Sustainable City &
Urban Planning Experiences
Mee Kam Ng
Centre of Urban Planning & Environmental Management
The University of Hong Kong
Evolution of the
Understandings of
Sustainable Development
Meanings of Sustainable Development
• 1962, Rachel Carson: Silent Spring
• 1972, United Nations Conference on the Human
Environment in Stockholm, Barbara Ward: Only
One Earth
• 1983, the World Commission on Environment and
Development was established
• 1987: Our Common Future
“Sustainable development is development that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
(WCED, 1987, p.8).
Meanings of Sustainable Development
• 1992: United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development in Rio de Janeiro, the First Earth
Summit
• Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
& Agenda 21
• 1992: the United Nations Commission on
Sustainable Development was established
• 1996: Habitat Agenda
• 2000: United Nations Millennium Development
Goals
• 2002: Second Earth Summit in Johannesburg—
Johannesburg Declaration & Action 21
Why Sustainable Development (SD) ?
Why SD ?
• The world’s population is now at 6 billion, and
estimated to grow to 8 billion in the next 20 years.
• While most countries’ economies have grown
economically in the last 20 years, some have
declined.
• In the developing world, one in every five persons
lives in extreme poverty and many associated
social problems result: disease, disintegration of
family, crime and use of drugs.
• 800 million people in the world are still
malnourished due to poor distribution in more
remote areas.
• Diseases such as AIDS and malaria have greatly
affected populations
Why SD ?
• Since 1971, global energy use has increased by 70% and is
expected to rise 2% per year in the next 15 years. This will
increase greenhouse gases by 50% over current levels.
• The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has
increased enormously since 1950, with the global climate
changing drastically.
• Increased atmospheric nitrogen from fossil fuel
combustion and farming of root crops, which release
nitrogen, has intensified the occurrence in of acid rain
• Natural resources (e.g. soils, forests, fish aquatic habitats)
continue to decrease in quantity due to fires, pollution and
human influences.
• Loss of biological diversity has resulted from human
activities such as deforestation and , pollution. 40% of our
global economy is dependent on biologically derived
products.
• Water, soil and air have been strained due to high pollution
levels.
Why SD? We are in a Risk Society!
• The aging of industrial modernity & the
emergence of a risk society
• Risk society arises through “the ...
modernization processes which are blind
& deaf to consequences & dangers.”
• “Reflexive modernization”: selfconfrontation with the consequences of
risk society which cannot be addressed
& overcome in the system of industrial
society (Ulrich Beck)
Why SD? We are in a Risk Society!
• Risk society: hazards produced by society
undermine and/or cancel the established safety
systems of the state’s existing risk calculations.
• Nuclear, chemical, ecological & genetic
engineering risks: no time/place limit, not
accountable, compensated or insured (Ulrich Beck).
• Risk Society: recognition of the incalculability of
the hazards produced by technical-industrial
development
• Compels self-reflection on the foundation of the
social context & review of prevailing conventions &
principles of “rationality”
• Risk society becomes self-reflexive: it becomes an
issue & a problem to itself (Ulrich Beck)
Why SD? We are in a Risk Society
• Answer: to let “politics & morality” gain
priority over “shifting & inherently
uncertain science”--a radical (second)
modernity & a new ecological democracy
(Ulrich Beck)  a need to build a
sustainable community
Meanings of Sustainable Development
Meanings of SD
Future impacts
People
People
Resources:
renewable & non-rew
Energy & water
Information & capital
City
Region
Goods and services
Goods & services
Wastes & pollution
Resource depletion
Carrying
Capacity
Source: Ravetz, Joe (2000), City
Region 2020, London: Earthscan
Meanings of SD:
Economic, Social & Environmental Capital
Human &
Social Capital
Health impacts vs.
Human impacts
Environmental
Capital
Income & employment vs.
Labour & consumption
Resources &
assimilation of
pollution vs. Pollution
& its abatement
Economic
Capital
Some Interactions Between Economic, Social and
Environmental Capital
Meanings of SD:
Nested Sustainable Development
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental
Capital:
Air
Water
Noise
Minerals
Forests,
Land,
Species of
Flora &
Fauna
Soil, etc.
(Modified from Giddings et. al, 2002, p.192)
SOCIETY
Human, Social &
Cultural Capital
Education
Health
Housing
Social Network
Community Spirit
Social Equity
Arts and Culture
Sports & recreation
Entertainment & media,
etc.
ECONOMY
Economic Capital
Built environment
Machinery
Vehicles
Investment, etc.
Meanings of Sustainable Development
• Basic Principles:
– an ethical utilization of natural
resources
– an intra- and inter-generational equity
• Derived Sustainable Development
Principles
Meanings of SD: principles & policies
Urban Context
Economic Capital
Economy
Urban fiscal base
Economic spaces
Infrastructure
Built environment
Human and Social
Capital
Education
Health
Sports and Leisure
Safety
Community
Political System
Governance
Environmental (Physical
& Built) Capital
Food
Air
Water
Noise
Architecture
Cultural Heritage
Sustain. Development
Principles
Policy Tools
Basic Principles
Long term strategic views &
integrated policy making
Law & legislation
Financing mechanisms
Ethical utilization of natural resources
Intra- and inter-generational equity
Economic Capital
Long-term economic prosperity
Restorative economy
Reforming market economy
Ecological modernization
Human and Social Capital
Diversities in human resources
Cultural diversities
Satisfying basic needs
Equity in governance
Social cohesion
Equal opportunities
Environmental (Physical & Built)
Capital
Geographical equity
Living within nature’s carrying capacity
Enhancing biodiversity
Replace/ Recycle/ Reuse
Government
Government vis-à-vis
Market
Ecological modernization
Green consumerism
Targeted inward investment
Promotion of environmental
business
Encourage competition
Information dissemination
Government vis-à-vis
Community
A learning culture
Three-way (government, private
sector, community) partnership
Community based initiatives
Social/cultural/attitudinal
changes
Meanings of SD
Meanings of SD
Characteristics of SD
Characteristics of SD
ECOLOGICALLY ETHICAL UTILIZATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Use of resources and pollution within carrying capacity of nature
Biodiversity enhanced
Three “R”s to minimize wastes and energy consumption
INTRA- AND INTER-GENERATIONAL EQUITY
Demographic stabilization
Reforming market economy: “restorative”, community based economies vibrant
Ecological modernization
Diversities in human resources development
Diversity in the built environment
Diversity in economic activities
Diversity in culture
Meeting basic needs
Strong social cohesion
Equity in governance
Equal opportunities available
Geographical equity: self-reliance
Characteristics of SD
RESPONSES
Strategic long term view with strategic information
Horizontal cross-sectoral approach within the government
Vertical integration (local-regional initiatives)
Politics: new governance (three-way [public-private-community] partnership)
Sustainable planning process: participation & dialogue
Law & legislation on environmental management
Market: green consumerism, ecological modernization
Socio-cultural changes (public awareness)
Green financing
Characteristics of SD
Characteristics of SD
Participation:
 participatory
 making good use of local knowledge
 perspectives of different stakeholders
 accessible participation channels and information
 participation should be engagement in making choices and determining future
development
Community character:
 respect community history
 strengthen community identity
 facilitate community building and fulfill the needs and expectations of the community
Equity:
 ensure equitable distribution of benefits and costs
 consider the impacts on different social groups
 ensure adequate resources and services are available to mitigate the impacts on
disadvantaged groups
Environment:
 improve the overall living and working environment in order to promote health, safety
and enjoyment
 safeguard resources and prevent environmental degradation
Economy:
 should improve the overall economic conditions
Why Citizen Participation?
• Plans have a greater chance of being
implemented when citizens play a
meaningful role in shaping them.
• They know better what they want!
• Stakeholders must feel ownership of the
plan.
• Identifying common values in divergent
interests
• Building consensus
Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation
DEGREE OF CITIIZEN PARTICIPATION
8. Citizen control
7. Delegated power
6. Partnership
DEGREES OF TOKENISM
5. Placation
4. Consultation
3. Informing
NON-PARTICIPATION
2. Therapy
1. Manipulation
The ‘Wheel’ of Empowerment
EMPOWERMENT
Entrusted control
Independent control
Delegated control
Limited decentralized decision making
PARTICIPATION
Limited decentralized decision making
Partnership
Effective advisory body
CONSULTATION
Genuine information
Customer care
Limited consultation
INFORMATION
Good quality information
Limited information
Minimal communication
Techniques
• Citizen attitude
surveys
• Use of mediator or
facilitator
• Citizen training
• Telephone hotlines
• Interactive cable TV
• Open door policy
• Visioning sessions
• Task forces
• Public hearings
• Guided tours
• Workshops/ charettes
• Visual preference
testing
• Game simulation
• Citizen advisory board
• Media & public
information
campaigns
• Community planning
centres
• Involving youths & kids
Characteristics of SD
Vitality & Variety
•activity nodes
•street activities
•land uses
•texture (relationship of
buildings and space)
•grain of street pattern
•visual quality
•relation of buildings to
street
“Greening the city”
•colour
•shade
•softening
•air pollution absorption
•micro-climate
•aesthetics
•ambience
Traffic and transport
public access to non-polluting transport
connectivity of public transport modes
and routes
pedestrian accessibility
pedestrian permeability
pedestrian experience
Form of new development
Sympathetic to topography
Compatible with the desired character
of the area
Public space
appropriateness of location
opportunities for ‘conferred life’
quality
connectivity
appropriateness of purpose
Characteristics of SD
New Building
scale
layout
form
appearance
use
materials
Existing buildings
Physical condition
safety
appearance
special individual quality (historic,
architectural, or cultural merit)
special group quality (contribution to
streetscape, townscape)
Use
Compatibility with area
Compatibility with immediate adjacent
uses
Contribution to needs of area
Contribution to character of area
Re-use potential
rehabilitation
conservation
recycling to other uses
How to Develop Hong Kong
into a Sustainable City ?
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPNMENT
PRINCIPLES
HOW TO DEVELOP HONG
KONG INTO A
SUSTAINABLE CITY?
Ecologically Ethical Utilization of Natural Resources
Carrying capacity of nature
Biodiversity
Three “R”s to minimize wastes
and energy consumption
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPNMENT
PRINCIPLES
HOW TO DEVELOP HONG KONG INTO
A SUSTAINABLE CITY?
Intra- and Inter-Generational Equity
Demographic stabilization
Reforming market economy: “restorative”
& ecological modernization
Diversity in human resources development
Diversity in built environment
Diversity in economic activities
Diversity in culture
Satisfying basic needs
Social cohesion
Equity in governance
Equal opportunities
Geographical equity: self-reliance
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPNMENT
PRINCIPLES
HOW TO DEVELOP HONG KONG
INTO A SUSTAINABLE CITY?
Responses
Long term view with strategic information
Horizontal cross-sectoral approach
Vertical integration (local-regional
initiatives)
Politics: new governance (three-way
partnership)
Sustainable planning process: participation
& dialogue
Law & legislation on environmental
management
Market: green consumerism, ecological
modernization
Socio-cultural changes (public awareness)
Green financing
How to Develop HK into a Sustainable City ?
Participation:
 participatory
 making good use of local knowledge
 perspectives of different stakeholders
 accessible participation channels and information
 participation should be engagement in making choices and determining future
development
Community character:
 respect community history
 strengthen community identity
 facilitate community building and fulfill the needs and expectations of the community
Equity:
 ensure equitable distribution of benefits and costs
 consider the impacts on different social groups
 ensure adequate resources and services are available to mitigate the impacts on
disadvantaged groups
Environment:
 improve the overall living and working environment in order to promote health, safety
and enjoyment
 safeguard resources and prevent environmental degradation
Economy:
 should improve the overall economic conditions
How to Develop HK into a Sustainable City ?
Vitality & Variety
•activity nodes
•street activities
•land uses
•texture (relationship of
buildings and space)
•grain of street pattern
•visual quality
•relation of buildings to
street
“Greening the city”
•colour
•shade
•softening
•air pollution absorption
•micro-climate
•aesthetics
•ambience
Traffic and transport
public access to non-polluting transport
connectivity of public transport modes
and routes
pedestrian accessibility
pedestrian permeability
pedestrian experience
Form of new development
Sympathetic to topography
Compatible with the desired character
of the area
Public space
appropriateness of location
opportunities for ‘conferred life’
quality
connectivity
appropriateness of purpose
How to develop HK into a sustainable city?
Existing buildings
New Building
scale
layout
form
appearance
use
materials
Physical condition
safety
appearance
special individual quality (historic,
architectural, or cultural merit)
special group quality (contribution to
streetscape, townscape)
Use
Compatibility with area
Compatibility with immediate adjacent
uses
Contribution to needs of area
Contribution to character of area
Re-use potential
rehabilitation
conservation
recycling to other uses
What are the Costs of Developing
Hong Kong into a Sustainable City?
“Costs” of SD in Hong Kong
• Whose costs?
• Fiscal costs? Hidden costs? Long term costs?
Short-term costs? Monetary costs? Social costs?
Political costs? Economic costs?
• Three major stakeholders in SD: the government,
the private sector, the general public
• At different geographical scales: local, city-level,
regional, national, global…
• Costs and benefits are relative… “One man’s meat
is another man’s poison”—the cost of cleaning up
may be too high for a factory but the unaccounted
costs as a result of pollution could be a lot
higher…
“Costs” of SD in Hong Kong: some examples
• Utilizing the environmental resources in an ecologically ethical
way may mean:
Economic capital:
–
–
–
–
Controlled growth
Fewer development projects
Fewer jobs? However, maybe engaged in other productive activities
A less materialistic and consumption-oriented society… (lowered living
standards? Yet what is quality living standard?)
– Exit from the ‘world class’ city league?
Social capital:
– Less convenience
– Families having more time together
– A lot of needs are satisfied through social networks rather than markets—
’moral economy’
– More spiritual rather than materialistic endeavours
Environmental capital:
– Less pollution
– Sustainable resources for future generations
– Fresh water, air etc.
“Costs” of SD in Hong Kong: some examples
• Recycling industries
Economic capital
– Government subsidies?
– Self-sustaining? Capital costs, operating costs…
– Providing jobs (low paying though)
– Pushing ecological modernization: from design to
disposal
Social capital
– Nurturing social capital—labour intensive and
educational process
– Community drive & social capital accumulation
Environmental capital
– Minimizing ‘wastes’ (resources), turning ‘wastes’ into
useful inputs to industries, etc.
“Costs” of SD in Hong Kong: some examples
• Diversity in human resources, culture, urban
environment
Economic capital
– Needs investment in nurturing human capital
– More resources into designing and providing spaces for
all sorts of activities
– Cannot do things by fiscal calculations alone
– However, “cultural turn of capitalism”—global tourism,
cultural tourism etc.
Social capital
– More vibrant and convivial society
– Happier individuals recognizing their unique potentials?
Environmental capital
– Better quality of the built environment
– Expression of “tastes” in urban landscape…
“Costs” of SD in Hong Kong: some examples
• Sustainable planning process
Economic capital
– Needs money and human resources in organizing
events for public participation
– Time consuming and may delay implementation
Social capital
– Building trust among stakeholders
– Gelling different groups together and allow mutual
education: learning by doing and learning how to reach
consensus
Environmental capital
– Allowing “politics and morality” to take over uncertain
science — the case of Harbour reclamation
Sharing of Experiences
Conclusion
• Sustainable development requires everyone’s
efforts and creativity
• SD is not just a concept to be learnt. SD is a way
of life, a commitment to social justice among
fellow human beings and a respect for mother
nature.
• SD perspective carries a long term view and
requires us to seek comprehensive assessments
of social, economic and environmental costs of
our actions, be it government policies,
programmes and projects; the private sector’s
production activities; or the community’s
individual and collective choices in their everyday
life.