Opinion | Why Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis plan must look to both the past and future
- Other than its proximity to Shenzhen, how can the Northern Metropolis instigate growth for the rest of Hong Kong?
- One approach would be to fully realise the vision for former ‘new towns’ such as Tai Po while developing a knowledge and tech corridor connecting Hong Kong’s universities
Recently I had the honour of joining a design review of student work at the University of Hong Kong. Invited to be a critic by Alain Chiaradia, deputy head of the Department of Urban Planning and Design, and Francis Sootoo, director of Systra MVA and a world-leading traffic engineering and planning consultant, I learned that the student projects were part of one of the first interdisciplinary Master of Science in Urban Design and Transport (MUDT) programmes in Asia.
That was a surprise, to say the least, as Asia has some of the world’s most densely populated metropolises and one would assume there were many similar degree programmes in urban planning, analytics and mobility in other universities.
The subtle difference is in the programme’s vision. Urban and city planning degrees are plentiful, but they mostly focus on land use, zoning, density distribution and placemaking. With today’s cutting-edge technology, shared knowledge and the emerging need for access and connectivity to adjacent and interdependent economies, we can reconceive urban planning and our city’s growth with a more dynamic, holistic and global approach.
Specifically, the task of planning should not merely be confined to a specific area or district, but should closely examine the adjacent neighbourhoods, and transport and mobility support, and how they could enhance opportunities, convenience, health and accessibility across a much wider region.
While linking places is important, we need to design on an inter- and intra-urban scale concurrently, to harmonise the old and the new, and cater to changing work, lifestyle and leisure habits. This would address much wider social, economic and environmental issues for our common well-being.
