Agenda

Urban regeneration: economic and social impact

The financial crisis is presenting planners and policy-makers already trying to cope with growing populations and the pressures on urban space with new challenges as they try to create effective and viable living and working environments that will maintain the competitiveness of their cities as financial or economic hubs. What are the main priorities for municipal governments in the current crisis? Do potentially costly energy efficiency solutions take a back seat to other, more immediate issues such as affordable housing, efficient transport, and the preservation of old buildings? Is it better to preserve the past or build for the future? How has the recent fall in real estate values, shortage of liquidity and downturn in consumer spending affected the viability of commercially driven regenerated areas?

A number of factors -- environmental, social, cultural, financial and structural -- must be taken into account in conceiving and developing successful urban renewal projects. A pioneering urban planner from a financial or economic centre discusses the obstacles to be overcome and the possible solutions, as well as the best practice models that may be applied to other developed or emerging hubs.

Financing and investing in urban renewal: what is the best model?

Amid restraints on public spending and volatility in land and property prices, innovative public-private partnership solutions are needed to encourage private developers and financial institutions to take part in urban renewal. How can affordable housing, for instance, be made financially viable for investors in a market-driven system? What are the best financial models for urban regeneration given the need to meet social and environmental goals? How can the social gains from renewal be measured in any cost benefit analysis? How can good governance be assured?

Low-carbon living: how green do we need to go?

The key to low-carbon urban living is how buildings, spaces, places and transport systems are planned and managed. Experts discuss their models for regenerated areas that save energy and produce less carbon, contributing to a healthier, less polluted living and working environment. What are the optimal 'green' building designs? Is it enough just to have more trees to cool down urban areas or are there more complex and effective space designs that can be implemented? Should regenerated areas be designed to discourage the use of private cars? Is there a way to ensure that low-carbon developments are commercially viable and therefore a win-win solution for all parties?

Public spaces: the key to new urban planning?

Urban planners, designers and architects often still produce areas that merely aim to satisfy basic housing, office or leisure/shopping requirements. However, there is a growing recognition that urban design should go further than basic functionality, and emphasise the broader social and environmental benefits of public spaces. What are the key requirements for the creation of successful public spaces in urban design? What should these spaces seek to achieve to be sustainable? Is there a danger that public spaces are over-emphasised to the detriment of more commercially viable developments that will bring more wealth to the community?

Possible futures for Hong Kong

Given the urban challenges facing Hong Kong, a number of possible futures can be imagined for the city and the regeneration of its under-utilised areas. Leading experts from the business community, academia and civil society discuss these different scenarios and attempt to put forward a series of concrete steps to optimise Hong Kong's urban development and maintain its strength as a global financial centre.