Urban design, transport sustainability and residents’ perceived sustainability: A case study of transit-oriented development in Hong Kong

Planning of transit-oriented development is acceptable among urban and transport planners as an urban form strategy to reduce automobile dependency, thus promoting transport sustainability. Apart from the mixed land use, high density and the “smart growth” philosophy behind the transit-oriented development concept which offer potential for a sustainable built environment, the impacts of transit-oriented development on the formation of sustainable communities have not yet been thoroughly studied. This paper aims to assess a rail-based transit-oriented development in Hong Kong for the formation of a sustainable community. A new town highly integrated with the transit-oriented development concept is studied, with a focus on its achievements and challenges in promoting transport and urban sustainability through greener travel, mixed land use development, as well as other daily life experiences altered by the transit-oriented concept, such as liveable streets and fair access to daily opportunities. The findings suggest that while the transit-oriented new town is able to create a sustainable community at the neighbourhood level, its potential for regional balance through alleviating spatial mismatch is not fully captured. In addition, the sustainability study of Hong Kong’s transit-oriented development is complemented by the residents’ perceived quality of urban design, as the negative sustainability indicators for the built environment may not necessarily be associated with negative feelings on sustainable living among residents. Copyright © 2014 City University of Hong Kong.