Today's Disconnected Eastern Seaboard

At present, much of the eastern seaboard of Hong Kong Island is inaccessible and unattractive and has little or no sense of place or identity. The general lack of integrated planning in this area has resulted in disconnected visual and physical aspects along the harbourfront and between the hinterland and the harbourfront.

Much of the coastline is dominated by elevated roads and other physical barriers, alongside underutilised ferry piers and vehicle holding areas, while access to different sections of the waterfront, both for visitors and the local community, is strictly limited.

Furthermore, there is short supply of public space and amenities in a concrete-dominated environment that makes it difficult for families and children to enjoy.

Land uses along the waterfront are incompatible, bringing parks adjacent to utility facilities and dangerous roadways.

The end result is a totally uninspiring area representing a host of lost opportunities for environmental beautification and direct public involvement and enjoyment.

Areas requiring remedial action include:

North Point
In this district, there is virtually no relationship between public streets and space on the waterfront due to the elevated stretch of the Island Eastern Corridor.

Quarry Bay
There is only limited access to available waterfront through a fragmented parkland, with the majority of routes blocked by utility loading stations and an inward focus of neighbourhood away from the waterfront. The Quarry Bay Park is comprised of fragmented spaces with low green coverage and lack of quality amenities, such as waterfront catering/dining opportunities and non-sport related activity nodes.

Taikoo Shing to Soho East to Shau Kei Wan
The Soho East section of waterfront is isolated from the rest of the Island East coastline by a lack of infrastructure, and dislocated from Shau Kei Wan by buildings that extend down to the shoreline.

Shau Kei Wan to Eastern Seaboard
There is severely limited pedestrian access to Lei Yue Mun Gap, and no access at all to the natural coastline, despite the presence of the existing Coastal Defence Museum. Furthermore, there is no link between the Heng Fa Chuen Promenade and Chai Wan.

It is proposed that, in addressing these issues, change can be implemented to create a more coherent Hong Kong harbourfront and, more pertinently, a better harbour identity for the betterment of society, visitors and businesses in the area.