TABLE OF CONTENTS - The Professional Green Building Council

Theme B: Creating a livable, healthy and environmentally viable citiesexhibitions, all play an important part in securing public support to HAdevelopment proposals in this era.5.2 Healthy Life Styles and Obligations to NeighboursHealthy life style has become a great concern of Hong Kong society after theSARS crisis in 2003. High density, high rise living, imposes some obligations onall of us. Our behaviour will directly affect our neighbours and our recognition ofour obligations builds a more harmonious relationship between residents in theestates and the estate management teams.Clean Neighbourhood Campaigns are organized in public rental housing estatesevery year to promote overall cleanliness through awareness and educationalactivities. In parallel, we introduced a Marking Scheme to address the unsociablebehaviour of some residents that impacted directly on hygiene and therefore onpublic health in estates. Infringements of accepted public hygiene standards suchas littering, spitting, urinating and defecating in public areas, allowing mosquitobreeding by accumulating stagnant water, smoking in public lifts, illegal hawkingof cooked food, throwing rubbish and objects from height will attract severepenalties. For serious threats to estate hygiene, we adopt a zero tolerance policyand allot demerit points to offenders. Offenders will receive verbal and writtenwarnings, and eventually termination of their tenancies if 16 demerit points ormore are accumulated within a two year period.In October 2005, this marking scheme was further reviewed in response tofeedback from residents and the public. In the case of throwing objects from height,the penalty imposed will be commensurate with the seriousness of the action,where injury to a person will result in immediate termination of the offender’stenancy.5.3 Developing a common W-trap system for drainage worksThe outbreak of SARS in 2003 was a shock to Hong Kong and the region and ledto the re-appraisal of some well-entrenched practices. To address the possible risk301