Billibala

摩天廈密密建半山勢塞爆

申訴專員公署炮轟港島半山區規劃混亂後，政府聲稱會收緊半山發展高度，但限制原來至今尚未落實，而區內不少重建發展近期紛獲屋宇署批准建築圖則，單是西摩道已有五個重建地皮，獲批興建三十六至五十四層高的摩天大廈，大部分更設有三至四層高的停車場，勢將增加區內交通負荷。有立法會議員炮轟政府對半山發展設高度限制歎慢板，「依家都未做好，仲有乜鬼用！」本港優美的山脊線勢將不保。

Source: 太陽報

WTF! 54 stories?? Will the mountain collapse??

Crap… I m living in the Seymour Road area… It’s true, there are 5 construction sites around. No wonder I got my place rented at low price…

There’s another big construction site along Cain Road too. (opposite to the Starbucks on Caine)

I’ve been traveling along Caine and Robinson Road for many years (back when I studied in HKU). Now, after 6 years, I come back to the area and actually lived here. To be honest, nothing in this area has been improved. The pedestrian walkway is still narrow. Hugh double-decker buses still running. I haven’t counted the many many mini-buses and private cars.

This is what Caine looks like in the 60s:

Caine Road in 60s
courtesy of The Hong Kong Public Records Office

This was taken, I guess, on Caine a little down Aberdeen Road. The stone wall on the left looks like the stone wall outside Kom-tong Hall. Anyway, the point is, Caine road is been a single lane 2-way road ever since then.

Seriously, what makes it possible to build ever taller buildings with car parks in the Mid-Levels area? Plus, Caine Road has to support traffic from areas way more west of the island. There are tons of buses and min-buses run along Caine, Bonham, then Pokfulam till the reach Baguio, 置富 and Aberdeen. You just can’t imagine how bad road-side pollution on Caine is… In peak hours, I bet you don’t wanna stay on the road for longer than 3 minute. You smell gas and dust all along.

This is actually not a new problem. I did a little research (allow me not hacking code for a few hours ). There’s news report on that back in 2006 in 頭條日報 – 半山人口猛增　地署被斥失當 . The Office of the Ombudsman, Hong Kong actually did a direction investigation on this problem back in 2006. The Government introduced an administrative moratorium to restrict building development in Mid-Levels to ease traffic congestion (link to report). However, as I walk along Caine, this is not enforced at all (I wonder the officials involved in land redevelopment application know about this moratorium).

Caine Road and area around have really good neighbor. Schools, churches, low-rises…

Ladder Street cross Caine Road
courtesy of Tom Jackson

Low-rises build along hill side forming lanes and terraces. There’s small garden in between terraces and lanes where neighborhood forms. It’s pretty chill.

Now, we see tall buildings with car park. The buildings are so tall that its foundation crosses a few terraces and the result… the terraces got demolished completely killing neighborhood and community.

People argue that old buildings and old city planning should be removed for more modern city landscape. I don’t disagree with that. But, does “modern” means killing neighborhood and community?

Community and neighborhood happen on the streets. With car parks, utility rooms and stuff built in the lower floors, you have basically keep the street side ecosystem. Who would want to hang out next to, say, a car park exit? Or, next to a concrete wall? The taller the building, the bigger car park you need. So as to club house, supporting utility, etc…

People living in these buildings… yeah, you’ve got an address saying “Caine Road” or “Seymour Road” (instead of a hongkie’s one – Wai Yip Street or Tai Fat Street). But you lose the neighborhood and community.

If you lived in old public housing estate before, you would probably have had shared food with your neighbor or played TV game with neighbor’s kid. But it seems to me that you become more isolated from your neighbor as you live in more and more expensive apartment. Till, ultimately, you live like this: buy groceries in City Super, drive home, park the car, take the evaluator and, boom, u r home.

How much difference is this from suburb culture in the States?

What are we looking for? Quality of life? Or, an address?

What is our responsibility to this land – Hong Kong?

P.S. Some interesting sites with historic Hong Kong pictures: