Parks and Open Space in Urban Hong Kong: Pollution Problems and Design Solutions

Principal Investigator:
Lam, Kin Che

Co-investigator(s):
----

Summary:
This project will ascertain the environmental quality, particularly noise and air pollution, of parks and open spaces in urban Hong Kong by a hybrid measurement-modeling approach and assess the health risks of these pollutants to the park users. At selected study sites, park users will be surveyed through field observation and interview to determine the frequency of use, duration and stay, activities undertaken and how their satisfaction is undermined by pollution. A variety of mitigation measures that may alleviate noise and air pollution will be examined in the context of Hong Kong with severe space constraints. A manual will be developed to provide guidelines for siting parks and design concepts to enhance user satisfaction and to alleviate environmental problems.

The overall objective is to determine the environmental quality of urban parks and open spaces in Hong Kong and to look for planning, landscaping and design solutions. In particular, the study attempts to determine the following:

• The level of noise and air pollution;
• The environmental risks posed to park users;
• The efficacy of planning, landscaping and design measures in alleviating pollution; and
• The guidelines in siting and designing urban parks under space constraints.