Planning and design for low-carbon public housing development in Hong Kong : an evaluation

Open spaces in Hong Kong are in short supply and they are often underused due to the adverse climate, especially in hot and humid summer. This is a missed opportunity that can be otherwise realized to promote health and social interactions for local communities. The high density urban environment makes the condition worse by raising the urban heat island effect and leaving planners with fewer mitigation options. This study aims to test the hypotheses that an unfavourable thermal environment disrupts the use of outdoor open spaces; if yes, whether such disruptions differ by age groups. On-site measurement and computer simulations were conducted in three open spaces in public housing estates in Ngau Tau Kok, Hong Kong. Thermal conditions were assessed using the Universal Thermal Climate Index. Occupant activities were recorded, together with a questionnaire survey. Results showed that an open space purposefully designed for breeze and shading was 2.0°C cooler in Universal Thermal Climate Index compared with the other two. It attracted more optional/social activities, higher frequency of visits, and longer duration of stay. The elderly activities were more susceptible to disruptions from heat stress compared with younger groups. Elderly activities largely diminish when ambient thermal environment exceed 39°C in Universal Thermal Climate Index. Findings have implications to design and retrofitting of open spaces in order to maximize their use.

Download Full-text

The Uncommon Nightingale: Sustainable Housing Innovation in Australia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10103469 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 3469 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Trivess Moore ◽

Andréanne Doyon

Keyword(s):

Scaling Up ◽

Learning By Doing ◽

Housing Development ◽

Building Industry ◽

Sustainability Transitions ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Sustainable Housing ◽

The World ◽

Existing Housing

There is a need to deliver more environmentally and socially sustainable housing if we are to achieve a transition to a low carbon future. There are examples of innovative and sustainable housing emerging around the world which challenge the deeper structures of the existing housing regime. This paper uses the analysis of socio-technical dimensions of eco-housing presented by Smith to explore the development of an emerging sustainable housing model known as Nightingale Housing in Australia within a sustainability transitions framing. While there were several similarities to Smith’s analysis (e.g., establishment of guiding principles, learning by doing), there were also some key differences, including the scaling up of sustainable housing while using tried and tested design principles, materials and technologies, and creating changes to user relations, policy, and culture. Smith’s dimensions remain a good framework for understanding sustainable housing development, but they must be located within a scaling up sustainable housing agenda. What is required now is to develop a better understanding of the processes and opportunities that such housing models offer policy makers, housing researchers, and building industry stakeholders to achieve a broader scale uptake of sustainable housing both in Australia and globally.

Download Full-text