Page 168 - The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) 香港綠色建築議會
P. 168
Private Sector Kwun Tong Town Centre Redevelopment:
Projects Striving for Sustainable Urban Renewal in
a High-Density Environment
from Development Areas 2 and 3. An interim the project duration has been substantially 85,000 visitors over a two-month period,
franchised bus terminus was also under lengthened and is now expected to span over during which an opinion survey was also
construction in another part of Development 15 years. conducted. This bottom-up participative
Area 4. These ‘interim decanting’ facilities approach has proven to be the most effective
were necessary, in addition to government In fact, the long journey of this project started way to garner support for the Project under
resumption of outstanding un-acquired even before the project was gazetted by the an increasingly vocal political climate. The
property interests and site clearance, so as Government. In November 2005, the Kwun resulting MLP incorporated a number of
to allow Development Areas 2 and 3 to be Tong District Advisory Committee was set up people-friendly and place-making features
developed in one package under Phase 2 of by the URA to collect public views and provide that had been extracted from the community
the Project. advice on issues relating to urban renewal. engagement exercises, such as the traditional
Comprising members from different walks of hawker bazaar, a terraced garden with water
In total, 31,000 m2 of government, institutional life, including legislative councillors, district features, extensive green coverage, an
and community facilities will be constructed leaders, property owners, social workers, oval-shaped multi-purpose civic centre,
in the new development. In the coming years, professionals, academic and businessmen, and so forth. In January 2009, an MLP was
other events, including road closures to the committee hosted a series of community approved by the Town Planning Board.
allow for foundation and construction works, workshops to enable stakeholders to express
will continue to take place in an orderly and their aspirations for the planning and design The public engagement did not stop at the
controlled manner so as to shape the Project. of the project so that these ideas could be approval of the layout plan. The design of
It is therefore not an understatement when used to formulate the conceptual designs. the PTI, which consists of a double-decked
Mr Ernest Lee, Director at the URA and head 3D urban design computer software was structure to accommodate eight franchised
of the team to oversee the planning and employed to simulate different land use bus routes and 18 minibus routes, and the
implementation of the Project, said, ’Ensuring scenarios for the community engagement associated road re-routing arrangement, had
that the residents of Kwun Tong have workshops to enable laymen to explore their also gone through rounds of engagement
uninterrupted access to community services ideas on the layouts and, at the same time, workshops with various stakeholders to
and that the disruption to their livelihoods is to facilitate a mutual understanding between address each of their specific concerns. The
minimised, are what keep us on full alert all all interested parties on the constraints and fact that no objection was received when
the time.‘ Phased implementation is justified opportunities of the mega project. the road closure and traffic diversion plans
by the commitment that the URA needs to for Phase 2 development were gazetted for
maintain the vibrancy of Yue Man Square as Based on the feedback collected at the consultation by the Government reflected
a main thoroughfare before the permanent workshops, three notional Master Layout that unanimous public support was gained
Public Transport Interchange (PTI) in Phase Plans (MLPs) were developed by the from the well-strategized engagement
2 of the Development is commissioned. consultants. In 2006, these were displayed exercises. Another example is the relocation
As a result of this phased implementation, in a series of roadshows that attracted over of the nine district branch offices, which
166 HONG KONG REPORT ON THE STATE OF SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT 2014
Projects Striving for Sustainable Urban Renewal in
a High-Density Environment
from Development Areas 2 and 3. An interim the project duration has been substantially 85,000 visitors over a two-month period,
franchised bus terminus was also under lengthened and is now expected to span over during which an opinion survey was also
construction in another part of Development 15 years. conducted. This bottom-up participative
Area 4. These ‘interim decanting’ facilities approach has proven to be the most effective
were necessary, in addition to government In fact, the long journey of this project started way to garner support for the Project under
resumption of outstanding un-acquired even before the project was gazetted by the an increasingly vocal political climate. The
property interests and site clearance, so as Government. In November 2005, the Kwun resulting MLP incorporated a number of
to allow Development Areas 2 and 3 to be Tong District Advisory Committee was set up people-friendly and place-making features
developed in one package under Phase 2 of by the URA to collect public views and provide that had been extracted from the community
the Project. advice on issues relating to urban renewal. engagement exercises, such as the traditional
Comprising members from different walks of hawker bazaar, a terraced garden with water
In total, 31,000 m2 of government, institutional life, including legislative councillors, district features, extensive green coverage, an
and community facilities will be constructed leaders, property owners, social workers, oval-shaped multi-purpose civic centre,
in the new development. In the coming years, professionals, academic and businessmen, and so forth. In January 2009, an MLP was
other events, including road closures to the committee hosted a series of community approved by the Town Planning Board.
allow for foundation and construction works, workshops to enable stakeholders to express
will continue to take place in an orderly and their aspirations for the planning and design The public engagement did not stop at the
controlled manner so as to shape the Project. of the project so that these ideas could be approval of the layout plan. The design of
It is therefore not an understatement when used to formulate the conceptual designs. the PTI, which consists of a double-decked
Mr Ernest Lee, Director at the URA and head 3D urban design computer software was structure to accommodate eight franchised
of the team to oversee the planning and employed to simulate different land use bus routes and 18 minibus routes, and the
implementation of the Project, said, ’Ensuring scenarios for the community engagement associated road re-routing arrangement, had
that the residents of Kwun Tong have workshops to enable laymen to explore their also gone through rounds of engagement
uninterrupted access to community services ideas on the layouts and, at the same time, workshops with various stakeholders to
and that the disruption to their livelihoods is to facilitate a mutual understanding between address each of their specific concerns. The
minimised, are what keep us on full alert all all interested parties on the constraints and fact that no objection was received when
the time.‘ Phased implementation is justified opportunities of the mega project. the road closure and traffic diversion plans
by the commitment that the URA needs to for Phase 2 development were gazetted for
maintain the vibrancy of Yue Man Square as Based on the feedback collected at the consultation by the Government reflected
a main thoroughfare before the permanent workshops, three notional Master Layout that unanimous public support was gained
Public Transport Interchange (PTI) in Phase Plans (MLPs) were developed by the from the well-strategized engagement
2 of the Development is commissioned. consultants. In 2006, these were displayed exercises. Another example is the relocation
As a result of this phased implementation, in a series of roadshows that attracted over of the nine district branch offices, which
166 HONG KONG REPORT ON THE STATE OF SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT 2014
