Research for Sustainability

Green Deck for Connecting the Community

Many developing cities struggle with ambient air pollution, waste management, loss of biodiversity, community connectivity, and other challenges alongside population growth and urban development. Research and development opportunities for urban sustainability abound as we tackle these concerns. Uniquely situated by the congested portal of the Cross Harbour Tunnel, PolyU has long borne witness to issues in the neighborhood; hence a Green Deck to be built over the Tunnel toll plaza was proposed in 2013, as an innovative sustainability solution hinging on the living experiment of Hong Kong’s urban environment against PolyU’s multidisciplinary expertise.

Green Deck concerns the whole community by developing an around 43,000 m² pedestrian hub across west of Hung Hom MTR station podium and east of PolyU Campus. It aims to provide a new connection point between surrounding districts and additional public space for community activities, improve the environmental performance of the nearby area, and foster the growing of the neighborhood as an attracting landmark. The proposal received encouraging feedback through a series of on-going public consultation activities, with most of the activities conducted during 2014/15.

[Photo]: Projected Overview of Green Deck

We are well aware of the protracted sustainability issues around our campus, such as insufficient public space, heavy traffic and poor air quality, congested and polluted bus waiting area, poor connection within the districts, and crowded footbridges. More than 100 PolyU academics have been undertaking a number of research projects to demonstrate the sustainability benefits of this proposal, including an air filtration and purification system with electrostatic precipitators to filter and purify the polluted air. The heat island effect will be ameliorated by adding biomass and vegetation. Other green installations such as photovoltaic cells, wind catchers, solar lighting, grey water recycling, recycled glass and DeNO_x agents are being explored. Meanwhile, due to its proximity to iconic Victoria Harbour, Green Deck is also planned and designed to invigorate the area as a local attraction hotspot and promote synergy with partners across the tourism and event sectors.

Featured facilities on the proposed Green Deck

• Offers a multi-functional space for the community by creating open areas for leisure and cultural activities, community services, and recreational facilities, such as an amphitheater, a children’s playground, and a reflection pool.
• Improves accessibility, eases commuting stress, and promotes a green lifestyle by adding attractions along pedestrian path and a cycling track network that connects the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade to the PolyU Main Campus.
• Minimizes pedestrians’ and bus passengers’ exposure to roadside emissions by creating footpaths on the middle level of the Green Deck where passengers can wait for buses.
• Uses renewable resources and reduces carbon footprint by installing renewable energy equipment such as photovoltaic cells, wind catchers, and solar lighting, as well as recycling graywater for irrigation and building with recycled glass.
• Promotes sustainable development research such as attempts to reduce the heat island effect by increasing biomass and vegetation. Faculty experts from different departments have joined hands to study the prospects of Green Deck in hopes of benefiting the society, the environment and the community.