Old District Redevelopment and Work-Housing Balance (Dr. Deng Shuming)

[ad_1]

Contents

More articles by Deng Shuming:Support EJ Tech

go through Hong Kong Economic Times June 18, 2024

This articleauthorDeng ShumingVisiting professor of Computer Science Department, Faculty of Engineering, Geography Department, Faculty of Social Sciences and School of Architecture, University of Hong Kong, and writes columns for Hong Kong Economic Journal“Kami Kingo”

The annual “Esri Young Scholar Award” is highly anticipated as it allows us to learn about issues that concern local young people, and their creative thinking always brings surprises.

The “Esri Young Scholar Award” has been held since 2012. Its purpose is to allow college students from all over the world to research topics of their own choice using geographic information systems (GIS) and propose solutions. The competition in Hong Kong is divided into individual and team groups. In addition to the champion, runner-up and third place, there are 4 excellence awards in each group. In terms of prizes, the winner of the individual group can participate in the annual Esri Global User Conference held in the United States in July for free, share experiences with more than 18,000 GIS users from all over the world, and present their research results at the venue. Students will also be invited to join the Esri Young Professionals Network (YPN) and the GIS Academy established by me in 2022, so that they can interact with talents and professional users from all over the world, and enhance their knowledge and employment opportunities. In addition, the winners will have the opportunity to intern at the Urban Renewal Authority to put their knowledge into practice.

The themes of this year’s winning works include urban planning, which is GIS’s strength, and attention to the lives of disadvantaged communities. (Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Economic Times)

The themes of this year’s winning works include urban planning, which is GIS’s strength, including the trend of old house reconstruction, the development of green and smart travel, moving towards a sustainable Hong Kong shared by everyone, and how to find the most livable place in Central and Western District of Hong Kong Island; there are also concerns about the lives of vulnerable communities, including the plight of floods and the living conditions of the elderly. In addition, two winning works this year are unique and analyze Hong Kong’s dietary health and food distribution issues. Such a diverse topic reflects the care of young people for different social classes and their active pursuit of solutions to pain points, which is gratifying.

The champion of the team category was won by five students from the Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Architecture, University of Hong Kong, namely Chen Siyi, Luo Bingyu, Shen Jinkun, Wang Chaofan and Wang Ziming. Their work is titled “Redevelopment of Hong Kong’s Existing Old Houses: Trends and Impacts”. Hong Kong faces the challenges of both aging private buildings and population. The students explored which places have the highest opportunities for reconstruction based on factors such as population characteristics (including residential density and the proportion of low-income families), economic conditions, land use and floor price per square foot. They found that communities with severely aging populations and buildings may not be favored by developers because the profit from selling houses may not be attractive enough. Therefore, targeted policies are needed to cope with the challenges of dual aging in the city.

Communities with severely aging populations and buildings may not be favored by developers because the profit from selling houses may not be attractive enough. (AFP file photo)

Han Shanwen from the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Faculty of Construction and Environment, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, won the second place in the individual category with his work “Smart TOD Port”. The content studies how the local area can promote green public transport-oriented development (TOD) to improve traffic congestion and enhance the quality of life. TOD refers to mixed land use, such as commercial, residential, office, school, etc., to reduce the fatigue of residents. The students found that Wan Chai, Central and Western District, Yau Tsim Mong and Kwun Tong all met the standards. He also suggested that employment opportunities be increased near 8 MTR stations, including LOHAS Park Station, Kam Sheung Road Station, Lai King Station, etc., to tap the excellent potential of these places and promote the balance between work and residence for residents.