Importancia del Turismo Rural para el Agro

Policies in Hong Kong

4.2.1 Existing HKSAR government policies and standards influence the creation of intensive green roofs in the public and private sector in both direct and indirect ways.

Government Policy on Green Roofs for Public Buildings

4.2.2 The Government’s greening policy is to uplift the quality of the living environment through active planting, proper maintenance and preservation of trees and other vegetation. The target is to bring about noticeable improvements in urban greenery, to enhance existing greened areas, and to maximize greening opportunities during the planning and development of public works projects. In this regard, the Government’s latest Policy Address35 _{reads that “The Government will adopt the concept of greening of} rooftops whenever practicable in the design of new buildings. We are studying the wider application of the concept with a view to encouraging more projects to adopt this approach.”

(31) 31 _{CIRIA http://www.ciria.org/buildinggreener/guidance_introduction.htm}

(32) 32 _{ZHAO Ding-guo & XUE Wei-cheng (2005)}

(33) 33 _{Oriental Daily, 26 September 2006}

(34) 34 _{Positive News (Hong Kong Edition), Winter 2006 and http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7911618}

This report is printed on recycled paper

4.2.3 ArchSD has taken an active role in support of the greening policy and is targeted to provide roof-top greening as far as possible to all new government building projects subject to the consent of the client departments undertaking the after-care requirements.

4.2.4 Currently, ArchSD is undertaking this study on “Green roof application in Hong Kong”. The objective of the Study is to conduct a quick review of the latest concepts and technology on green roofs and to recommend guidelines adapted to suit local applications in Hong Kong to promote public understanding and awareness.

Government Incentives to the Private Sector

Joint Practice Note No.1: Green and Innovative Buildings (JPN1)

Joint Practice Note No.2: Second Package of Incentives to Promote Green & Innovative Buildings (JPN2)

4.2.5 JPN1 (Feb 2001, revised Oct 2004) and JPN 2 (Feb2002, revised Feb 2006) are designed by Government to protect and improve the built and natural environment by promoting the construction of green and innovative buildings. ‘Green’ in this context refers to wider environmentally friendly considerations, rather than vegetation.

4.2.6 The objective of the JPNs is to encourage the design and construction of buildings that encompass the following features:

♦ adopting a holistic life cycle approach to planning, design, construction and maintenance; ♦ maximising the use of renewable resources and recycled / green building material; ♦ maximising the consumption of energy, in particular those non-renewable types; and ♦ reducing construction and demolition waste.

4.2.7 The JPNs set out the initial incentives that Government is providing to encourage the incorporation of these features, and give guidance on how to apply for them under the Buildings Ordinance, the Lease Conditions and the Town Planning Ordinance, as appropriate. Government’s intention is that the list of features is continuously reviewed and expanded to keep pace with ongoing development of green buildings.

4.2.8 The mechanism by which JPN1 and JPN2 promote certain ‘green features’ is by setting the criteria and conditions under which these features may, upon application, be exempted from Gross Floor Area (GFA) and Site Coverage (SC) calculations under the Building Ordinance, Lease Conditions and TPO, with resultant economic benefit for the developer. ‘Communal Sky Gardens’ and ‘Communal Podium Gardens’ are listed among the green features to be exempted. JPN1 refers to residential developments and JPN2 refers to commercial developments.

4.2.9 However, the adoption of the incentive to include sky gardens has been relatively limited. The statistics illustrating achievements since the issue of Joint Practice Notes on promotion of green buildings indicate that between March 2001 and May 2005, only 19 out of 208 approved buildings plans provided sky/podium gardens, while 191 and 130 came with balconies and utility platforms respectively. It is surmised that the latter two were perceived by property buyers as usable areas, being private not communal, and thus more popular.

Practice Note for Authorised Persons and Registered Structural Engineers No. 116 – Amenity Features (PNAP116)

4.2.10 The purpose of PNAP116 is to provide incentive to private developers to include amenity features that are not a statutory requirement but which enhance the quality of life for residents and users; encourage efficient and effective building management; obviate the desire or temptation for unauthorised building

works; and improve the environmental compatibility with the neighbourhood.

4.2.11 The provision of podium roof gardens and play areas is encouraged in PNAP116. Where these facilities are under and within the perimeter of a domestic tower, they will be considered for exemption from GFA calculations.

Indirect Encouragement of Green Roofs in the Public and Private Sectors

4.2.12 The provision of public and private open space in Hong Kong is regulated in accordance with HKPSG, town plans gazetted under the TPO and private lot Lease Conditions. The HKPSG are non-statutory guidelines, while the requirements of Lease Conditions and town plans are statutory.

4.2.13 Since there is very limited space available for the creation of such open space at grade, it is sometimes the case that both Government and the private sector achieve the required open space provision through the creation of intensive green roofs at podium level.

4.2.14 However, although many intensive green roofs have been provided at podium deck level, relatively few have been provided at other levels of Hong Kong buildings.

Current Green Roof Construction Practice in Hong Kong

4.2.15 Intensive green roofs (roof gardens) are a well established phenomenon in Hong Kong, usually as landscape podiums in residential complexes. Many public open spaces are also built either wholly or partially on structure (e.g. Harcourt Garden). The abundance of roof gardens in Hong Kong is a direct response to the interaction of several factors, which include:

♦ Hong Kong’s dense urban environment and lack of space for passive and active recreation at ground level;

♦ a market-driven desire for attractive landscaping of residential and, to a lesser extent, commercial developments; and, perhaps most importantly,

♦ requirements in Town Planning Conditions and Lease Conditions for private sector property developers to provide minimum standards of passive and active open space provision and landscaped amenity within private property developments, which available space within the development often dictates must be located on structure to a greater or lesser extent.

4.2.16 Extensive green roofs on the other hand, are notably absent in Hong Kong presumably because:

♦ there is no direct government requirement or industry incentive in Hong Kong for private developers to build extensive green roofs; and

♦ the constraints of building extensive green roofs are perceived by property developers to outweigh the benefits.

4.2.17 Apart from environmental and amenity benefits, Intensive Green Roofs provide what Hong Kong needs most - valuable functional open space for human use. It is therefore not surprising that Hong Kong already has as high a percentage of intensive green roof coverage as any other city. Extensive Green Roofs, on the other hand, are limited in that they are used overseas mostly to improve the environment and for building efficiency. Their popularity has yet to catch on in Hong Kong.