Greening of China ĦE Sustainable practices in the planning and development of the Shenzhen Metro Line 4 underpin our first direct investment outside of Hong Kong and the first time to apply the rail + property business model in mainland China.
The Shenzhen Metro Line 4 line is a new line that will add some 21 kilometres of rail to the existing Shenzhen urban rail network. The network is configured to link to Hong Kong, extending the convenience of travel across the city boundaries and into numerous communities of Shenzhen.
The Corporation has negotiated under the rail + property business model the agreement to build Phase 2 of the railway which includes 10 stations with the rights to develop some 2.9 million square metres of gross floor area along the Line 4 route.
In a development proposal supported by municipal authorities, we seek to change the existing design and planning for the route to create a master plan that transforms the current plan calling for a series of single land parcels serviced by multi-lane highways into a unified green network consisting of "green fingers" together with a "green spine" in which new communities link via a primary rail line supported by a series of secondary transport roads. In developing this proposal, we undertook a series of environmental impact studies, transport studies, urban design studies and infrastructural studies to gauge and plan the sustainability of the rail line and the surrounding built environments. Various Shenzhen Government Departments and design institutes were consulted for their professional input and opinions on our planning.
With their constructive influence on the project we present a model project that brings enormous direct benefits to the communities served by the rail line. This alternative approach substantially cuts the economic and environmental costs of the excessive roadways and highways planned. It emphasises quality of living through introduction of rail-based layout design and a large and uninterrupted green-spine along the rail line and, will employ applicable environmental-friendly building design in the railway-related developments.
The "green" approach we adopt for this railway line is unprecedented for current mindset in urban planning and development in China. The planning, design and development of this project is a closely watched model for other provincial town planners across the PRC.
Garden living ĦE The Corporation has developed a master plan for a new district community in Hong Kong built within a landscaped garden setting and seamlessly extending into the surrounding natural green environment. The Dream City is situated on 32 hectares of reclaimed land above the depot of the MTR Tseung Kwan O Line in the East Kowloon peninsula.
Major emphasis is placed on developing the site into an environmentally-friendly and quality of life township, segregating vehicular and pedestrian traffic and providing total community living with schools, recreation facilities, shops, restaurants and other modern amenities. The Master Layout Plan stipulates generous open space areas and wide breezeways between buildings as well as limited street level vehicular traffic and convenient MTR access located below the podium deck. The planned 50 residential towers, home to approximately 58,000 people will be built to take advantage of natural air flows, sunlight and other green elements for a healthier more natural living environment.
The Package One development commenced in January 2005 in accordance with these design principles and the whole development is anticipated to be completed in about 10 years.
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