Treating the Symptoms - A Critical Review of ... - Civic Exchange

Langham PlaceLocation:Ground and podium level on Shanghai Street/Shantung Street.Accessible from Shanghai Street on ground level and from MongKok Community Centre at podium level.Size: 1,100 m 2Access hours:Management:6:00 a.m. to 11p.m.LCSDThis was one of the most awkwardly designed open spaces due to a large portion of it beinglocated at podium level on top of the hotel drop-off.79According to former URA planner Pong Yuen-yee, the open space was originally to belocated in front of the shopping mall on Argyle Street (see map on page 56). The then-LDChad even succeeded in convincing the developer to give up this piece of prime real estate.However, the Urban Services Department under the former Urban Council vetoed this ideabecause they wanted a quiet playground to serve the area’s residents, not a busy public squarein a noisy commercial location. 170The space was moved southwards to Shantung Street, but had to be split between podiumlevel and the ground floor because the requirement for a minibus terminus left insufficientroom for both the open space and a drop-off point for the hotel at ground level. Since thesite is also narrow and surrounded by roads, planners also felt it was safer to separate thechildren’s play area from traffic.Its accessibility problems are mitigated by the fact that part of the garden is visible at groundlevel, and the podium is accessible from the cooked food market on the first floor (part ofthe GIC facilities). These two factors enable the space to attract some users. Meanwhile, theheavy use of the small sculpture and seating area in front of the shopping mall at ArgyleStreets suggests that had a public square been provided there, it would have been highlysuccessful.