Central Kowloon Route

Irresponsible land use

In a city short of land for housing and where every piece of urban land is stacked with multi-use developments, should the Transport and Highways Departments be more accountable in deciding how much land they use?

The proposed Central Kowloon Route will annihilate large areas of core urban land with tunnel portals, connecting roads, highways amenity areas and supporting infrastructure.

Large areas of land in Kai Tak and Yau Ma Tei will be singly used for vehicular transport. They become unwelcoming to pedestrians, segregate communities, and disconnect the hinterland from the waterfront.

Links:http://www.ckr-hyd.hk/

http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/english/register/open/all.html (EIA-208/2013)

30haLand taken by roads, flyovers and amenity areas segregating neighbourhoods.

20haResidential neighbourhoods are segregated from the leisure, recreation and sports activities

along the approach channel by roads, flyovers and amenity areas.

Can we create active corridors with GFA for mixed uses under and on top of road infrastructure so that people can enjoy the area around the approach channel, an area which has potentially the same properties as Marina Bay and Darling Harbour??

Overseas examples

• Water bodies with similar dimensions and opportunities as the Kai Tak Approach Channel and the Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter:

• Marina Bay in Singapore

• Darling Harbour in Sydney

Roads run behind the waterfront properties . Mixed use developments align the waterfront and are easily accessible along vibrant pedestrian corridors.

Marina Bay Singapore

Darling HarbourSydney

Roads run behind the waterfront properties, or well above it. Mixed use developments align the waterfront and are easily accessible along vibrant pedestrian corridors.