Forum for a New Central
Together with our partners, ULI Hong Kong is more focused than ever on helping our beloved city to recover and reinvent itself based on our long-standing mission of demonstrating leadership in creating sustainable and thriving communities worldwide.
In Fall 2020, ULI Hong Kong hosted a special series of virtual and in-person events focused on the future of our city, as we consider ways to shape our districts and prioritise our waterfront. In the spirit of collaboration and community, we engaged with our members as well as the general public to elevate awareness and education towards global best practices and the principles of sustainable urban development.
The area of Central in Hong Kong – our city’s historic and primary CBD – has long been an important hub for commerce and culture. It is now being tested like never before, as business continues to decentralise and ongoing public health restrictions and social unrest threaten to further erode its role in the life of the city.
As an area ripe for reinvention and innovation, a unique series was dedicated to exploring the future for a “New” Central. We began with the first webinar in late September, followed by monthly webinars thereafter, against the backdrop of a future public exhibition. We also hosted a closed-door workshop focused on identifying opportunities to help our city to become a better, more inclusive and resilient place while developing an actionable framework and set of recommendations for some of the challenges now surfacing. These initiatives were highlighted and explored further during a special installment at the 2020 ULI Hong Kong Virtual Conference, with the theme of “Business Unusual – Reshaping Hong Kong.”
Sessions at a Glance
Session 1 – “Evolution of the CBD: City in Context” – a Survey of Hong Kong’s Centres for Commerce
Speakers: Andrew Ness, Christine Loh, Tiffany Lau
a) Why have our existing nerve centers been established where they are today
b) How is Central itself being redefined
c) What is the future role of CBDs and what can we learn from other cities around the world
d) How can Hong Kong improve its planning framework and policies to help establish future CBDs
Session 2 – “New Central: Walk & Talk” – Walkable Urbanism and Human-Centred Planning
Speakers: Kevin Hsu, Eric Ho, Markus Shaw, David Buffonge
a) Pedestrianisation of major urban thoroughfares in global cities and their impacts
b) Why DVRC and waterfront are perfect pilots for such
c) What have the major obstacles been so far and how might we take these projects forward
d) CIZ’s and the role it can play in successful implementation
Session 3 – “New Central: Roads & Rules” – Addressing Mobility, Transit & Infrastructure
Speakers: Paul Zimmerman, Keith Griffiths, Oren Tatcher, Alok Jain
a) How to ensure better connectivity between traffic, pedestrian passageways, elevated footbridge network
b) Consider pros and cons of implementing an electronic road system and congestion pricing
c) Global examples of best-in-class urban mobility networks
d) What is realistic and why are these measures important for the future of Hong Kong
Session 4 – “New Central: Public & Private” – Creating Public Space from Private Development
Speakers: Donald Choi, Terence Seah, Emily Trusler, Andrew MacGeoch
a) Examining Central waterfront and its current challenges and opportunities
b) Why is Site 3 so important within the context of Central and beyond
c) What models exist for public-private partnerships in Hong Kong
d) Where are there similar opportunities to structure such in ensuring that we can better serve the public
Session 5 – “Power of People & Place” – Exploring Better Ways to Ensure Inclusive Development Strategies Towards Creating a Better Hong Kong
Speaker: Chris Law, Sujata Govada, Marisa Yiu, Lisa Gainsley, Tiffany Lau
a) What modes of public engagement have been deployed and what are the lessons learned
b) How do we build in community participation each step of the way and impact policy and practice
c) What are useful models to follow or pioneer in Hong Kong
d) Suggest methods for building in public engagement for imagining and implementing a New Central
Session 6 – “New Central: Shape & Form” – Exploring New Forms of Commercial Space
Speakers: Eli Konvitz, Phil Kim, Kristine Li, Tom Andrews
a) How will the pipeline for new ground-up development in Central and elsewhere define our skyline
b) How might Hong Kong and its already iconic skyscrapers remain relevant, occupied, and competitive
c) Examine effects of decentralization and looking at new forms of commercial space
d) What are current and future demand drivers and how can we build in order to adapt
