City & Sustainable Development

Central District

Central District = CBD

• Land use characteristics of CBD• Mainly commercial land use / absence of industrial land use

• e.g. offices, shops

• Occupied by tall buildings / skyscrapers

• Shops selling specialty goods / high-order goods

• Open space / parks for tourists

• Transportation land use, e.g. bus terminal, ferry piers, MTR / railway stations

Old buildings in Central District

• Development versus Preservation

• A case study: Central Police Station

• Reference: • http://www.cps.gov.hk/

• http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Monument/en/monuments_53.php

Locational advantages of Central Police Station

• High accessibility

• Well-connected by roads / elevated walkways

• Suitable for commercial development

• Demand for offices in Central District is high

• High land value

• Large site for comprehensive development

• May provide recreational land use for residents nearby

Why preserving the old building?

• Central Police Station is a declared monument

• With high cultural and historical value

• Special architectural design

• Potential for developing tourism / may become a popular tourist spot

• By establishing a museum

• For educational purpose

Difficulties in preserving old buildings

• High maintenance cost of the old buildings

• Lack of fund to operate museums in the old buildings

• High cost to renovate / restore the old buildings

• The old buildings do not match the surrounding environment

Central-Wan Chai Reclamation

Urban design concept and key features of Central-Wan Chai Reclamation

• Waterfront promenade + three design corridors

• The corridors will provide direct and continuous pedestrian and visual connections between the existing urban area and the new waterfront

• The three corridors are • Statue Square Corridor (comprises Open Space and Historic

Corridors) 

• Civic Corridor 

• Arts & Entertainment Corridor 

Waterfront promenade

Statue Square Corridor (comprises Open Space and Historic Corridors) 

Civic Corridor 

Arts & Entertainment Corridor 

Land use zoning in Central-Wan Chai Reclamation

Zoning Area (on reclaimed land)

(hectares)

Commercial 0.36 (0)

Comprehensive Development Area 5.23 (2.63)

Government, Institution or Community 5.77 (0.98)

Open Space 14.63 (10.66)

Other Specified Uses 8.13 (4.46)

Major Road etc. 11.32 (4)

Marine Basin 1.26 (N/A)

TOTAL 46.70 (22.73)

Characteristics of the land use zoning

• Little space for commercial land use

• Large proportion of the land is for open space

• And construction of transport route, i.e. Central-Wan Chai Bypass

• Some land is planned for institutional land uses, e.g. government headquarters

• Reduction of scale of reclamation

• Construction of waterfront promenade

Reference materials for Central-Wan Chai Reclamation

• PowerPoint slides:• http://www.hplb.gov.hk/eng/new/criii2.files/frame.htm

• http://www.hplb.gov.hk/eng/new/criii.files/frame.htm

• Basic facts• http://www.hplb.gov.hk/reclamation/eng/basic/central_map_recl.ht

m

• http://www.hplb.gov.hk/reclamation/eng/basic/proposal.htm

• http://www.hplb.gov.hk/reclamation/eng/basic/fs3.htm

Common questions on this topic

• What are the characteristics of the CBD? Give map evidence.

• Is it rational to carry out the reclamation work in Central District? Explain your answer.

• Do you agree that the old Central Police Station should be preserved? Why?

• What are the difficulties that the government face when preserving the old buildings in Hong Kong?

• Suggest some measures to solve the problems mentioned above.

• How is the construction of waterfront promenade a sustainable city development policy?

• Explain why the public oppose to reclamation in different parts of Hong Kong.