Event reports
The rapidly growing metropolitan areas in Asia play an important role for establishing sustainable energy and economy systems in the region. European cities are pioneering sustainable urban planning, with experiences over the past decades. Such experiences can be a great benefit for Asian cities, too. The transfer of knowledge is the aim of Urban Innovations (UI), a multi-years event series organised by the European Union Academic Programme Hong Kong (see also the announcement).
2015, the experiences of the Hanseatic City of Hamburg - a city with a broad variety of dynamic and sustainable development projects - will be discussed in a series of events . The KAS Regional Project Energy Security and Climate Change Asia-Pacific supports the exhibition "Green, inclusive, growing city by the water: Perspectives on Urban Development in Hamburg". The opening ceremony had been attended by numerous representatives of Hong Kong government offices for environment and urban planning as well as of several European consulates.
A guided tour provided the guests with insights in successful projects of sustainable urban development in Hamburg. Subsequently the participants draw implications for Asian cities. Vincent Piket, Head of Office of the European Union to Hong Kong, emphasised in his speech that knowledge transfer is always a process of mutual learning. For Karsten Tietz, Deputy Consul General of Germany, the exhibition is also a personal concern. He originated from Hamburg and told about his own experiences in his home city. The current thriving development of Hamburg has not been a self-evident matter from the very beginning. It was rather initiated by the cooperation of both politics and civil society. Striving for climate friendly and energy efficient urban development played a crucial role in this process.
Representatives of Hong Kong's government emphasised their intention to consider European experiences for the development of their own city. K. K. Ling, Director Of Planning at the Planning Department, identified several topics of the exhibition that bear the potential for concrete implementation in Hong Kong. Fostering electric mobility, an improved flood prevention system and energy efficient architecture for the new urban district Kowloon West are among the projects to be implemented in the next years.
Moreover, Hong Kong serves as multiplier of sustainable concepts for other Asian metropolises. A tight cooperation between Hong Kong, Singapore and various cities in mainland China, Taiwan and other East Asian countries has been established for many years. It fosters the exchange of ideas and experiences in innovative urban planning.
The exhibition can be visited free of charge daily till 15 December 2015 at City Gallery in Central. Please find more information on the event series on the website of Urban Innovations.