Untitled - Civic Exchange

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT IN HONG KONG: DIRECTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
this may facilitate a change in people's travel behaviors, reducing the number of unnecessary motorized
trips and increasing use of public transport.
The institutional framework must be better defined and structured to facilitate collective efforts and
contributions to pedestrian planning. A cross-departmental, inter-disciplinary task force should be
established to oversee planning, management, and implementation issues at a higher level. New channels
should be opened to link the task force with District Councils and local communities and with the private
sector and professionals for the exchange of ideas, particularly at the early stages of pedestrian planning.
Institutional incentives for change ("carrots"), 117 such as a plot ratio bonus, would encourage private
developers to incorporate more and better pedestrian spaces on their sites.
We also recommend short- and medium-term pedestrian action plans in both the urban core areas and new
development areas. In both cases, an integrated approach should be used to achieve the long-term vision
of a comprehensive pedestrian network. Our strategy is to start building the city block at the local or district
level - to (re)create "living streets." These living streets could be connected into a sustainable local
pedestrian network. Gradually, local networks would be merged into a district pedestrian network and
district networks into an area-wide pedestrian network. The process of revitalizing community space and
developing a pedestrian network will be lengthy, but the long-term associated benefits will be enormous.
At the local/district level, new pedestrian schemes should be encouraged. Further, additional efforts are
needed to improve existing sub-standard pedestrian facilities (such as the widening of narrow sidewalks)
and provide connections between isolated areas. Architectural design or landscaping treatments should be
incorporated into pedestrian schemes at an early stage. Amenities such as street furniture and shade should
be provided wherever possible. Most importantly, pedestrian spaces should be planned under the
umbrella of a local or district pedestrian network. Local communities and District Councilors should
play an active role in the planning process, as they are the people who are best informed about local needs
and problems. District transport officers and local transport planners, as well as other relevant government
agencies, should also act as facilitators to develop local pedestrian plans. In general, the local/district
pedestrian network should allow smooth pedestrian movements throughout the district. Based on specific
local objectives, the network might also serve to link tourist attractions and places of interest.
In new development areas and major redevelopment sites, pedestrian networks to link housing facilities
with transport access points (such as railway stations or major bus terminals) should be included in the
initial planning stages. These new developments provide the best opportunities to promote walking as a
replacement for short motorized trips because the travel patterns and behaviors of local residents can still
be influenced by planning measures. Therefore, the implementation of transport plans, such as provision
of a railway connection, becomes crucial to the success of pedestrian schemes (see Chapter 3). In these
areas, planners should also strive to make it possible for the majority of the local population to walk (or
cycle) to the transport access points, or to shopping, amenities, or open spaces, without sharing common
corridors with traffic and with minimal need to crossover onto busy roads.
In the long run, the government should be more bold and innovative in terms of the location and type of
pedestrian facilities to be considered. To date, government pedestrian schemes have avoided major roads
due to an obvious desire to prevent any obstacle to traffic flow in busy areas. Pedestrian schemes in these
areas might require significant diversion of traffic, such as the re-routing of buses. Yet Hong Kong's busiest
areas (for example, Causeway Bay, Central, and Mongkok) also have some of Hong Kong's highest
pedestrian densities.
117 Ibid.
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