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.
Pedestrianized harbourfront areas along the north coast of Hong Kong Island are fragmented and few in number …
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
An early 2006 concept submitted to the HKSAR Government for redeveloping the Central Waterfront into a pedestrianized zone prior to the Tamar Government Headquarters, some of which has partially been implemented years later. Illustration (c) 2006 Thomas Schmidt – All rights reserved
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?
Could there be pedestrian-friendly access from the nearby Wong Chuk Hang MTR station to the starting point of a new 25-km continuous waterfront promenade? Could the fishing and boating industry co-exist with new public access to the waterfront in this area? What if Waterfall Park enjoyed more public accessibility? Would the residents of Bel-Air like an option to walk or bike to work in Central or beyond, instead of being forced to rely upon motorized transport? Imagine a Cyberport that is actually accessible as it was originally intended years ago … Could there even be a new ferry terminal that puts the “port” back into Cyberport? Would HKU students enjoy a healthy option of being able walk or bike to sports practice? What if Pokfulam was much more accessible during heavy traffic through a new pedestrian and bicycle path along the scenic coastline, provided it was executed in a sensitive manner? Could this dead end of Kennedy Town be re-activated, and “temporary” recreation areas become permanent? Could new water taxis serve this evolving area? Could Belcher Bay Park could be extended all the way to the water’s edge to provide a gathering area for residents of Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui? Could the terminus of the historic Hong Kong Tram at Whitty Street be linked to a new promenade connecting different districts? Could a resident ride a bicycle from Wanchai and then catch a bus to Kowloon through the Western Harbour Tunnel? What if there were a waterfront link between the popular Macau Ferry Terminal and the existing promenade along the Central Ferry Piers? Could the existing Central / Tamar Park waterfront be a critical link in a long chain of “people places” along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island … instead of an isolated promenade?What if Golden Bauhinia Square was actually accessible by pedestrians? What if Hong Kong Convention Center delegates could walk or bike to nearby hotels along one of the world’s best waterfronts? Could the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club become more accessible and help this area thrive as a true water sports center? Could the redevelopment of the former Excelsior Hotel provide new pedestrian links from the Causeway Bay MTR station to the venerable Noonday Gun and a new waterfront promenade? Could the upcoming redevelopment of the Oil Street site include a green lung for choking Fortress Hill and provide a link to a new waterfront park? Could the existing ferry terminals and bus stations be redeveloped into a multi-modal travel hub that ties into a pedestrian and biking promenade beneath the Island Eastern Corridor? Why allocate parking along prime waterfront areas when these areas could be developed into parks for the people? Imagine if the various fragments of successful existing waterfront promenades could be integrated into a continuous network along the entire coastline.Could the existing Sai Wan Ho Harbour Front Park fronting Soho East be joined to the existing Aldrich Bay promenade? What if the little-visited Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence had convenient pedestrian / bicycle access from the rest of the island? What if Heng Fa Chuen residents could bicycle to work in Central in just half an hour? Chai Wan’s aging industrial area is ripe for redevelopment and adaptive reuse — could this unique cargo basin area become a vibrant waterfront area like Nyhavn in Copenhagen, Denmark someday? What if Siu Sai Wan and the relatively remote Island Resort were better connected with the rest of Hong Kong?
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?
