Scientists examine the health risks of Hong Kong's notorious 'street canyons'
Findings will help urban planners minimise impact of air pollution on residents
Hong Kong's notorious "street canyons" have become the latest research subject for a group of the world's top scientists specialising in air pollution and health.
Researchers from Britain, Canada and Hong Kong are conducting a three-dimensional air quality study in the city, which has a unique urban morphology - a dominance of high-rises and a close proximity between the population and traffic.
The study will not only map the three-dimensional movement of air pollutants, but also try to relate the pollution levels to the health of residents living at various heights in high-rises.
It will assist urban planning and building designs to minimise pollution impacts in Hong Kong and other megacities across Asia.
The street canyon effect is often cited as one of the factors in Hong Kong's worsening air pollution. Closely built high-rises with heavy traffic in between are blamed for blocking ventilation and trapping air pollutants.
Funded by the Health Effects Institute in the US, the 30-month study will be jointly carried out by scientists from King's College London, University of Hong Kong, the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
