 722km around the 263 islands larger than 500 square metres. We have more water surface area... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3238703/city-short-land-water-sports-can-make-big-splash-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3238703/city-short-land-water-sports-can-make-big-splash-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2023 01:30:15 +0000 The changes proposed for membership of Hong Kong’s district councils are so dramatic that it would be inappropriate to retain their name; that would be akin to keeping the same flag on a completely different ship. The reforms will prove inefficient and constrain the feedback channels from community to government. They are also superfluous as the risk of abuse of the councils has been addressed with the implementation of national security legislation, and changes in the code of practices set out... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221618/how-run-hong-kong-districts-and-local-economies-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221618/how-run-hong-kong-districts-and-local-economies-better?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 May 2023 00:15:12 +0000 Whether it is possible to eradicate Covid-19 is, for now, a hypothetical question. While we should not dismiss the possibility in the years ahead, an international expert review of the feasibility and desirability of attempting Covid-19 eradication has yet to shape up. Today, by hook or by crook, most of the world is accepting that Covid will become endemic. One by one countries are opening up, removing constraints on their economy, travel and social life, while accepting that Covid-19... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3168274/dynamic-living-covid-policy-hong-kong-should-be-pursuing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3168274/dynamic-living-covid-policy-hong-kong-should-be-pursuing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Feb 2022 00:15:10 +0000 Every day, millions of plastic bottles, drink cartons and other beverage packaging end up in our landfills. To put an end to this, the government is consulting the public about a “producer responsibility scheme”. As the cost of the scheme will ultimately have an impact on consumer prices, we need to design a scheme that is right for Hong Kong. What should the rebate be? Where to return the container? At Drink Without Waste, our objective is for consumers to keep used plastic bottles, drink... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3124215/why-5-cent-bottle-recycling-rebate-makes-more-sense-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3124215/why-5-cent-bottle-recycling-rebate-makes-more-sense-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Mar 2021 12:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong does not have a land supply problem, but a land use problem – this was one of the conclusions at the 2017 Annual Land Forum organised last month by Land Watch. The theme this year was “Land Challenges amid a New Administration”. In TV advertisements, the government confirmed that land supply up to 2030 has been secured. “Hong Kong 2030 Plus”, the most recent update of Hong Kong’s territorial development strategy, estimates that around 4,800 hectares of land is required when looking... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2106187/why-hong-kong-doesnt-need-large-scale-reclamation-or-country?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2106187/why-hong-kong-doesnt-need-large-scale-reclamation-or-country?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Aug 2017 07:54:42 +0000 I like the Ombudsman’s recent public announcements that tai chi is healthy, but not in public administration. Tai chi, in local slang, means to shirk responsibility. The Ombudsman, Connie Lau Yin-hing, is already so busy clearing obvious cases of maladministration that I wonder whether she will have time for the well-practised, evasive language bureaucrats dish out when they reply to proposals and questions. In our campaign to improve walkability, our latest encounter with tai chi is over the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1896965/ministry-silly-walks-hong-kong-officials-are-shirking-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1896965/ministry-silly-walks-hong-kong-officials-are-shirking-their?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jan 2016 05:03:58 +0000 In his 2013 policy address, the chief executive put forward the concept of "addressing district issues at the local level and capitalising on local opportunities". The government announced it would study "how to enhance the functions of district councils and enable members to play a more active role in district affairs, and facilitate the co-ordination of government departments in service delivery at the district level by the district officers". Since then, pilot schemes have been introduced,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1768642/hong-kong-must-free-its-district-councils-spearhead-local?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1768642/hong-kong-must-free-its-district-councils-spearhead-local?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2015 09:33:54 +0000 The government is consulting the public on the setting up of a Harbourfront Authority but both the digest and response form fail to address key concerns. These include a lack of oversight over the harbour as a whole; the lack of advisory powers over government departments; a lack of legitimacy in land allocation; bias towards commercial operations; and a loss of the public voice on the board. Since 2004, we have called for an authority to create a world-class waterfronts. Now the shortcomings... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1629082/only-right-harbourfront-authority-can-create-exemplary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1629082/only-right-harbourfront-authority-can-create-exemplary?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2014 20:21:38 +0000 The exhausting distraction of constitutional and political arrangements continues to divert much energy from our senior leadership, and has done so ever since 1982. This diversion is the reason why many government departments are operating under outdated practices, guidelines and statutes, unable to get the support they need from the top for making changes, as well as the cross-bureau and cross-department coordination that such changes involve. One solution suggested by many is a division of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1561134/hong-kong-needs-mayor-lead-citys-reinvention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1561134/hong-kong-needs-mayor-lead-citys-reinvention?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2014 07:45:45 +0000 Hong Kong's country parks are among our greatest treasures. Yet they are under development threat. And the "landlord", the Country and Marine Parks Authority, stands by silently. When country parks were established in the 1970s, some 500 hectares of abandoned private land was immediately incorporated into the parks. Another 2,000 hectares of private cultivated land and "small nucleated villages mostly of traditional character" were excluded as "enclaves" from the Country Parks Ordinance. Soon... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1529303/country-parks-authority-must-do-its-duty-block-destructive-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1529303/country-parks-authority-must-do-its-duty-block-destructive-development?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2014 09:30:30 +0000 The Hong Kong government has belatedly acknowledged the need for a fundamental review of policy and management issues relating to vessel berthing space. The review will explore solutions for better management of berthing spaces for local vessels and the challenges faced by the Marine Department. The marine industry wants this review to include supply, given the dramatic shortfall of over 20,000 berthing facilities for leisure, recreational and sports vessels. A champion is needed within... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1302733/give-hong-kong-people-boat-policy-anchored-real-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1302733/give-hong-kong-people-boat-policy-anchored-real-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 In his election manifesto, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying affirmed the "social value of Hong Kong waters", and promised to establish a fund to provide local fishermen with skills training to replace traditional fishing with "new methods of sea-based operations", and to promote the sustainable use of Hong Kong waters. We also need waterfront land and funding for piers and public boat storage facilities - and a clear indication of who in government will be responsible for supporting these new... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1028304/hong-kong-needs-more-public-water-sports-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1028304/hong-kong-needs-more-public-water-sports-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The discussion over the airport expansion is being played out with few facts and much emotive fervour: if we don't expand, Hong Kong will no longer have the great airport we have all become so used to. And that is, of course, a horrible idea, as I don't know any airport that is as efficient. Digging through the avalanche of slick advertising, the appendices of the technical report reveal the assumptions of growth behind the third runway. But where is all this growth going to come from? After... https://www.scmp.com/article/970913/airport-plan-cant-take-without-reliable-forecasts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/970913/airport-plan-cant-take-without-reliable-forecasts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's country parks are under threat. A developer who paid HK$16 million for a former village in Tai Long Wan, Sai Kung, is believed to be turning the area into his own private playground, with a helipad that allows him to shuttle in and out of it at his pleasure. The area, described in a government landscape study as 'an area still largely inaccessible and almost free from development', is known for its remoteness and natural beauty. Yet, the new owner can seemingly redevelop the ... https://www.scmp.com/article/720395/no-build-zones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/720395/no-build-zones?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Times Square's renting out of the piazza for private gain, Cheung Kong's policing of its pond, the lack of seating in Pacific Place's Park Court, the encroachment by bars on the roof of Two IFC, Henderson's failure to provide 24-hour access to the podium of the Metro Harbourview. These are all mere symptoms of the real problem: these spaces should never have been classified as public open space in the first place. The government happily counts these areas within private developments as 'public ... https://www.scmp.com/article/630828/our-open-space-anything-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/630828/our-open-space-anything-public?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's living heritage of street vendors and bazaars will be lost forever unless the city's hawker policy changes from one of squeezing their numbers to managing them properly. Public sentiment on the matter has changed dramatically this year: even the chief executive's policy address referred to plans to preserve street bazaars. To manage the explosion of hawkers during the post-war influx of migrants, the government established the Hawker Control Department in 1960. At its peak, Hong... https://www.scmp.com/article/620833/we-must-keep-our-hawker-heritage-alive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/620833/we-must-keep-our-hawker-heritage-alive?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Dec 2007 16:00:00 +0000 There is no doubt about it: Hong Kong hasn't enough venue space for arts and cultural events. This was pointed out in a study and report in 1997. Ten years on, the shortfall against demand has increased further. No private venues have emerged in response to this demand because of the high-land-price policy, a focus on land revenue and a lack of appropriate zoning. Will the West Kowloon Cultural District encourage diversified and balanced development? To build the long list of venues... https://www.scmp.com/article/608680/too-tied-one-idea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/608680/too-tied-one-idea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:00:00 +0000 The public's outcry has been heard in various disputes over heritage: the old Central Police Station, the Star Ferry clock tower, Queen's Pier, Yau Ma Tei Market and street markets in Wan Chai and Central. In response, the government has announced that it will 'strike a balance' between development and the preservation of heritage and the environment. Does this mean that preserving outdated government policies and institutions is obstructing the development of Hong Kong? If so, then there... https://www.scmp.com/article/607383/preserving-heritage-its-own-reward?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/607383/preserving-heritage-its-own-reward?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Sep 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Let me start by congratulating the community for its civic spirit, for its perseverance in the face of many obstacles, and for making sure that there is now a commitment to preserve both the Star Ferry Clock Tower and Queen's Pier. If not for the efforts and hard work of Hongkongers, these historic landmarks would have vanished forever. The decision to demolish and then rebuild Queen's Pier is one of cost - HK$50 million is the price. Working around the structure, while leaving it intact,... https://www.scmp.com/article/591400/pier-pressure-and-route-harmony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/591400/pier-pressure-and-route-harmony?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 May 2007 16:00:00 +0000 With plans under way to turn Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong into Hong Kong's third-largest commercial district by 2010, the market is decentralising to compensate for the lack of large floor-plate commercial stock in our central business district. This is good news for Hong Kong, as creating new business districts is the first step to easing the market pressures caused by soaring office rents, shortage of land, and traffic congestion in Central. Prospective tenants will be provided with more price... https://www.scmp.com/article/589533/decentralised-hubs-make-liveable-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/589533/decentralised-hubs-make-liveable-city?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:00:00 +0000 The supreme irony of Paul Zimmerman's life is his passion to protect the harbour and against building too many roads - and his job selling luxury vehicles. His first foray into public life was in February 2004 as convenor of Designing Hong Kong Harbour District, a forum to bring together businesspeople and professionals to discuss the fate of Victoria Harbour in the face of reclamation and proposals for a waterfront that would be unfriendly to pedestrians. 'We decided we had to act and do... https://www.scmp.com/article/579078/evolution-activist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/579078/evolution-activist?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jan 2007 16:00:00 +0000 It was at best shortsighted of the government to claim it was unreasonable to halt demolition of the Star Ferry and Queen's piers. Its reasons? Work on the Central Reclamation scheme was proceeding at full steam, and all procedures had been duly followed, it claimed. A recent study on Hong Kong's competitiveness identifies that the city's ranking is suffering because of its land policy, high land prices and deteriorating environment. Overdevelopment is destroying the quality of life, and will... https://www.scmp.com/article/578681/when-todays-policies-threaten-tomorrow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/578681/when-todays-policies-threaten-tomorrow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's harbourfronts suffer from massive traffic corridors and an acute shortage of land. And no new land will be added, as the public is clearly against reclamation. To enhance these areas and create a vibrant harbour requires the rezoning of the remaining land, the re-engineering of infrastructure and the removal of utilities (such as pumping stations, sewage treatment plants and cargo handling bay areas) and redeploying these elsewhere. It also means no new infrastructure and... https://www.scmp.com/article/491563/develop-single-land-and-transport-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/491563/develop-single-land-and-transport-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Mar 2005 16:00:00 +0000 To move towards sustainable development in practice, decisions must be evaluated and modified in light of its principles. For the planned Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge, the governments involved should first evaluate the environmental sustainability of accelerating development of the western Pearl River Delta. The bridge project should only be given the go-ahead when ways of reducing pollution elsewhere have been identified - and implemented. More than just a road link, the bridge is intended... https://www.scmp.com/article/476063/bridging-green-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/476063/bridging-green-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Oct 2004 16:00:00 +0000 Kai Tak and the adjoining area is the last 'virgin' land around the harbourfront. Thus, the public consultation exercise is our last chance to optimise the location of the many facilities required to make the harbour district a sustainable, vibrant economy and a quality living experience. However, the planning and engineering review, entitled Working Together to Shape a new Kai Tak, appears to be defined in isolation. It lacks a well-developed, strategic planning framework setting out the... https://www.scmp.com/article/471703/last-chance-remake-victoria-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/471703/last-chance-remake-victoria-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Sep 2004 16:00:00 +0000 After congratulating Olympic silver medal table-tennis duo Ko Lai-chak and Li Ching, Hong Kong's community of sports administrators - from Timothy Fok Tsun-ting down - are already turning up the volume calling for greater government subsidies for sports development. Whether the solution is ever-more funding, with four years to go before the Beijing Olympics, it is certainly time for reflection because, with almost 7 million residents, one medal puts Hong Kong near the embarrassing bottom of... https://www.scmp.com/article/468861/bigger-competition-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/468861/bigger-competition-better?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Sep 2004 16:00:00 +0000 It all started with a phone call from a friend who said that the Yuen Long crocodile, being held captive at Kadoorie Farm, was showing signs of severe stress. She has yet to take a bite of the best meat money can buy, and is slowly turning black. Remember that our crocodile is smart and free-spirited. She evaded captivity for a long time and showed great defiance by sitting on top of a trap. We agreed that the crocodile was a great metaphor for Hong Kong's spirit, and would provide a... https://www.scmp.com/article/462055/long-live-hong-kong-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/462055/long-live-hong-kong-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jul 2004 16:00:00 +0000 During a luncheon organised by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen addressed business leaders and asked for their support in two specific areas. First, he invited corporations to invest in the local workforce, and specifically to help train Hong Kong people and prepare them for new economic challenges. Second, he asked local business leaders to participate in politics, and to speak up collectively. Regrettably, he did not take questions,... https://www.scmp.com/article/460029/lead-example-mr-tsang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/460029/lead-example-mr-tsang?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jun 2004 16:00:00 +0000 The proposed new bus terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui has stirred up much controversy. The officials who worked so hard must feel exasperated as yet another project ends in conflict. Clearly, our planning and consultation mechanisms continue to fail to sufficiently include the public, Legislative Council and key stakeholders, leading to a significant waste of resources. Leaving the design of the new facility aside, the basic motives behind moving the bus terminal are now being questioned in Legco and... https://www.scmp.com/article/457951/get-other-harbourfront-right-too?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/457951/get-other-harbourfront-right-too?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jun 2004 16:00:00 +0000 Three opinion surveys on the West Kowloon cultural district asked nearly identical questions, but failed to address the two most critical issues. Polls by the Centre for Cultural Policy Research at Hong Kong University, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce all asked detailed questions about the giant canopy, the 'one developer' solution and the management of venues. They neglected to ask if a majority of Hong Kong's cultural venues should be... https://www.scmp.com/article/453851/how-save-hong-kongs-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/453851/how-save-hong-kongs-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Apr 2004 16:00:00 +0000 With the heated reclamation debate, it is easy to forget that the real issue is how we design the harbour district, our most valuable land, where the majority of financial, commercial, cultural, entertainment and arts facilities are located. It has long been recognised that a vibrant harbour foreshore is needed with public open space, parks, promenades, arts, cultural and entertainment facilities, and liberal pedestrian access. There is a business case for this: a world-class harbour district... https://www.scmp.com/article/451766/its-not-too-late-change-direction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/451766/its-not-too-late-change-direction?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:00:00 +0000