1.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY
1.1.1 In October 2001, Urbis Limited was commissioned by Planning Department to conduct the Landscape Value Mapping of Hong Kong. Urbis is supported by ERM Hong Kong Limited, Stephen Brown Landscape Architecture and EcoSchemes Asia Limited.
Background to the Study
1.1.2 Landscape is a vital part of our environment and is one of the most important components of our quality of life. In the broadest sense, it commonly refers to the appearance of the land cover, but also includes such components as its shapes, textures and colours, and reflects the way in which these various components combine to create specific patterns and pictures that are distinctive to particular localities. It encompasses the whole of the natural and man-made environment, urban and rural. The patterns and textures of buildings, streets, open spaces and trees, and their interrelationships within the built environment are each important parts of our wider landscape heritage.
1.1.3 Hong Kong has extensive undeveloped tracts of natural landscapes with different landscape character. Some of these areas contain a diverse habitat supporting numerous native plant species and a varied wildlife, both resident and migratory. In addition, there is a long history of human settlement and a variety of cultural relics associated with the settlement.
1.1.4 In many countries, especially in Europe, comprehensive landscape assessments often form part of the land use planning process. In the United Kingdom, for example, landscape character maps have been prepared at national, regional, country and local levels. In Hong Kong, no comprehensive landscape assessment for the whole territory has ever been undertaken.
1.1.5 The Metroplan Landscape Strategy for the Urban Fringe and Coastal Areas, which was published in 1989, was an early attempt to look into the landscape character of the Metropolitan urban fringe and coastal areas, and provide a framework for its conservation and enhancement. With the rapid pace of development in Hong Kong, the strategy needs to be reviewed and updated.
1.1.6 Area specific and project based landscape assessments have also, from time to time, been undertaken, mainly in connection with individual studies (such as the sub-regional planning studies) or projects (such as the landscape and visual impact assessments submitted under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO)). While those assessments can provide useful background information, they are generally conducted for a specific purpose and at a local scale and thus, not territory-wide comprehensive in nature.
Need for the Study
1.1.7 With an increasing emphasis on sustainable development, there is a need to integrate consideration of economic, social and environmental issues into the planning and development process. To assist such process, the Study on Sustainable Development for the 21st Century (SUSDEV21) has developed indicators for measurement of the development impact of projects.
1.1.8 In the absence of comprehensive information on the existing conditions of landscape resources in Hong Kong, the SUSDEV21 study has not yet established an indicator against which the landscape baseline conditions can be monitored. This Study is carried out to fill this information gap.
Study Objectives
1.1.9 The main Study objective is to establish the essential landscape baseline information that will provide a systematic reference framework to facilitate landscape assessment and broad environmental assessment of major projects at a territorial level.
1.1.10 More specifically, the Study objectives are:
Fill the gap of the existing information and aggregate all available information for a better understanding of the landscape resources in Hong Kong, both in terms of quality and quantity;
Establish the baseline conditions of the existing landscape resources, both in the urban and rural areas, as a benchmark against which future changes can be assessed;
Establish a systematic classification system of landscape resources and identify specific landscape character types and areas for production of a landscape character map;
Establish consistent evaluative criteria which will allow measurement and evaluation of the sensitivity and importance of landscape character types and areas; and
Recommend a suitable indicator for broad landscape impact assessment of major development projects which can be incorporated in the sustainability evaluation process.
Study Area
1.1.11 The Study area covers the urban and rural landscapes of the whole Hong Kong SAR, as well as intertidal areas and coastal waters.
1.2 THE STUDY PROCESS
1.2.1 This section of the Report briefly summarises the study process and steps involved in undertaking the Study. The text follows the tasks and specific actions identified in the Study Brief. The process is also illustrated in Figure 1.1. The key consultants involved in the Study are shown in Figure 1.2. A list of all the technical reports prepared during the course of the Study is provided in Appendix 1 for easy reference.
Stage 1 – Review Local and Overseas Experience and Define Study
Review of Overseas Experience
1.2.2 The Study began with a review of overseas experience. This was carried out by two well-known international specialist advisors, Stephen Brown, Principal of Stephen Brown Associates, New Zealand and Julie Martin, (then) Technical Director of ERM, UK. These two experts are regional leaders in the field of landscape assessment and evaluation. They brought to the project lengthy experience covering both northern and southern hemispheres as well as representing two fundamentally different approaches to landscape assessment, in the character-led approach of the UK and the resource-based approach of New Zealand. These advisors also prepared 6 detailed overseas case studies.
1.2.3 The case studies were used to develop a methodology for the Study based on best-practice world-wide. The findings of the overseas review and case studies are summarised in Chapter 2.
Review of Local Experience
1.2.4 A background review of local landscape assessment studies and landscape data available was also undertaken. The findings of the local review are presented in Chapter 2.
Stage 2 – Establish Classification System and Evaluative Criteria
1.2.5 The next stage of the process was concerned with the process of landscape characterisation. This is the process of identifying, classifying and describing areas of homogeneous landscape character into discrete areas (known as Landscape Character Types (LCTs) or Landscape Character Areas (LCAs) – see below). The results of this Task are set out in Chapter 3 of this Report.
Initial Landscape Classification Criteria
1.2.6 Based on the findings of the overseas case studies, the background review of local assessment studies and their inherent knowledge and experience of Hong Kong, the study team prepared a list of criteria which could be used to break Hong Kong’s landscape down into a series of discrete homogeneous areas and then mapped. Particular attention was paid at this stage to resolving four key issues crucial to the Study, namely:
identifying to what extent the classification system should be resource-based and to what extent it should be character based;
developing a classification system that could cater both for rural and urban landscapes (very rarely done hitherto);
developing a classification system which was fully integrated and which represented natural resources and human resources such as built form equally (most systems in the world do not) and
developing criteria that cater for some of Hong Kong’s unique landscape characteristics (such as ‘reclamation’ and its urban form).
Initial System of Landscape Character Types (LCTs) and Landscape Character Areas (LCAs)
1.2.7 Based on the findings of the overseas case studies, the background review of local assessment studies, the list of classification criteria identified in Para 1.2.6, and the Study team's knowledge and experience of Hong Kong's landscape, the study team prepared a list of representative LCTs for all of Hong Kong.
1.2.8 Landscape Character Types (LCTs) and Landscape Character Areas (LCAs) were interpreted as follows:
LCTs are generic areas with broadly homogeneous patterns of landform, vegetation, land use and urban settlement. Each particular area may not be identical to another, but will share sufficient landscape classification characteristics to be classed as the same LCT. LCTs may recur frequently throughout Hong Kong's landscape.
LCAs are the individual geographic areas in which there may be a number of different LCTs which, when combined, create a distinctive pattern. A particular LCA may share the characteristics of another LCA of similar type, but it has its own particular unique identity.
1.2.9 The development of this set of LCTs attempted to fully reflect the wide range of Hong Kong’s landscapes and were appropriate to the scale of the Study and at the same time were aimed at producing a required minimum number of 900 LCAs/survey points.
Initial Set of Evaluative Criteria for Identifying Importance and Sensitivity
1.2.10 The next stage of the Study was concerned with making judgments related to the value of landscape. The objective was to identify a series of measures and criteria by which this value might be measured.
1.2.11 The study team took the initial work established during a Value Management Workshop and developed this to produce a set of evaluation criteria that were both clear and workable in the Hong Kong context. The criteria selected included 'Character', 'Condition', 'Value' and 'Sensitivity'.
1.2.12 The study team then developed a detailed methodology for evaluating landscape importance (at LCA level) and landscape sensitivity (at LCT level) based on criteria identified in the Brief (i.e. "landscape as a resource; landscape quality and quantity; scenic quality; conservation interests; other attributes").
Initial Set of Evaluative Criteria
1.2.13 The study team was required to recommend an indicator by which landscape change could be measured as part of Government’s Computer Aided Sustainability Evaluation Tool (CASET), developed under SUSDEV21. Particular attention was paid to meeting the SUSDEV21 ‘Guiding Principles and Selection Criteria for Indicators’ that are annexed to the Brief. Urbis worked closely with the team from ERM, who had previously developed other CASET indicators for Government to develop a coherent set of indicators to measure change to landscape resources. The proposed Landscape Indicators are described in Chapter 8.
Public Consultation
1.2.14 The next step was to organise a public consultation to gather feedback on initial work carried out in the Study. The consultation process is described further in Chapter 9. A Public Consultation Digest was prepared outlining the findings of the Study on methodology and proposed approach. This was sent to key stakeholders and was available to the public at Planning Department and District Offices. A series of presentations were given to key stakeholders and professional bodies. In addition a public forum was held with members of the public and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). At the same time, written and e-mailed comments were received from the public. Comments received during the public consultation were collated into a Public Consultation Report, which summarised the full range of views received from various bodies and responded to each in a systematic manner.
Stage 3 – Carry Out Desktop Research and Field Survey
1.2.15 The desk-top scoping exercise mainly involved background data gathering to provide the basis for the identification of LCTs and LCAs for the entire urban and rural areas of Hong Kong, which could then be verified in the field survey. The results of this task are described further in Chapter 4 of this Report.
1.2.16 The interaction between the desk-top exercise and the field survey was iterative, with the field survey identifying items that need further desk-top research.
Review of Relevant Information
1.2.17 The review of relevant information concentrated on identifying current landscape issues; historical patterns of landscape development; and future landscape trends and forces for change.
1.2.18 The review drew on a wide range of sources of information, including consultancy studies; Hong Kong Government planning documents, major Environmental Impact Assessment Reports; published books and journals; the knowledge of experts and interest groups (gained during Workshop and public consultation); aerial photos; map resources and historical maps and publications.
Desktop Scoping
1.2.19 Relevant map-based data and information was collated and mapped in GIS format by Urbis and ERM. Information mapped was of two types:
Quantitative (empirically verifiable) data (e.g. geology, vegetation, etc) which is purely objective; and
Qualitative data (e.g. landmarks, areas of high landscape value, scenic areas) involving some measure of subjectivity.
1.2.20 Information mapped was assembled into an organised Landscape Geographic Information System (GIS) as a series of data layers. The Landscape GIS is described further in Chapter 7 of the Report.
Draft List of LCTs and LCAs
1.2.21 On the basis of the public consultation, the draft list of LCTs was updated and revised. A series of rules consisting of unique combinations of physical characteristics were developed for each LCT. This would allow the GIS system to identify different areas which met the rules for particular LCTs.
Preliminary Landscape Character Map
1.2.22 The rules above were then applied to the baseline data in the database by the GIS to produce a Preliminary Landscape Character Map (PLCM) at 1:50,000 scale. This Map showed a preliminary geographic distribution of all LCTs and LCAs across Hong Kong, which were checked and refined later in a territory-wide field survey.
Pilot Survey
1.2.23 A pilot survey of Lantau Island was organised which served to train the survey team; test the field survey methodology; ensure that proposed modes of transport would be adequate; develop and test record systems and establish and test survey quality. Over 90 LCAs were surveyed on Lantau Island by two survey teams during the pilot survey.
1.2.24 After completion of the pilot survey, a thorough de-briefing and analysis of results was carried out in order to refine record systems, the methodology and the PLCM of Lantau Island.
1.2.25 The PLCM for Lantau Island was updated on the basis of the pilot survey and presented to stakeholder groups at a Focus Group Workshop. Comments from the Workshop were then used to update the study methodology and field survey approach.
Field Survey
1.2.26 The field survey was preceded by a period of field survey planning in which lessons learnt from the pilot survey were assimilated, transport arrangements made and a survey programme developed. The final survey methodology is described in Chapter 5 of this Report.
Stage 4 - Analyse Data Obtained in Stage 3 and Produce Landscape Character Map
Data Analysis
1.2.27 At the end of the field survey, an analysis of the data collected was carried out using the GIS capability, in order to identify general patterns and distribution of landscape character and value, etc. This analysis is set out in Chapter 6 of this Report.
Draft Landscape Character Map and GIS database
1.2.28 The study team began to compile field survey information on a GIS Draft LCM at 1:20,000 scale, showing on different layers, features such as LCTs, LCAs, sensitivity of LCTs, integrity of LCTs, evaluation of LCTs etc. The GIS database is capable of interrogation and shows for each LCA survey information and a photograph. All information is in a format that can be updated and refined as and when further information becomes available. The database is contained on a DVD disk which is attached to a Landscape GIS Manual. A separate Report/Manual was prepared on the operation of the GIS system, indicating the operation and structure of the database as well as the procedure for maintenance and updating the database.
Landscape Character Map and Final Report
1.2.29 On the basis of the comments made during public consultations, the Draft LCM was amended and finalised.
Briefings to Stakeholders
1.2.30 A series of briefings on the findings of the Study was organised to stakeholders (including the Town Planning Board, Advisory Council on the Environment and others) in order to obtain their comments and feedback on the study.
1.3 STRUCTURE OF THE FINAL REPORT
1.3.1 This Report is structured as follows:
Chapter 2 presents the results of the review of local and overseas experience. It summarises local experience in the field of landscape character assessment and landscape mapping. It also defines the rationale for the selection of the case studies that were selected for review and summarises the findings of those case studies.
Chapter 3 describes the development of the approach and methodology used in the Study including the 'character-based approach' to landscape assessment which underpins that methodology.
Chapter 4 describes the desk-top survey which was carried out, identifying available information on landscape character and resources in Hong Kong; it explains the final landscape classification framework, the development of the GIS database of mapped material and the production of the PLCM.
Chapter 5 describes the process of surveying the landscape, including preparation, field survey teams, field survey process and logistics and specific methods designed to reduce subjectivity in the making of judgments.
Chapter 6 provides an overview of the development of the Hong Kong landscape and the factors that have shaped it. It also summarises the findings of field surveys, including a description of the pattern and distribution of different landscape types and values across Hong Kong.
Chapter 7 provides a description of the structure of the GIS database as well as how information is organised within it.
Chapter 8 describes the background to the development of the Landscape Indicator, SUSDEV21 and the requirements of the Indicator. It describes the Indicators proposed under the Study, their rationale, method of operation and their relationship to the CASET sustainability assessment tool.
Chapter 9 describes the public consultation process and events held as part of the Study. It also summarises the comments received at each stage.
Finally, Chapter 10 provides some concluding remarks, particularly identifying potential uses for the Study deliverables. It also defines the limitations of the Study as well as detailing of the need for periodic updating of the findings.
