This document discusses lessons learned from high-density Asian cities regarding livability. It explores what makes high density work through examples of Asian cities like Hong Kong, which is highly dense yet livable due to infrastructure, transit mobility, and open green spaces comprising 40% of its land. Principles for sustainable development include balancing new development with heritage, and focusing on placemaking, connectivity, and integrating development within the existing urban fabric at an appropriate scale.

1. High Density and Livability: Lessons Learned in Asian Cities
Asian cities took the idea of urban
density to a new level. How livable and
sustainable are these high density cities?
Cure Byte, 2011.

2. High Density and Livability: Lessons Learned in Asian Cities
What makes high density work?
Is it the infrastructure in place?
The people themselves?
Anna Sofranko. Picasa, 2009.

3. High Density and Livability: Lessons Learned in Asian Cities
Cities throughout Asia are
not stopping there either.
They’re only getting bigger…
Trident Com, 2011.

4. High Density and Livability: Lessons Learned in Asian Cities
Balancing new development with heritage
conservation is the key to making these
cities unique and distinctive.
Morgan Mallory. Dazed and Confucius, 2005.

5. High Density and Livability: Lessons Learned in Asian Cities
What can we learn from these
high density Asian cities?
How can we make cities more
livable for more people?
Travel Instinct, 2010.

6. High Density and Livability: Lessons Learned in Asian
Cities
Hong Kong is a compact, high density
livable city with country parks
comprising 40% of its land use.
Carol Spears. Wikimedia Commons, 2008.

7. High Density and Livability: Lessons Learned in Asian Cities
Hong Kong is vibrant with
pedestrian and transit mobility over
90% of the city, making it less car
dependent

8. High Density and Livability: Lessons Learned in Asian Cities
Tai Koo Shing is the first successful large scale
private residential redevelopment built in 1966 on an
old dockyard. With over 60,000 people residing in a
well connected community with 61 towers, 30
storeys tall in an area of 8.5 acres with offices and a
retail mall

9. High Density and Livability: Lessons Learned in Asian
Cities
Cities throughout Asia are
not stopping either. They’re
only getting bigger. ..
Whampoa Garden is a 39 acre
development with over 30,000
people living in 88 residential
towers 16 storeys high with a
successful ground level retail use

10. Ten Principles for Sustainable Approach to New Development
Towards Sustainable and Integrated Large-Scale Developments for a More Livable Hong Kong
Large Scale Development
Vibrancy and Street Culture
Open Space and Skyline

11. Hong Kong Podium Development

12. HONG KONG DEVELOPMENT
TIMELINE

13. ULI Workshop
• Approximately 50 stakeholders from the public and private
sectors attended
• Breakout Sessions
• Group 1: Planning, urban design, and regulatory
implications
• Group 2: Infrastructure, transport network, and
sustainability
• Group 3: Development, implementation, and economic
viability

14. • Building on Hong Kong’s strengths
Strategic location, financial success, transportation efficiency,
unique skyline, high-density development, vibrant street life
etc.
• A paradigm shift is needed to focus on longer term value
creation rather than short-term economic gain.
– Strong leadership
– Integrated Strategic Vision
– Clear policy framework
– Proactive approach
• District-wide visions with 3-D urban design plans using a
bottom-up approach with community engagement
• All government departments should work together with the
community, developers and stakeholders to achieve the
common city vision
• City’s long-term success depends on environmental and
social sustainability not just high economic value

15. Examples
Vancouver Downtown Plan
•Designed to reverse the
effects of urban sprawl
•Urban design philosophy with
a high-density typology –
rezoned downtown for
residential use
Hong Kong 2030 Study •Transit and pedestrian
Singapore Concept Plan 2001 oriented
•Based on a participatory approach
•Mapped out the vision for the city PlaNYC, New York
and updated continuously
•To leverage the existing urban
infrastructure •Outlined the city’s vision for
•Based on a decentralization over 25 years
policy
•To concentrate on the reuse and
recycling of the old urban fabric •Calls for more city control
•Physical planning as means to over large-scale development
attain economic, political,
•To do more with less
environmental and social goals. •3 major components:
OpeNYC,
MaintaiNYC, GreeNYC

16. • New development or redevelopment in cities should be viewed as an
opportunity to create great places integrating with existing areas
• Place-making principles for a livable, walkable and sustainable city :
– Ensure high-quality design to reflect the character of the
surrounding community to stimulate activity and economic vitality
paying attention to how the building touches the ground
– Integrate public spaces with landscaping, attractive street furniture,
and public art and allow the flexible use of space to enable social
interaction
– Promote pedestrian connectivity by creating integrated blocks, tree
lined streets, and pleasant walkways, as well as comfortable, well
marked, continuous streets that are vibrant
– Create a high-quality public realm that enhances the appeal of the
pedestrian environment, strengthens the sense of place, and
supports a diverse range of activities
– Establish a unique identity with landmarks and public space as a
gateway to the development to create attractive destinations

17. Examples
Taikoo Place, Hong Kong
• Integrated with the district
over time – created a unique
sense of place and character
• Connected by footbridges and
within walking distance of
MTR
Roppongi Hills, Japan
• An integrated development with
high-rise inner urban Life Hub @ Daning, Shanghai
communities • A trendy development respecting local
tradition
• Allows people to live, work, play,
• Offers pedestrian friendly, retail-lined
and shop in proximity to eliminate streets
commuting time
• Proximity to mass transit and bus
transit

18. • Superblocks disrupt connections to surrounding districts
resulting in isolated development that are inward looking
Langham Place, HK
• What scale of development is appropriate to integrate with the
existing urban fabric?
• Integrated blocks become attractive for people to live, work and
visit and create a sense of place and retain value in the longer-
term
• Mixed uses above the station is good, but development should
be permeable at ground level to integrate well with adjacent
areas
IFC, HK
• Extend the urban grid to facilitate pedestrian walkability and use
public space to integrate with the surrounding area
• Appropriate development scale and permeability are necessary
to increase the vibrancy of the area and make the development
attractive and commercially successful
• Making streets pedestrian friendly and allowing access to a well-
managed public space is important
Kowloon Station Development, HK

19. Examples
Whampoa Garden, HK
• Adapting high-density living environment in
Hong Kong
• Well connected public open space located at
Liverpool One, UK first-floor podium level
• Connected by foot-bridge and linked to
• Retains many of the street vibrant life of the street IFC, HK
patterns that shoppers and
• The Airport Express
visitors have been familiar with Landmark East, HK Hong Kong Station
for a long time
and the transport hub
• A street level open are directly beneath
• Creates a link between the space that is well it.
west and east side of the city to integrated, allowing
the waterfront pedestrian movement • Connected with the
and street continuity Central district by
• Planned six different districts • Provides 3,400 square footbridges on the
within this large site, each with metres of landscaped 2nd level.
a different character open space

20. • Public open space within the urban area has the potential to
bring different groups in the society together
• Many newly created public open spaces are on podiums
which tend to be physically and visually less accessible
• Developers often provide public open space within private
developments for bonus plot ratio, but how accessible are
these spaces?
• Strategy to integrate landscaping, public art, and civic
functions within public open space and along streets will
create a continuous and high-quality public realm
• Public open space should be well defined, and connected
with walking routes and bicycle paths where feasible
• It is important that public open space is pedestrian friendly
and a place for people from all walks of life, young and old,
rich and poor.
• Street markets act as open space at grade, but their role is
compromised and their survival i often threatened

21. Examples
Exchange Square, HK Time Square, HK
• Accessible public open space at ground level
• Ground level houses a public transport
interchange • Controversial issue with privatization of public
space
• Well connected at upper level to adjacent
development • Re-examine provisions for public open space,
and the government quid pro quo with property
• Accessible open space at the podium developers
IFC, HK
• Lacks connections to the street level, forcing pedestrians to move
to upper podium level to access the open space
• Less accessible to the general public, frequented by office workers
and mall visitors using the bars and restaurants

22. Examples
Greenbelt, Manila Concord Pacific Development,
• Offers an unconventional “garden Vancouver
wall” design
• Woven into the fabric of the
adjacent city grid
• Weaves through the meandering
open-air plazas, courtyards, and
• Provides public access to the
pathways IFC Seoul, South Korea
waterfront
• 30% of the green area is
• Outdoor seating for restaurants
• Respected as a self-sufficient required at grade
and cafes nearby
community, with a range of retail
uses, services, and amenities • Green area at grade provides
• Elevated walkways ensure ample
street level plaza for
exposure to the park
pedestrians.

23. • Station-related mixed-use developments in Hong Kong provide
seamless connection to transit resulting in “Development Oriented
Transit”
• More recent developments tend to be isolated and less pedestrian
friendly with poor integration with the surrounding areas
• The challenge moving forward is to better integrate these
development at grade with surrounding areas and make them more
pedestrian friendly
• Physical and social integration can be achieved by reducing road
footprint and infrastructure uses and providing more active uses at
ground level
• Urban integration and pedestrian connectivity are a priority to avoid
isolated developments in the future
• New developments should be better integrated with existing urban
fabric of the surrounding older urban areas to preserve the city’s
heritage and culture

24. Examples
Kowloon Station Development, HK
• Economically successful but lacks
street level interface
• Seamless connection within the site:
Elements shopping mall and the
Tokyo Midtown, Japan Roppongi Hill, Japan
MTR
• Well integrated into the • Development seamlessly
adjacent areas through a integrated by the park and
• Restricted or no integration with
large open space at grade network of meandering
surrounding areas limits pedestrian
landscaped public open
access from neighbouring districts
• Well connected to the spaces
Roppongi railway station
• Podium edges fold down to
street levels

25. • Pedestrian priority is important, building should
meet the street in a pedestrian friendly manner to
enhance the sense of belonging and security
• Streets of human scale, street-level interface and
continuity are also important for vibrancy
• The size of the block and the road footprint
determine the type of development and nature of
the streets
• Urban design guidelines for large scale
developments can help avoid blank walls and dead
streets
• Streets should be tree-lined and developments
should have proper interface with those streets
• Incentives should be given to encourage
developers to provide public open space, public
amenities at grade, and underground car parks

26. Examples
Langham Place, HK Xinyi Place, Taipei Marina Bay Financial
• Indoor public space with a glass • Vision to remodel the Xinyi Center, Singapore
atrium that imitates the outdoor District as the economic,
cultural, and administrative • Well connected with other
environment
centre of Taipei City developments
• Management issues and
• Height limits for buildings, • Forms a close cluster with a
confusion for the users – private
regulating the width of the high quality public realm
space or public space?
streets, and designating the
types of plants • Open space at grade
• A poor environment at grade
resulted in the closure of a
• Ensures a pleasant pedestrian • Promenade along the
number of entry points to the
environment and movement on waterfront
development
ground and footbridge levels

27. • Facilitate good urban design through urban design review,
planning, regulatory framework and an independent TPB
• Government should take a proactive approach in guiding
more sensitive development to add long term value to the
city
• Zoning needs to be more flexible to enable mixed uses,
including a mix of public, private, and affordable housing
• Planning should be done at the district level with specific
3-D urban design plans
• Government could provide incentives to facilitate and
ensure provision of high-quality public space at grade and
pedestrian friendly streets within CDA developments
Source: http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?
fuseaction=wanappln.showprojectbigimages&img=2&pro_id=12644
• Good urban design, sensitive and integrated
developments should be encouraged by commending
developers and designers

28. Examples
Zoning Control, New York City
•Safeguard street-level exposure to the sky
•Encourage developers to dedicate spaces for
open plazas or street-level arcades
Design Guidelines, Singapore
•Promotes sky-rise greenery through more
relaxed guidelines
•Provides a clear base and bonus plot ratio
calculation, setback requirements, height of Urban Design Panel , Vancouver
building edge, size of podium and parameters for
all types and scale of developments. • Composed of design professionals from the
public and private sectors
Commission for Architecture and the Built • Provides advice on significant development
Environment (CABE), UK permit applications
•Provided independent design advice to help • Assists in the formulation of urban design policy
cities create better buildings and high quality and criteria
public spaces

29. • Development needs to focus beyond the sustainability
of buildings to incorporate sustainability at a
neighborhood and district scale similar to LEED ND
• Physical and social integration of developments with
the surrounding areas and the district is important
• Impacts of gentrification and maintaining existing social
networks as far as possible within redevelopment
projects should be considered
• More specific urban design guidelines should be
proposed in order to ensure sustainable and integrated
developments at different levels
• There could be bonus plot ratios to encourage vertical
greening and green roofs, affordable housing mix
• Avoid developments in ecologically sensitive areas

30. Examples
HafenCity, Hamburg
• Urban location, mixed uses,
lively atmosphere and
Citywalk, HK
innovative development
• Integrated with the area at process
ground level: increases visibility • Outstanding open space
and accessibility design Tokyo Midtown, Japan
•More than 40 percent of the
New York City, New York
• Creation of ground floor public •Pays attention to sustainability at
project area reserved for urban
passage in exchange for bonus park
the neighborhood, district and city
GFA concession scale.
•Offers several sustainable
• Public space courtyard in the • A city of neighborhoods with a
features and goes beyond building
centre has well defined spaces sustainability
good network of public open
spaces

31. • Public engagement is a comparatively new concept in Hong
Kong
• Process is changing for the better, but both the government
and community need to put more effort into the process
• Community lacks trust in engagement exercises: there is a
perception of collusion between government and developers
• The city relies too heavily on private developers to do social
good, but in most cities it is common for Govt. to negotiate with
developers to ensure public good
• Need to involve more stakeholders and engage people in a
creative way to provide clarity for the community and the
developers
• Should engage project stakeholders from diverse backgrounds
at an early stage, and keep the participation process
transparent and inclusive

32. Examples
Vancouver New York City, New York London
•Extensive experience of public • Public engagement is an • Decentralizes the power of the
engagement in the planning and integral part of the plan government
urban design process. making process.
• Sets policy to support local
•Council realized they needed to • A clear city vision and specific government, communities,
revamp the planning process to urban design guidelines neighbourhoods, etc.
engage citizens from the beginning.
• Major developments go • Created the “Good Practice
•Ensures that new developments through a review and Guide to Public Engagement in
integrate well with neighboring areas negotiation process with the Development Schemes”
and contributes to the overall city planning department
vision • Government has offered free
• New initiatives are developed planning aid for community
with public engagement groups who cannot afford to pay
professional fees

33. • Role of ownership and management can be different
• Multiple owners can contribute to diversity, but one
owner can also contribute to diversity , the key is
coordinated management control
• The concept of Business Improvement Districts and
Community Improvement Districts can be adapted to
create pedestrian oriented, environmentally friendly,
and sustainable developments
• BIDs/CIDs can involve NGOs, private developers
and community groups
Source: http://www.dokwayne.com/2010/management-
• Community benefit and adding long-term value to the and-military-any-connection/meeting/
city should be a priority

34. Examples
MTR Developments South Bank Partnership,
Marina Bay Development London
•Benefit by coordinated management Agency, Singapore
control, which allows efficiency and •Protects local environment and
flexibility •Department of URA, Singapore
infrastructure
•Enables provision of multiple uses and •Responsible for planning,
•Promotes good urban design
convenient transit options design, implementation,
coordination, management,
•Tackles crime to improve
•Enables the MTR to collaborate with branding and place marketing
community safety
various developers
•Provides opportunities for the
•Consults community for local
Center City, Philadelphia public to enjoy great places
regeneration Projects
along the waterfront
• Center City District aims to keep the
•Creating Marina Bay as a
city clean, safe and well-managed
successful place that is
attractive for private investment
• Reinforces the city as a vibrant
place to work, live, shop and visit

35. Conclusion
The ten principles are intended to guide the future development of
Hong Kong and the region
•Ensure that large-scale new or redevelopment projects are well
integrated into the surrounding area
•Helps to create great places and add to the long-term value of the
city HafenCity, Hamburg
•Promotes more integrated pedestrian-friendly and environmentally
sustainable developments
•Enable cities in the region to transform into more walkable, livable,
and sustainable places
What’s Next
•Review building regulations and the planning framework in light of Liverpool One, Liverpool
the Ten Principles
•ULI will share the Ten Principles Report with various stakeholders,
including the community, government officials, developers and
professionals in the industry
•ULI will continue to launch the Ten Principles Report in other Asian
cities
Singapore River waterfront, Singapore

36. Ten Principles for a Sustainable
Approach to New Development
1 Build on Your Strengths 6 Activate the Streets
Rethink the strategic vision and policy framework Enhance street level interface and continuity
2 Create Great Places 7 Keep it Flexible
Adopt a place-making approach Facilitate good urban design and flexible zoning
3 Extend the Urban Grid 8 Promote Sustainability
Develop to an appropriate scale and density Go beyond sustainable building design
4 Open Up Public Space 9 Engage People Early On
Provide accessible public open space Enable upfront public engagement
5 Integrate Infrastructure 10 Manage, Control & Coordinate
Ensure transport and infrastructure integration Implement coordinated management control

37. Kai Tak Review Panel
December 3, 2010
• Current master plan emphasizes heritage, ecology, sports,
and tourism
• Efforts being made to connect Kai Tak with surrounding
districts
Issues discussed:
• A Clear Vision and Integrated Development
• Master Planning and Good Urban Design
• Place Making, Branding and Sustainability
• Implementation and Management Challenges
ULI’s Kai Tak Review Project
Kai Tak Panel at the ULI Fall Meeting – Oct 2011
Kai Tak Panel in Hong Kong – Dec 2011

38. High Density and Livability: Lessons Learned in Asian Cities
Large scale urban developments can be
made in a way that promotes livability,
just the right principles need to be
followed to achieve transit and
pedestrian friendly developments that
promote long term value and
sustainability beyond buildings.
Harajukustyle. Skyscraperpage.com, 2006.

39. What can we learn from high density Asian Cities…?
Thank You.
Hannah Torregoza, 2009.