Hong Kong in the Age of Sprawl: What are the Changing Urban Form and Transportation Challenges?

Abstract

Urban sprawl, a common phenomenon in North America, also plays a role in Asian urban development. With a lower car ownership rate and more compact development, urban sprawl in Asian cities is worth studying from a different prospective. Urban sprawl of Western countries is generally criticized as unsustainable in terms of energy usage and traffic generation. Is there a causal relationship between urban sprawl and unsustainable transport development? Does it apply to Asian cities? This study focuses on the relative concept of urban sprawl, its characteristics and the implications on sustainable transport Hong Kong - one of the most compact cities around the world. New town development since the 1960s and its associated urban sprawl phenomenon have fundamentally changed the lifestyle and travel behaviour of many people living in the city. This study classifies the Tertiary Planning Units (TPUs), the commonly-used planning units, of Hong Kong into three types: the urban core, sprawl and rural areas and analyze the differences of travel behaviour among residents living in these three areas. Aspects of the travel behaviour examined include trip generation rates, purposes, destinations, modes and legs. An overall picture of the travel characteristics provides valuable insights on whether residents' of the sprawl area are having less sustainable transport characteristics, when compared to their counterparts. To comprehend the local sustainability issue, the transport challenges, such as public transport provisions and traffic congestion, in different parts of the sprawl areas will also be discussed.