Dear Hong Kong People,

I have recently received a letter from one of my friends who has left Hong Kong and lived overseas since year 2000, informing me that he would like to visit Hong Kong in July, and hope that I can show him around including seeing some of our recent achievements. To enable my friend to plan his visit, I took the opportunity to give him a pen picture of Hong Kong. The following is the extract.

“Although some may say that Hong Kong has lost the glory of its heydays, I assure you that Hong Kong is still very vibrant and quite affordable - at least for a short stay. Lately, we see a lot of polarized political arguments daily in the media. For the local people, high housing prices and rents are indeed at present the most imminent issues. On the whole, development is making progress, notwithstanding the increasing filibustering in the Legislative Council. Our city infrastructure is still robust and efficient, and the city is safe and public transport facilities are highly convenient. However, I also asked myself whether Hong Kong is indeed better than other cities, as I do not wish to hard sell it to you or anyone else.

The first berth of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal was opened in 2013. Yet up to now, the surrounding sites are still rather desolate and difficult to access. The Third Runway for the Airport, first mooted in year 2010 in the Airport Master Plan 2030, only obtained approval from CE in Council in 2016 and much is still on the drawing board. Hong Kong Disneyland’s patronage has been low for many years since opening in 2005, and it records losses in most of the years. Approval was given last year for further expansion with new themed lands to be opened in 2020. Let’s hope that Hong Kong will have some more attractions soon. As for the Ocean Park, the Budget Speech announced in February that Government will allocate $310M to support it in view of its difficulties. Many people rightly expect greater vibrancy and attractions at Victoria Harbour waterfront. I have been appointed to be a member of the advisory Harbourfront Commission in July last year. I could feel the public sentiments and I also hoped that Government could speed up the implementation of the long outstanding visions and enhancement measures. Whilst my involvement in the Commission has still been very short, I hope that I could help to give matters some push in the coming year.

Apart from strategic and large scale projects, what makes a city great often relies on its innate character, cultural heritage, environmental quality and moreover, how friendliness towards tourists and visitors who are unfamiliar to the place. I have frequently discussed with friends in the fields of architecture, surveying, planning and landscape. Many of us have expressed similar concerns about the gradual degradation in the cleanliness and maintenance of the street environment, the lack of well planned and designed greenery and new attractions. The new “attractions” we find are perhaps mainly commercial developments filled with chain stores and advertising bill boards.

You and I are both professionals in the construction industry. I am sure you would share with me similar values of a friendly city and good urban design. We cherish walkability and pedestrian friendliness, green and sustainable development, quality of the living environment, as well as greater public participation in local area affairs.

However, looking around, illegal parking and on-street loading and unloading activities are very common. Government is currently carrying out a study on potential uses of underground spaces in three selected locations in the business area, with a view to solve some of the street level congestions. I have read those reports but I have yet to be totally convinced as the proposed commercial uses may generate even more traffic in the surrounding streets. Sometimes, opportunities could have been grasped but they just appeared to be neglected. One of a rare positive example may perhaps be found in the busiest niche in Mong Kok, where pedestrian pavements are so narrow and often blocked by hawkers and goods over-spilled from adjoining shops. In the redevelopment, the designer has set back the lower floors of the building and has thus freed up a lot of areas, and as a result provided opportunities for place making. The original urban matrix could only be revamped to improve the pedestrian environment with a sensitive and people-oriented approach, and by coordinated and timely efforts of comprehensive urban renewal, plus a review of the traffic and transport policies.

Whilst I am glad to note that the CE’s Policy Address this year has stated that “Government will continue to take forward “Walk in HK” and encourage people to walk more … ... to help alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality, and develop Hong Kong into a walkable city …”, I am somewhat skeptical about the effectiveness in implementation. We have been talking about building a smart city for many years, but up to now only some explorations are being carried out on some aspects in the Kowloon East district.

To be able to move about freely and safely in the city is all more important for the elderly. Life expectancy is getting longer and longer. By year 2041, nearly one third of Hong Kong’s population will be aged 65 or above. Although Government pledged to make the city barrier-free and has carried out many footbridge and escalator projects in various districts, it is time that we take a closer look at the needs and difficulties encountered by the elderly persons, to see whether the current design standards are adequate, for example: “small” but important matters like the sizes of signage and associated letterings, the speed of escalators, the green times of traffic lights, the provision of handrails, the number and convenience of location of public toilets, clinics, elderly service centres, etc. Even the distances of facilities and local parks and bus stops from the residential area may require a comprehensive re-think and support of new policy initiatives.

On another front, certain improvements have been made to some LCSD managed parks, where previously many activities, even walking on the lawns were prohibited. The change is welcome but it is still quite slow.

As some form of local attractions, from time to time the District Councils initiated some events or bazaars to help the local businesses. The Financial Secretary in his 2018-19 Budget speech stated that he will set aside $8 Billion for proposals initiated by the 18 District Councils. Whilst the Home Affairs Bureau would act as coordinator, I am glad to note that my friends in the professional fields volunteered to participate, if there are such opportunities at all, to facilitate the District Councils in better resolving district issues and in more professional planning and design work.

As I am currently representing the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape professions in the Legislative Council, I earnestly hope to address these issues as far as I could in my position, and work together with the Government and the community to make Hong Kong a better place to live, work and visit.

I look forward to your visiting Hong Kong soon, to show you the progress of our city and to consult you on how to make Hong Kong a much friendlier city.

Yours sincerely,
Tony