Green and Healthy Living in a High-rise, High Density Urban Environment: The Hong Kong Housing Authority's Experience

Abstract

The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) develops and implements a public housing programme to meet the housing needs of people who cannot afford private rental housing. The HKHA has an existing stock of about 740,000 public rental flats (PRH). According to the 2014 Policy Address, the Government aims to provide an average of about 20,000 PRH units and about 8,000 Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) units per year. We care for the environment. In developing new housing estates, we conduct thorough environmental studies such as microclimate studies and air ventilation assessment, and use passive design to harness the natural characteristics of our sites. We employ environment-friendly design and construction methods, using modular flat design, pre-cast and pre-fabricated construction techniques as well as recycled, green construction materials. We conduct Carbon Emission Estimation for all our projects, conserve the use of natural resources and reduce wastes throughout the life cycle of buildings. We care for people. We adopt the principles of Universal Design and Barrier Free Access for the convenience and welfare of people of all ages and abilities. We carry out Community Engagement to collect stakeholders’ views and aspirations, and incorporate them in the design of our projects. We also carry out surveys of residents’ views after the occupation of new estates to gauge our success and identify areas for improvement.