The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects’ Response to The Chief Executive’s 2021 Policy Address
The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects is in support of the policy address this year. There
are many bold initiatives which are aimed at improving Hong Kong overall and we look forward to
working with Government to bring positive results to the development of Hong Kong.
We believe in a well-planned city in which public spaces are equitably distributed, well-vegetated,
well‐managed, clean, and welcoming. The plan to group together districts from Tin Shui Wai to Man
Kam To to Yuen Long South, suggests to us a positive step towards comprehensive planning to bring
about holistic results to improve the quality of environment in much of the disparate areas of the New
Territories. There are other similar suggestions of planning and area improvements such as Yau Ma
Tei and Mong Kok study, and several ecologically sensitive zones including wetlands to be established
as actively managed conservation areas. These are positive steps and we suggest the above
masterplanning strategy is aimed at the SAR as a whole and we are hopeful that these equally
important focuses of well‐planned development and protection of natural resources will be
incorporated in a clear and legible manner in the 2030+ report. Implementation of holistic planning
with equal focus and balance of development and conservation relies on clear data. The Landscape
Value Mapping study provides factual information on the value of our land for landscape and ecology.
This Landscape Value Mapping study should be included in the 2030+ plans and should form part of
the blueprint for planning and development strategies for, again, the SAR as a whole.
We fiercely believe we are stewards of the land and the SAR for tomorrow must seriously tackle
climate change and carbon neutrality. There are some promising steps to suggest sustainability is an
overarching fundamental strategy to how we plan and operate the city, including the premise that
new development will be led by mass public transport. We hope that in transport planning, emphasis
will always be given to public transport, pedestrian and cycleways over roads which, no matter how
well we regulate vehicles, counters carbon neutrality aims. We hope the mentioned recycling, waste
management and smart city plans will bring substantive results towards carbon neutrality and quality
living environment.
Building a liveable city requires good planning, sustainable measures, as well as good governance. We
welcome the bold suggestion to re‐organise government structure which at macro and micro levels
bring pride (enhancement in sports, creativity, and culture), harmony (welfare of the old, women,
children and ethnic minority), and quality (dedicated attention at high level on transport and housing
through the split of the bureau, and appointing dedicated Secretary to oversee large scale planning
mentioned above). Landscape architecture offers multi‐prone attention in designing efficient
settlements and ensuring quality environment. This is done at both district and neighbourhood levels.
Landscape architects in civil service can serve the SAR better by being a standalone body to advise all
government bureau and departments on holistic environmental planning, quality public realm
creation, and effective open space and urban vegetation management. We hope the establishment
of a Secretariat office to oversee comprehensive planning will include the discipline of landscape
architecture and that all landscape architects in government will be pooled to this organization.
Click here to download the press release.