OBSERVATION: Hong Kong has one of the most spectacular harbourfronts in the world … yet, many areas are largely inaccessible by pedestrians due to poor urban planning. The waterfront promenades that do exist are fragmented and isolated.
SOLUTION: Provide a continuous 25-km waterfront pedestrian and bicycle path network along the northern edge of Hong Kong Island stretching from Aberdeen to Chai Wan.
Could an ambitious new waterfront promenade be created? Benefits of a continuous waterfront promenade for Hong Kong residents would include:
Increased well-being through a connection with water
Improved air quality for pedestrians at waterfront areas
A vehicle-free pedestrianized area that allows residents the option to safely commute between home and work by riding a bicycle or walking
Increased levels of fitness and healthy lifestyle choices
Intermittent pedestrian links to existing inland tram and MTR stops that already mirror the existing coastline
Existing waterfront promenades could be leveraged and provided with linkages at each end to form a continuous network
Opportunities for a new waterfront taxi network — not unlike Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River — for short hops between waterfront stops
Creation of intermodal transportation hubs linking ferries, water taxis, roadways, bicycle / walking paths, MTR and trams
Hong Kong based architect Thomas Schmidt asks: WHAT IF one could walk or bike unfettered along a 25-km stretch of the northern coastline of Hong Kong Island? WHAT IF you could safely ride a bicycle — free from traffic — along dedicated bike lanes from Aberdeen to Chai Wan in just over an hour?
How would all of our lives change for the better?
Besides the many logistics, feasibility studies, and government approvals required for such an integrated network, why can’t Hong Kong begin to implement an ambitious plan to celebrate one of the most famous waterfronts in the world?
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