Putting the Urban Greening Pieces Together

Transcription

1 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Campus Sustainability Weeks Putting the Urban Greening Pieces Together Brenda Fung World Green Organisation April 22,

2 PRESENTATION OUTLINE What is Urban Greenery? Benefits of Urban Greenery Hong Kong Urban Greening at a Glance Current Policies, Guidelines & Incentives Greening Challenges faced by Hong Kong Singapore Case Study Hong Kong - Moving towards a Green City 2

3 What is Urban Greenery? 3

4 What is Urban Greening? Urban Greening has been defined as the art, science and technology of managing vegetated areas, and potential vegetated areas in and around cities for the psychological, sociological, economic, and aesthetic benefits green areas provide society. The entirety of green spaces has also been named the green structure of the city. Often used in a development context. Making green or greener; urban greening as a development tool. 4

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6 Benefits of Urban Greenery 6

7 Urban Greening in General Urban vegetation and landscaped public spaces can make a significant contribution to the environment: Lower the temperature by shading and evaporative cooling Intensify the relative humidity by 5-10% Filter up to 70-80% of the pollution from the air, even retain 60% without leaves in winter Reduce noise by 12db. Below table shows how urban forest and lawn reduce the temperature and increase the relative humidity. Surface Type Maximum Surface Temperature( ) Average Surface Temperature ( ) Relative Humidity(%) Cement Surface Lawn Surface Urban Forest Remark: Data taken from Kang et al.(2005) 7

8 Green Roof Green roof covered with different kinds of vegetation can significantly lower the maximum surface temperatures in warm climate. Below table indicates the daily temperature fluctuation of green roof is much slighter than those on conventional roofs. Roof Type Maximum Surface Temperature( ) Daily Temperature Variation( ) Hard Surface Bare Surface Green Roof 26.5~36 <3 Data taken from Wong et al.(2003) 8

9 Environmental Benefits Site Specific Large Scale Measures Increase quality and quantity of public space Planting at street level Increase use of vegetation at district level Effects Promote natural ventilation & minimize the use of A/C Invite more daylight inside a building & reduce use of artificial lighting Provide ample basic amenities and social and gathering places Improve environment at pedestrian level to encourage more walking or cycling and therefore reduce the use of vehicles Extend indoor sight to outdoor and provide opportunities for local outdoor activities Absorb CO 2 emitted from buildings and transportations and release oxygen Provide shading for pedestrian & lower ambient air temperature Reduce storm water runoff volume and remove pollutants from the water itself 9

10 Mitigate Urban Heat Island Effect In Singapore the mean temperature of Lim Chu Kang, where is well covered by vegetation, is 4.01 C lower than that of central business district area with only few vegetation. 10

11 Reduce Air Pollution Vegetation can remove air pollutants thereby saving money on medical expenses for air pollution-related health problems. 11

12 Health, Social and Economic Benefits Provide physiological, psychological and social benefits People live near parks do more exercise A shift in public spending from grey projects to green projects of just 0.5% could increase investment in urban green space by 141% (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2009) Properties near to green parks and open spaces can have an average of 5-20% higher than those located far away or no green facilities (RICS, 2007) 12

13 Hong Kong Urban Greening at a Glance 13

14 Some Facts about Hong Kong High Density Living Hong Kong s built-up areas account for only 24% of our territory, just under 260 sq. km. As one of the most densely populated urban environments in the world, with densities over 50,000 people/sq.km., Hong Kong residents are constantly exposed to stressful environments. Environmental Pollutions Hong Kong is now suffering from increasing environmental pollutions and needs every new development to help abate the problem, not add to it. Climate Change - Changes in Hong Kong s climatic factors that can be attributed to both global warming and localized urbanization include temperature rise in urban area, increasing number of very hot days and hot nights, reducing number of cold days, and rising sea level in the harbour. 14

15 Hong Kong s Target on Reducing GHG Emissions 15

16 Urban Greening Can Make a Difference Trees and other types of vegetation are integral to Hong Kong s community character and enhance overall quality of life in Hong Kong. 16

17 Urban Greening Opportunities District Park Victoria Park in Causeway Bay Central Park in Shatin 17

18 Urban Greening Opportunities Public & Private Housing Public Housing Estate Private Housing Estate 18

19 Urban Greening Opportunities Road & Pedestrian Walkway Central Commercial Area Junk Bay Residential Area 19

20 Urban Greening Opportunities Podium Garden 20

21 Urban Greening Opportunities Retaining Wall 21

22 Urban Greening Opportunities Roundabout 22

23 Current Policies, Guidelines & Incentives 23

24 Urban Greening Relevant Policies, Guidelines & Incentives 1. Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) 2. Practice Note (PN) / Joint Practice Notes (JPNs) 3. Greening Master Plans (GMPs) 4. BEAM Plus 24

25 1. Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) HKPSG is a government manual of criteria for determining the scale, location and site requirements of various land uses and facilities. It is used in the preparation of town plans and planning briefs and is a tool that helps to regulate development. The document is under constant review to take account of changes in government policies, demographic characteristics as well as social and economic trends. 25

26 HKPSG - Public Space Four Planning Principles Quantity - Sufficient public space and recreation facilities. Quality - Recreation facilities and public space provided should be of a high quality. Good Practice - To provide easy access, encourage optimum usage and enable complementary improvements to the environment. Vision - In deriving a vision for the district, we may need to consider a number of different attributes, e.g. the functions of the district, population structure, socio-economic characteristics, and so on. 26

27 HKPSG - Public Space Hierarchy Urban Areas - Metro Area and the intensive developed New Towns. Public space and recreation facilities should be easily accessible from home and workplace if applicable. Rural Areas - Vast stretches of flat land & valley floors in the rural New Territories. Public space and recreation facilities may need to be concentrated in the more developed areas. Countryside and Coastal Areas - Hill slopes, country parks, and coastal areas. Recreation use should be of low intensity and compatible with the rural character and the natural environment, and should co-exist with other uses without causing adverse impacts. 27

28 HKPSG Public Space Category Public space is required to meet both the active and passive recreational needs of the population and it is classified as follows: Local Public Space Located within the residential neighborhood with at least 500m 2 in urban areas and a maximum building site coverage of 5%. District Public Space Centrally located to serve a wider area with at least 1 ha in size and a maximum building site coverage of 10%. Regional Public Space At prominent locations in the urban areas with at least 5 ha in size and a maximum building site coverage of 20%. 28

29 HKPSG - Public Space Standards for Provision Public Space Category Regional Public Space District Public Space Local Public Space Provision Standard No standard 10 ha per 100,000 persons (i.e. 1m 2 / person) 10 ha per 100,000 persons (i.e.1m 2 / person) Remarks 50% counts as District Public Space in the Metro Area Subject to slope correction factor Active/passive ratio is applied Not applicable to industrial, industrialoffice, business and commercial areas, rural villages, and small residential developments in the rural areas Subject to slope correction factor No active/passive ratio Primarily for passive use In industrial, industrial-office, business and commercial areas, the standard is 5 ha per 100,000 workers (i.e. 0.5m 2 per worker) 29

30 HKPSG Landscaping: Greening Guidelines Intend to enhance the quality of living environment through active planting, and proper maintenance and preservation of trees and vegetation. A holistic and balanced approach should be adopted to strengthen the commitment to greening. 30

31 HKPSG Landscaping: Greening Guidelines Detail 31

32 HKPSG Landscaping: Greening Guidelines Detail 32

33 2. Practice Note vs. Joint Practice Notes Practice Note APP Joint Practice Notes 1 & 2 Issued by Purpose Compliance Buildings Department in Jan 2011 Promote guidelines on building design which will enhance the quality and sustainability of the built environment in Hong Kong. Mandatory compliance 3 key design elements are prerequisites for granting Gross Floor Area (GFA) concessions. Buildings Department, Lands Department and Planning Department first issued in 2001 and recently revised in Feb Provide incentives to encourage the incorporation of green features in building development. Voluntary compliance Set out the criteria and conditions for exempting the GFA calculations. 33

34 Practice Note APP-152 Sustainable Building Design Guidelines Three key building design elements to enhance the environmental sustainability of our living space are identified. They are: building separation building set back site coverage of greenery. The objectives are to achieve better air ventilation, enhance the environmental quality of the living space, particularly at pedestrian level, provide more greenery and mitigate the heat island effect. 34

35 Practice Note APP-152 Building Separation For site areas greater than two hectares or with continuous building width of greater than 60 metres, an intervening space equivalent to 20% to 33.3% of the total frontage area of the building or buildings be required. 35

36 Practice Note APP-152 Building Set back On streets less than 15-metre wide, new building developments measured from ground level to a height of 15 metres should be set back to provide a space with a width of not less than 7.5 metres measured from the centre line of the street. 36

37 Practice Note APP-152 Site Coverage of Greenery To improve the environmental quality of the urban space, particularly at the pedestrian level and to mitigate the heat island effect, new building developments with site areas of 1,000 m 2 or more, shall be provided with greenery areas at the pedestrian zone, communal podium roof / flat roof / main roof, slope and retaining structure, where appropriate, to meet the minimum site coverage of greenery as specified in the table below. 37

38 Joint Practice Notes 1 & 2 The package of incentives includes a list of green features that may be exempted from Gross Floor Area (GFA) and/or Site Coverage (SC) calculation. Some Green and amenity features covered in Joint Practice Notes 1 & 2 Communal podium gardens for non-residential buildings Communal sky gardens for residential buildings Communal sky gardens for non-residential buildings Balconies for residential buildings (must be open on at least 2 sides) Wider common corridors and lift lobbies for residential buildings Acoustic fins Wing walls, wind catchers, and funnels 38

39 Joint Practice Notes 1 & 2 Example on GFA Concessions Highest Density Resident Zone 1 Medium Density Resident Zone 2 Lowest Density Resident Zone 3 Non-Domestic 2 Storey 3 Storey 1 Storey 1 Storey GFA Concession (Green/Amenity Features) Equivalent to 10% of the site coverage of the tower Equivalent to 5% of the site coverage of the tower Equivalent to 5% of the site coverage of the tower Equivalent to 1% of the site coverage of the tower Remark: These figures are extracted from the recent Hong Kong s Government study s findings on 97 buildings of varied types based on the old Joint Practice Notes 1 & 2. 39

40 3. Greening Master Plans (GMPs) Civil Engineering and Development Department has introduced the Greening Master Plans for urban areas since The largest project of its kind in dense urban areas in the world. Greening Master Plans seek to define comprehensively the greening framework of selected areas with coherent themes and plant species to promote a clear district identity. Implementation in three stages: Short term - conforms to the existing layout of the districts and be implemented within 1-2 years Medium term has to assocate with other private developments Long term - ultimate greening vision Connectivity, trying to create green corridors that link to the existing greenery 40

41 Greening Master Plans (GMPs) - Progress Green Master Plans for Hong Kong and Kowloon areas Tsim Sha Tsui (completed in 2007) Centra (completed in 2007) Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei (completed in 2009) Sheung Wan, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay (completed in 2009) Western District (expected to be completed in mid-2011) Southern District (expected to be completed in mid-2011) Eastern District (expected to be completed in mid-2011) Sham Shui Po (expected to be completed in mid-2011) Kowloon City (expected to be completed in mid-2011) Wong Tai Sin (expected to be completed in mid-2011) Kwun Tong (expected to be completed in mid-2011) Green Master Plans initiative to the New Territories starting from end of

42 Greening Master Plans (GMPs) - Examples Central Heart of Gold for Central To reflect Central's role as the financial centre of Hong Kong, the GMP for Central adopts 'Heart of Gold' as the theme, which is realized through plants with golden, yellow, orange or red flowers and foliage (e.g. Hibiscus tiliaceus, Plumeria rubra and Peltophorum pterocarpum), supplemented by trees with a large crown (e.g. Ficus microcarpa and Cinnamomum camphora) to enhance the greening effect and to provide shade to pedestrians. 42

43 Greening Master Plans (GMPs) - Examples Mongkok Green Kaleidoscope Green Kaleidoscope is proposed for the core area using a variety of planting designs and species to enhance the environment and reinforce the characters of existing landmarks. 43

44 4. BEAM Plus BEAM Plus is the green building assessment system to measure, improve and label the environmental performance of buildings. BEAM Plus is: The leading initiative to assess, improve, certify and label the environmental performance of buildings A comprehensive standard and supporting process covering all building types, including mixed use complexes, both new and existing A means by which to benchmark and improve performance A voluntary scheme developed in partnership with, and adopted by the industry, at a level that makes it one of the leading schemes in the world A driver for and means by which to assure healthier, higher quality, more durable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable working and living environments 44

45 BEAM Plus New Buildings Outdoor Space & Landscaping Site Aspects (SA) Material Aspects (MA) Water Use (WU) Bonus SA P1 Minimum Landscaping Area - planting on site equivalent to 20% of the site area (residential site >1000m 2 ) SA3 Neighborhood Amenities - basic services and recreational facilities within 500m from the site SA7 Landscaping and Planters - proportion of materials used for hard and soft landscaping, large expanses of greenery but minimize watering and maintenance requirements SA8 Microclimate around Buildings - wind velocities, shading or roofing system for pedestrian, AVA SA9 Neighborhood Daylight Access - Vertical Daylight Factor, viewing angle SA15 Light Pollution ensure that the exterior light does not create unnecessary light pollution 45

46 BEAM Plus New Buildings Outdoor Space & Landscaping Site Aspects (SA) Material Aspects (MA) Water Use (WU) Bonus SA7 Landscaping and Planters use previous materials for a minimum 50% of hard landscaped area; compliance with the existing trees and legislation MA6 Sustainable Forest Products - encourage the use of at least 50% of timber products from sustainable sources MA7 Recycled Materials - promote recycled materials to be used in exterior surfacing work, structure, and features MA9 Regionally Manufactured Materials - materials manufactured within 800km from the site 46

47 BEAM Plus New Buildings Outdoor Space & Landscaping Site Aspects (SA) Material Aspects (MA) Water Use (WU) Bonus WU3 Water Efficient Irrigation - reduce the reliance on municipal fresh water and encourage the harvesting of rainwater as well as recycling grey water for irrigating WU4 Water Recycling - encourage the harvesting of rainwater and recycling grey water for the whole waterworks BONUS SA5 Ecological Impact - conserve natural environment by weighting indicators like naturalness, habitat diversity, non-recreatability, and so on. 47

48 Greening Challenges faced by Hong Kong 48

49 Greening Challenges faced by Hong Kong 1. Problems in the Greening Industry 2. Issues in BEAM Plus 3. Government Failure 49

50 1. Problems in the Greening Industry Wrong Trees & Wrong Places 50

51 Lack of Expertise Landscape Architects 51

52 Lack of Expertise Landscape Contractors and Arborists 52

53 Poor Maintenance 53

54 2. Issues in BEAM Plus Focus on setting environmental standards for individual building level small scale. Social and economic elements of sustainability are not included at the moment. Building impacts on the surrounding neighborhood is not taken into consideration. 54

55 3. Government Failure a) Lack of Government s Vision & Long-term Commitment b) Lack of Intra- and Intre-departmental Coordination c) Lack of Recognized and Accepted Scheme 55

56 a) Lack of Government s Vision & Long-Term Commitment No a long term commitment from the highest levels of government. The government has neither an adopted vision nor a clear policy for the greening. No administrative or legislative means on mandatory provision of greenery. Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines standard designs lead to poor quality Greening Master Plan is implemented in a piecemeal approach and no ongoing evaluation and monitoring Joint Practice Notes 1 & 2 are somehow attributed directly or indirectly to the wall-effect and urban heat island effect. Building Department s GFA Concessions policy requires green coverage of 20-30% not cover all private developments, in particular this policy is most likely not to benefit the old districts like Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok. Lack of measures to control the quality of urban greening. Lack of greening at pedestrian level and hence low walkability. 56

57 b) Lack of Intra- and Intre-departmental Coordination Over 10 government departments work on different greening projects. Each has its own house rules, regulations, standards, guidelines and codes of practices. The Greening, Landscape and Tree Management (GLTM) Section established in 2010 is responsible largely for coordinating all the urban greening issues. GLTM is led by a Principal Assistant Secretary, who is three levels down from the Secretary. 57

58 c) Lack of Recognized and Accepted Scheme Government does not provide an industry recognized skills training system for greening industry It results in lack of greening education and training for professionals, supervisors and workers in the industry. In 2009, 100 internationally certified arborist in Hong Kong, of whom 70 to 80 worked for the government. The most experienced arborist has less than 10 years working experience and only a few qualified arborists are available in the private sector. Government outsourcing policy leads to shortage of highly skilled artisans and semi-skilled workers. 58

59 Singapore Case Study 59

60 Singapore Case Study Successful Criteria Strong leadership starting with the former Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew Strong and continuous commitment from the government of the past and the present A clear vision set in 1960s creating a green and clean city: from Garden City to City in a Garden Policy Commitment Strong Institutional Framework A single Authority Integrated Approach 60

61 Singapore Case Study Evolution of Institutional Framework 61

62 Singapore Case Study A Single Authority National Parks Board (NParks) Chief Executive Officer Assistant Chief Executive Officer Corporate Development & Services Cluster Deputy Chief Executive Officer Professional Development & Services Cluster Assistant Chief Executive Officer Park Management & Lifestyle Cluster Advisor to NParks & Chief Executive Officer Gardens-by-the-Bay Responsibilities: Communications & Community Engagement Corporate Development Finance Resource Management Responsibilities: Conservation Industry/CUGE National Biodiversity Centre Policy & Planning Singapore Botanic Gardens Streetscape Horticulture and Community Gardening Responsibilities: Parks Parks Development Lifestyle Business Responsibilities: Gardens-by-the-Bay 62

63 Singapore Case Study National Training Institution Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology established in 2007 is a joint effect between NParks and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. Provide various of horticulture and landscape skills training programmes for all levels of landscape industry. Adopt the Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) and other certifications systems in its training programmes which are nationally recognized. 63

64 Singapore Case Study Integrated Approach The notion of building a green city has always been embodied in the national policy as well as the Singapore Green Plan. Greening considerations are requested to be incorporated into the planning process at an early stage. Road Codes was first introduced in 1976 to mandate provision of planting verge along main roads and it is still in force. Private property developers are requested to provide roadside trees and set aside space for green buffer in their development. Two heritage preservation schemes: Heritage Tree Scheme and Heritage Road Scheme. Green Corridor connects nature areas, open spaces and parks to urbanized areas in the whole country. The Land Information Network manages data of some 13 million trees in Singapore. LUSH Programme is designed to encourage private developers to add more greenery 64 on the different levels of the high rise buildings.

65 Hong Kong - Moving towards a Green City 65

66 Moving Forward 1. Hong Kong needs to form a Statutory Greening Agency 2. BEAM Plus - Shift to Larger Scale 66

67 1. Hong Kong needs to set up a Statutory Greening Agency Why? The current institutional arrangements, policies and practices are neither efficiency nor effectiveness. Now is the Right Timing - a new administration and increasing public awareness of the issue. How? Chief Executive commits to an urban greening policy that assigns highest priority to the greening in all relevant decisions in the government. A clear vision is set to unite all related parties and have common goals to work towards. An integrative approach is employed to help put in place the necessary policies and measures to achieve the vision. Foster a stronger partnership with key stakeholders in the industry 67

68 A Statutory Greening Agency s Functional Responsibilities Streetscape, Parks and Recreation Professional Development Policy & Planning Goals Goals Vision Goals Assessment, Survey & Research Goals Community Engagement & Communications Conservation 68

69 Top Priorities under the Statutory Greening Agency a) Provision of Greening in Public and Private Lands To develop a comprehensive and integrated overall urban greening policy with a set of the short, medium and long term goals and targets, together with the action plans to achieve those goals and targets. The policy should also be flexible enough to suit different government departments or agencies circumstances and needs To introduce policy incentives or regulations to encourage private sector to provide or, even better, increase greenery coverage in their developments. 69

70 b.) Community Engagement To involve people of different backgrounds and positions, from the professional level down to the grassroots level in the society To create more awareness about the benefits of urban greening and to encourage cooperation among the government and citizens in the community as well as neighborhood-based cooperation To create a sense of challenge and ownership among the society and eventually trigger effective change. 70

71 c) Professional Development To take the lead in providing training opportunities for all levels of the industry To set up a dedicated professional development division under the greening agency to work closely with the key stakeholders in the industry. To conduct regular assessment on the skill requirements and the needs of the industry and accordingly devise the government and industry recognized training and education programmes that address those needs. To put an accreditation system for greening professionals in place to ensure consistent practice and standards. 71

72 d) Monitoring System To conduct regular assessment and survey of plants, particularly for trees planted in public areas. To compile an inventory of plants and provide a better understanding of the plants and their health in the city. To enter collected data into a Geographic Information System (GIS) so that it could be made available and accessed by relevant parties in the industry or even the public. 72

73 2. BEAM Plus Shift to Larger Scale Expand environmental sustainability to include social and economic aspects, i.e. from individual buildings to entire neighborhoods or even district level. SITE NEIGHBOURHOOD DISTRICT Region 73

74 Develop different BEAM Plus schemes specifically for residential buildings, commercial buildings, neighborhoods and interior projects. Develop landscape and public space requirements that would be specific to fit into each individual scheme. Comprehensive Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme for Buildings (CEPAS) commissioned by the Buildings Department provides a holistic assessment tool which is tailor-made for the Hong Kong context. Some criteria from CEPAS could be incorporated into BEAM Plus. 74

75 Thank you! 75