Promoting traffic-free zones and walkability along Hong Kong’s harbourfront : a case study of Sai Wan Ho

Abstract

Since the last decade, Hong Kong citizens have desired for more public spaces in our community especially in protecting our Victoria Harbour which provides fine views for citizens and has useful socio-environmental advantage to increase the sense of community of citizens. Opportunities are appeared to promote traffic-free zones and walking as a sustainable transport mode along this world-class harbourfront. This dissertation reviewed the walkability in the harbourfront area in Sai Wan Ho and identified the underlying factors affecting respondents’ choice on traffic-free zones through street-level walkability assessment and participatory survey. The results on walkability assessment and route choice analysis showed that pedestrians tend to choose a route with higher walkability level. However, the walkability level in terms of safety, comfort and convenience may not at the same weighting and pedestrians tend to walk along a route with higher convenient level. The perceptions of promoting traffic-free zones from car available households and non-car available households were different. Non-car available households agreed the traffic-free zones more than car available households. Reasons for supporting the traffic-free zones showed respondents desired for improving pedestrian environment, more recreational facilities, exploring business opportunity, more street furniture and supporting part-time implementation. On the other hand, requiring sufficient carpark spaces and travel needs by motorised transport mode were the main concerns for the respondents who not support the proposed traffic-free zone. Existing pleasant walking environment was also one of the reasons not fostering the implementation of traffic-free zones. Logistic regression analysis showed that car ownership, making recreational trips and preference of pedestrian priority have significant relationship to the acceptance of traffic-free zone. The analysis results support the recommendations to promote walking by making streets as attractions; avoiding automobile-oriented network design; and giving good reasons to walk. As logistic regression analysis results showed that making recreational trip would have significant relationship to support traffic-free zones, promoting streets as attractions can help to generate the demand for making recreational trips which could be considered as a first step before implementing traffic-free zone. Since some respondents disagreeing to the traffic-free scheme were due to existing convenient road network for automobile, the road network design should consider the pedestrian at first and avoid automobile-oriented design. Transport planners and engineers shape the road network design while the design of road network would shape the travel behaviour of citizens. To encourage walking and promote traffic-free zones, giving good reasons to walk in a pedestrian-oriented network could help to develop a walking culture and to realise the benefits of walking.