The subterranean social platform : generating underground complex in urban Tsim Sha Tsui

Abstract

Facing the fact that Hong Kong is lack of developable land, locals complain about not enough open space, daily crowdedness of footpaths and lots of obstructions on walking street level. Actually, this phenomenon occurs in similar metropolis such as Osaka and Singapore, they create subsurface alleviating the connectivity problem above and room to expand. Cities like Montreal and Helsinki put more effort on underground to become a unique and diversity complex with community amenities. Daily crowdedness of footpaths On the same time, Hong Kong contains such underground space no matter constructed by government or private developer. It aims to increase efficient and convenient among pedestrian. Underground nowadays not purely a transitional walking tunnel, but a social platform. It acts as a transit method, waiting place, a trading place for online shopping, purchasing and entertaining. Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Corporation, which is the largest private service parties in underground, also uses art and weekly-one-hour performance to bond people together. How to enhance the existing social essence and provide subterranean with maximize potential in mixed use and cohesive place, which people can connect, gather, communicate and interact in a stable and non-disturb-able location from outdoor?

On the other hand, underground master plan of Hong Kong is in the on-going process. Underground is a part of future important resource. If government didn’t have a comprehensive rule to regulate, it will leads to fragmented and only allow case-by-case based development and difficult to control and manage in a long-term. Although it is important, subterranean master plan is still a new topic in 21st century. Only few countries have their own planning. Thus, it is necessary to manage and regulate as aboveground, but what is the effective way? How to generate it properly?

In this thesis discuss about component land use and human behavior in underground space, which framed by design. Ameliorate design to respond the needs of society, change the use of space to improve quality of life and sense of place and increase the possibilities on development potential to benefit economic growth. Also investigate the impact of ownership on decision making process and outcome and promote the better cooperation for Tsim Sha Tsui District. Make subsurface become an alternative public space for solving lands recourse, traffic congestion and connectivity issue above ground. At last, generate a realistic underground master plan for Tsim Sha Tsui District for certain long-term development.