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

Environmental ImpactGreen Buildings84Improving urban environmental conditions was one ofthe aims of the URA. The Urban Renewal Strategy statesamong its goals:5b) designing more effective and environmentallyfriendlylocal transport and road networks5d) redeveloping dilapidated buildings into newbuildings of modern standard and environmentallyfriendlydesign5e) promoting sustainable development in the urbanarea;The URS also states that “Urban renewal is not a ‘slashand burn’ process. A comprehensive and holistic approachshould be adopted to rejuvenate older urban areas by way ofredevelopment, rehabilitation and heritage preservation”.Similar statements can also be found on its website and inits annual reports. However, the URA did not have a formalenvironmental policy until May 2009, when it announcedthe adoption of a six-point plan for green buildings.The URA has taken steps towards greener construction,which involves improving energy efficiency, conservingwater, utilizing environmentally-friendly building materials,planting more greenery, reducing construction waste, andencouraging domestic recycling.Two of its building projects, Mount Davis 33 in KennedyTown and Vision City in Tsuen Wan, have achievedplatinum-level certification under HK BEAM (HongKong Building Environment Assessment Method), anenvironmental certification programme managed by theBusiness Environment Council.The URA formalized its environmental construction policyin 2009, when it issued a list of six environmental measuresfor future projects to adopt, starting with the Lee TungStreet redevelopment. The six features are:1.2.3.4.Energy efficiency: sun-shading provisions, energyefficiency of electrical, lighting, lift and escalatorinstallations, water-cooled chiller system, heat recoverysystem etc.Water conservation: dual flushing/low volume cistern,condensate collection system and rain-water collectionsystem for irrigation or flushing etc.Environmentally-friendly building materials: materialsnon-damaging to ozone, recycled plastic bottles andrubber tyres for children’s playground flooring, recycledplastic and wood wastes for flooring of landscapedareas etc.Greening: landscaped open space, roof garden, verticalgreening, street planting etc.However, these environmental goals were too narrowlyconceived and conflict with the URA’s financial imperativeto maximize site densities. The following section is notintended as a technical evaluation of the environmentalimpact of each URA project, but rather a general discussionof the URA’s environmental policies and principles, anda photographic examination of the results that it hasproduced.5.6.Facilities for collection of recyclable waste: e.g.domestic waste.Reduction of construction waste and environmentalnuisance: waste management plan, introduction ofnoise mitigation measures etc.