CHAPTER 3 TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO MAPPING HONG KONG'S LANDSCAPE

3.1           INTRODUCTION

3.1.1         This Chapter describes the landscape classification system and evaluation methodology adopted in the current Study.

3.2           LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

Introduction

3.2.1         Table 2.7 summarises the findings of the case studies and their applicability to the current Study. The approach adopted for this Study is largely a hybrid approach, adopting elements of both the character-based and resource-based approaches. The approach adopted uses landscape character as a basis for landscape classification and this analysis of character is then used to identify key landscape resources to be used in sustainability assessment.

3.2.2         As predicated in the Study Brief, the final classification and evaluation methodologies underwent several iterative reviews during the course of the Study. This section briefly sets out the final landscape classification and evaluation methodologies used during the study.

Landscape Classification System

3.2.3         The landscape classification has been carried out at two scales and two sets of LCTs have been defined, namely:

Sub-regional LCTs

3.2.4         Six Sub-regional level or broad LCTs have been defined in order to help conveniently group District Level LCTs and to simplify analysis when required. These LCTs are:

3.2.5         Sub-regional LCTs are described in detail in Section 6.5.

3.2.6         The key factors influencing classification of Sub-regional LCTs are as shown in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1 Primary Factor Influencing Landscape Classification at Sub-regional Level

Type of LCT Primary Factor Influencing Classification
Urban LCTs Urban Morphological /Land Use Characteristics
Urban Fringe LCTs Land Use Characteristics
Rural Fringe LCTs  Land Use Characteristics
Upland Countryside LCTs Land Use Characteristics and Topographic Characteristics
Lowland Countryside LCTs  Land Use Characteristics and Topographic Characteristics
Coastal LCTs  Presence of or Congruity with Sea

District Level LCTs

3.2.7         District-level LCTs should be seen as a sub-set of the Sub-regional LCTs as shown in Appendix 3. District LCTs were developed on the basis of:

3.2.8         The 41 District-level LCTs are presented below with a brief description of their characteristics. 

Upland Countryside Landscape

1.  Coastal Upland and Hillside Landscape - These are large-scale upland and hillside landscapes lying between around 40 and 300mPD which abut (wholly or in part) the sea. Consisting of hillsides, knolls, ridges and spurs, they are generally covered in low scrub or grassland with rocky outcrops or boulder fields. Woodland may be found on lower slopes or in sheltered gullies and ravines, where permanent or seasonal rocky streams tumble down these hillsides. Due to their coastal location, these landscapes usually contain few human features (other than footpaths or power lines) and often possess a distinct remote and exposed character and may offer striking views along the surrounding coast and sea. At the base of these hills, hillsides become more rocky and give way to rocky coasts (often interspersed with sandy bays) or cliffs. Examples of this type of landscape can be found around the coasts of Hong Kong, for instance on the coasts of the North-east New Territories and Western Lantau.

2.  Peak Landscape - These landscapes are formed by the highest uplands and peaks in Hong Kong. Lying above about 300mPD, they consist of a relatively small number of large scale landscape components, with few human features and possess a remote, rugged and exposed character. They are characterised by their steep terrain, their rocky precipitous crags, muted natural colours and often offer spectacular long-distance views across the surrounding landscape. Predominantly grass or scrub-covered, they may also contain small areas of montane woodland developing in sheltered ravines and valleys, as well as boulder fields or badlands. Examples of this type of landscape can be found on Lantau Peak, Tai Mo Shan and Ma On Shan.

3.  Settled Valley Landscape - Lying between spurs or ridges in uplands in close proximity to urban areas or to the coast, these landscapes are defined largely by their valley topography. Such valleys usually possess a distinct valley floor where alluvial or colluvial materials has accumulated, such that the wider, lower parts of the valleys will have been settled at some stage. Whilst the valley sides may be thickly wooded, the valley floor often contains active or abandoned agricultural fields together with a village situated around a stream. In more recent times, roads, powerlines or major engineering structures (such as reservoirs) may have been constructed in these landscapes whilst fields may have been abandoned to make way for village housing or open storage. Such landscapes usually possess a strong sense of enclosure, whilst their coherence or visual amenity will vary depending on the extent to which traditional land uses have been replaced. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Ngau Tam Mei in Yuen Long and the Tung Chung Valley in Lantau Island.

4.  Unsettled Valley Landscape - Lying between spurs or ridges in remote uplands, these landscapes are defined by their steep valley topography, and often, so steep are valley sides that there is generally little discernible valley floor. Their remoteness and steep terrain explains why such valleys have never been settled and they often contain few if any human features. Valley sides are often densely wooded, whilst rocky streams tumble down the valley floor often over-grown by woodland. Such landscapes are characterised by a strong sense of enclosure, their coherent natural qualities, muted natural colours and by a sense of remoteness and tranquillity. Examples of this type of landscape can be found in western part of Lantau Island and the far east of the North-east New Territories.

5.  Upland Plateau Landscape - These are elevated upland landscapes lying above 300mPD which are characterised by their flat or undulating topography, forming elevated plateaux. Such landscapes usually contain undulations and hillocks within the overall flatter areas as well as streams and areas of woodland, due to their relatively sheltered locations. Because of their gentle topography, these areas are more easily cultivated, and have often been settled in the past, though in some cases their buildings today may lie abandoned with scrub re-colonising abandoned fields. These landscapes are often characterised by a sense of enclosure provided by surrounding mountains, muted natural colours and a certain remoteness and tranquillity. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Ngong Ping in Lantau Island and Sha Lo Tung in Tai Po.

6.  Upland and Hillside Landscape - These are large scale upland landscapes lying between around 40mPD and 300mPD. Consisting of hillsides, knolls, ridges and spurs, they are generally covered in scrub vegetation with rocky outcrops or boulder fields. Woodland may be found on lower slopes or in sheltered gullies and ravines, where permanent of seasonal rocky streams tumble down these hillsides. Because of their elevated locations, they often contain few human features (other than footpaths or powerlines) and may retain a rugged, tranquil character, with rocky outcrops or boulder fields and muted natural colours. Examples of this type of landscape can be found across Hong Kong, such as on the lower slopes of the ridge of hills behind Kowloon.

Lowland Countryside Landscape

7.  Rural Coastal Plain Landscape - These are flat and expansive lowland landscapes lying at an elevation below 40mPD and which adjoin the coast. Often partly or wholly reclaimed from the sea over the centuries, their character is defined to a large extent by their proximity to the sea. Villages, knolls and blocks of woodland are scattered across these plains, connected by winding lanes and footpaths amongst active or disused fishponds. In certain areas, fishponds are densely packed over an extensive area, forming landscapes that are almost as much water as land. Formerly expansive and open landscapes of small-scale landscape features, agricultural land uses today have often been discontinued with the filling of fishponds, the abandoning of fields and the increase in land uses such as storage yards and housing developments, resulting in a landscape of contrasting components and colours. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Nam Sang Wai and Mai Po.

8.  Rural Inland Plain Landscape - These are flat and expansive lowland landscapes, lying between ranges of hills, at elevations below 40mPD. Such plains are generally flat or gently undulating and may be studded with low hills and wooded knolls. Generally long-settled, they comprise fields around meandering streams, scattered groups of trees and villages (at the bases of hills) connected by winding lanes and footpaths. Where these features persist in their traditional patterns, one experiences a largely agrarian landscape of small-scale, natural and human landscape features. However, increasingly in recent times, fields are being abandoned or are being replaced by other land uses such as village housing or storage yards, resulting a landscape of contrasting components and colours. Examples of this type of landscape can be found along the Sha Tau Kok Road, Fanling and in the Closed Frontier Area.

Rural Fringe Landscape

9.  Golf Course Landscape - Found mainly on the urban or rural fringe and often in coastal locations, these landscapes comprise extensive areas of grassland, managed for the purposes of playing golf. They include ancillary features such as ample tree and shrub planting, footpaths, bunkers, water features, club houses and car parking. Often (though not always) found in undulating lowland areas, some are fairly open landscapes with extensive views across the coast and sea, whilst other lie in more mature wooded settings where views are more contained. Their character is generally tranquil and verdant and though superficially informal, they are in fact ordered and highly managed landscapes. Examples of this type of landscape are Shek O Golf Course and Fanling Golf Course.

10.  Reservoir Landscape - Found generally just beyond the fringes of the urban areas, these landscapes consist of former valleys or coastal inlets which have been flooded and/or dammed to form reservoirs. Whilst they are generally fairly simple landscapes, they typically include features such as dams, pump houses and access roads and, depending on the age of the reservoir, these features may be of historic significance. The edges of the reservoirs are generally covered with dense wood and scrub above a sandy bank, which is increasingly exposed as the water levels in the reservoir drop. Such landscapes are generally large in scale and possess a strong sense of enclosure provided by their surrounding hills. Examples of this type of landscape are Plover Cove Reservoir in Tai Po and Shek Pik Reservoir in Lantau Island.

11.  Urban Peripheral Village Landscape - Found on the periphery of new towns or newly urbanised areas, these are the relic landscapes of former villages which have been retained amidst the new development around them. Generally located at the foot of a hill which forms their backdrop, they consist typically of grouped village houses, which may include traditional dwelling and temples, as well as newer houses, all separated by narrow footpaths or lanes. At the periphery of the villages may be sitting areas, car parks and sometimes, scattered fruit trees and agricultural fields. Vegetation typically consists of scattered mature trees and peripheral woodland on hillsides, or scrub in abandoned fields. The result is an intimate and informal domestic landscape of small scale features, which stands in stark contrast to the urban areas around them. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Tai Po Tau in Tai Po and village area of Sheung Kwai Chung in Kwai Chung.

12.  Miscellaneous Rural Fringe Landscape - Changes in rural land use over recent decades have resulted in dramatic changes to the rural landscape of Hong Kong. This is manifested most clearly in the Miscellaneous Rural Fringe Landscape where, what was until fairly recently lowland agricultural landscape, has undergone significant changes in character. Such landscapes would traditionally have consisted of patterns of agricultural fields, meandering streams, stands of woodland and scattered villages, connected by winding lanes and footpaths. Changes to the land uses have led to the widespread abandonment of agricultural fields and their subsequent use, in many cases, as sites for open storage, parking, golf ranges and horticulture. Hand in hand with this has gone the dramatic expansion of traditional villages, so that many are now sprawling, rather than nucleated, as they were in the past. The result of these changes is a landscape which, while it retains many of its rural characteristics, has witnessed a fragmentation in land use and traditional landscape patterns and which has tended to become increasingly incoherent. Examples of this type of landscape can be found along Tsing Long Highway in Yuen Long and also at Lok Ma Chau near Sheung Shui.

Urban Fringe Landscape

13.  Airport Landscape - This is a flat, open and expansive largely reclaimed landscape focused around its extensive area of airport runway, taxiways, grass verges, and its associated terminal complex. The landscape also consists of a significant number of associated low and medium-rise outbuildings, offices and related facilities, surrounding the airport and its complex, all connected by roads and highways. Other than grass, vegetation is limited to tree and shrub planting along access roads and areas around buildings. The result is a landscape characterized by its horizontality and openness, but also by large scale, its aircraft noise and activity and its rather artificial character. Hong Kong’s sole example of this type of landscape is the Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok.

14.  Cemetery Landscape - Extensive landscapes in their own right, Hong Kong’s major cemeteries generally lie on the edge of its conurbations, on hillsides overlooking the sea. These hillsides have typically been altered over a wide area to form extensive landscapes of regular terraces. Each terrace is lined with graves / columbaria, and associated with these landscapes may be ancillary features such as funerary buildings, access roads and car parking. There is generally little vegetation except for peripheral scrub on hillsides. Some cemeteries include areas for different denominations, resulting in subtle changes in character across these landscapes. However, in general, they tend to be somewhat uniform, large in scale, exposed and fairly tranquil. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Pokfulam Chinese Christian Cemetery in Hong Kong Island and Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery in Tseung Kwan O.

15.  Comprehensive Residential Development Landscape - These are comprehensively planned and constructed landscapes associated with self-contained residential developments, situated in what are predominantly rural areas. Usually developed by a single developer, often in phases, they are characterised by their comprehensive planning, high sense of self-containment and structured character. They consist of generally low-rise residential buildings, all of fairly recent construction, situated on a layout of suburban roads, often with generous soft landscape provision. At the core of the development, there may be community facilities, including club house, schools and shops. These landscapes are highly ordered and are characterised by a high degree of coherence and a sense of tranquillity. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Discovery Bay in Lantau Island and Fairview Park in Yuen Long.

16.  Institutional Landscape - These are landscapes found typically in the urban fringes, mainly on low-lying or flat sites (but in some cases, on hillsides). They are characterised predominantly by their institutional land uses and features and include hospitals, colleges and universities, barracks, youth camps and prisons. Though covering a variety of different types of institution, the combination of features and components and their distribution in these landscapes tends to be very similar. They generally comprise extensive complexes of buildings (usually low or medium rise) separated by open areas used for circulation or parking, with a high coverage of semi-formal landscape and vegetation. The whole landscape will typically be surrounded by a perimeter fence. This results in landscapes which are extensive, reasonably open and semi-formal. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology at Clearwater Bay and Stanley Prison in Hong Kong Island.

17.  Quarry/Landfill Landscape - These are landscapes located at or beyond the fringes of the urban areas which have undergone a high degree of disturbance in order to form quarries or landfill sites. Although serving different purposes, both landfills and quarries are broadly similar in terms of their impact on the landscape, their components and overall character. Their landscapes are characterised by their significant excavations, extensive earthworks, highly disturbed landscape features and presence of plant and vehicle movements. They may also include areas which are undergoing restoration, but which have not yet fully re-integrated into the surrounding landscape. Such areas will typically be planted with young seedling trees and shrubs. The overall effect is of a highly disturbed transitional landscape of large scale features possessing an incoherent character. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Anderson Road Quarry in Kowloon and the SENT Landfill in Tseung Kwan O.

18.  Reclamation/Ongoing Major Development Landscape - These are transitional landscapes which are currently awaiting or are undergoing large scale construction or re-development. Some consist of land undergoing development whilst others are vacated sites which are awaiting re-development. They are typically characterised by a flat, low-lying topography, lack of significant vegetation or significant built structures and may include major earthworks, partially completed structures, as well as features such as cranes and earth moving machinery. In Hong Kong, landscapes on this scale are generally reclaimed from the sea and so are often characterised by their proximity to the coast. As a result of their indeterminate status or the disturbance caused by ongoing construction work, such landscapes usually have an incoherent, desolate and transient character. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at the West Kowloon reclamation area and the former Kai Tak Airport in Kowloon.

19.  Residential Urban Fringe Landscape - Lying at the edges of urban areas, often on peripheral hillsides, these are low-density residential landscapes in vegetated or wooded settings. Often in ‘prestigious’ areas, these landscapes may comprise individual houses or villas, clusters of maisonettes or low-rise apartments based around narrow winding roads with a backdrop of mature hillside vegetation. These features are typical of the landscapes found at Shouson Hill, the outskirts of Stanley, Jardine’s Lookout and Chung Hom Kok in Hong Kong Island. Alternatively, they may include intermittent, residential towers on steep hillsides, with winding roads, interspersed by wooded hillsides, such as those on Robinson Road and Conduit Road and at Pokfulam in Hong Kong Island. In all cases, buildings relate predominantly to their adjoining road. The result is a fairly coherent residential landscape with a high coverage of vegetation, which possesses a relatively informal and tranquil character.

20.  Theme Park Landscape - These are extensive recreational landscapes located at or beyond the fringes of Hong Kong’s urban areas. Found on topography of all kinds, they typically comprise a wide variety of features in a landscaped setting. These features may include rides, structures and buildings, all in a variety of types, scales, colours and styles. Other features may include water features, paths and circulation routes, administration buildings, car parks, bus and rail termini as well as ample areas of semi-mature and mature amenity planting. The combination of these features results in distinctive landscapes which are generally large in scale, complex and colourful. 

21.  Transportation Corridor Landscape - Where two or more major highways and/or railways are constructed parallel to each other and in close proximity, they form what can be termed a Transportation Corridor Landscape. Generally situated on coastal reclamations, these are linear landscapes, whose major features are the highways and railways that define them, but which also include flyovers, noise barriers, signage gantries, clover-leaf interchanges, traffic islands, footbridges and toll plazas as well as associated miscellaneous roadside land uses. Between the roads and railways are landscaped embankments and islands, generally with a semi-mature amenity vegetation of trees and shrubs. The outcome is a particularly linear landscape of rather diverse features. The variety of features of different types and scales, materials and colours, results in landscapes which as well as being diverse, tend also to be slightly incoherent. Examples of this type of landscape can be found along the Tolo Highway in Tai Po and North Lantau Highway in Lantau Island.

22.  Miscellaneous Urban Fringe Landscape - Found on the periphery of the major urban areas, these are a residual landscape type characteristic of the transition of landscapes from urban to rural. Typically on hillsides around urban areas that are less easily developed, they might include roads, highways structures, slope works, hillsides (often stabilised, otherwise vegetated), scattered residential development, open space, GIC development (such as service reservoirs, fire stations, etc), cemeteries, prisons, barracks, etc. They are transitional landscapes which are characterised by their low density, diverse range of features, significant vegetation cover and incoherent structure with features having little formal relationship to each other. Examples of this type of landscape can be found around Hang Hau in Tseung Kwan O and also around Tai Wai in Sha Tin.

Urban Landscape

23.  City Grid Mixed Urban Landscape - Found mainly on the older reclamations of Hong Kong and Kowloon, these landscapes are some of Hong Kong’s most common and most extensive urban landscapes. Developed on a largely orthogonal or regular city grid, they consist of what are mainly retail land uses at street level with high/medium-rise commercial or residential development above. Streets are often fairly wide and busy with traffic and the large numbers of people using these areas means that street life is vibrant. Building stock is of mixed age and character, and vegetation is generally limited to street tree planting and shrub planting in occasional public open spaces. The result is a landscape which is vibrant, colourful and diverse in terms of its street life and land use, but which possesses only limited variety in terms of its urban spaces. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Wanchai in Hong Kong Island and Sham Shui Po in Kowloon.

24.  Civic Urban Waterfront Landscape - Found on the waterfronts of the major urban areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, these landscapes consist of a mixture of public open space and civic buildings with some commercial land uses. They are characterised principally by their proximity to the sea, their flat topography, a formal (mainly hard-paved) promenade or linear public space, scattered (mainly low-rise) civic buildings, ferry terminals and other commercial buildings. As these landscapes all lie on the most recent reclamations, their buildings tend to be modern and their landscapes not fully mature. Vegetation typically consists of formal amenity trees and shrub planting. Their resulting character is linear, formal and open and it is this openness that results in the fine views these landscapes enjoy across the adjoining sea. Examples of this type of landscape include the Central waterfront in Hong Kong Island and the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Kowloon.

25.  ‘Hui’ Urban Landscape - Found generally at the core of new towns, these urban landscapes once comprised the centres of the small towns (or ‘hui’) which existed before the new towns themselves. Found generally on flat or low-lying land, they typically comprise a small area of narrow streets on a more or less orthogonal grid. The buildings on these streets are generally medium rise and comprise slightly older building stock. They consist of a mixture of uses at ground floor level, often with residential properties above. Vegetation is generally limited to occasional street tree planting or amenity planting in sitting-out areas. These landscapes are distinguished from the new town landscapes around them by virtue of their unadorned character, older building stock, intimate scale, narrow streets and orthogonal street blocks. Examples of this type of landscape can be found in Fanling, Yuen Long and Tai Po.

26.  Industrial Urban Landscape - Generally found on low-lying areas of reclaimed land and often along the coasts of urban areas, these landscapes are defined by their almost exclusively industrial land uses. They typically include areas of industrial buildings, often in very dense arrangements. Any occasional open areas are used for vehicle parking or open storage. Streets are mainly residual spaces, with little or no vegetation. On the peripheries, there may be areas of vacant land. These landscapes also include industrial estates: extensive areas of comprehensively developed low-rise buildings with wider roads, which are often tree lined, usually found at the edges of new towns, such as Yuen Long or Tai Po. Their unifying characteristics are their large utilitarian buildings, their limited coherence of spaces, features and materials, and absence of significant vegetation cover. Examples of this type of landscape include the container handling areas at Kwai Chung Container Terminal as well as the area of factory buildings at Wong Chuk Hang in Aberdeen.

27.  Late 20C/Early 21C Commercial/Residential Complex Landscape - Generally lying on reclaimed areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, these comprise some of Hong Kong’s most recent urban landscapes. They consist of extensive comprehensive developments, typically with a large podium containing retail uses, parking or a PTI, with commercial or residential towers above. They are also characterised by their new building stock (often using modern building materials such as glass and steel). Streets in these landscapes are often wide with significant roadside landscape provision and tree planting, with footbridges connecting developments at first floor or podium level. The result is an intensely urban landscape which is often enclosed, angular and colourful and which is defined to a significant extent by its built form and the spaces they create. Examples of this type of landscape can be found in Taikoo Shing in Hong Kong Island and Whampoa Garden in Kowloon.

28.  Low-rise Residential Urban Landscape - Found only in northern Kowloon, this landscape comprises the area of flat and undulating land around Kowloon Tong. It is a landscape laid out in the early part of the 20th Century for low-rise villa housing, many of which still exist today. The landscape also includes a number of schools and colleges, public open spaces and other institutional uses. The landscape is characterised in particular by its relatively low building densities, its older building stock, and a reasonably regular pattern of medium-width streets. Vegetation in this landscape consists of what is often mature street-tree planting as well as amenity planting in roadside amenity areas and public open spaces. The overall effect is to create a landscape with a character that is suburban, ordered and reasonably tranquil.

29.  Medium/High-rise Commercial Urban Landscape - Located on flat, low-lying and reclaimed land in the urban areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, these are prestige commercial and retail landscapes. They consist of narrow and medium-width streets organised on a largely orthogonal grid, medium and high-rise commercial and retail uses, malls with offices above connected by pedestrian bridges, modern, prestige architecture and limited open space and street tree planting. They are characterised by a high sense of enclosure, a predominance of man-made features and artificial colours, a distinct sense of verticality and busy, vibrant street activity. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Central in Hong Kong Island and Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon.

30.  Mixed Modern Comprehensive Urban Development Landscape - These are areas of urban landscape generally developed comprehensively over the latter half of the twentieth century. Located generally on low-lying or reclaimed land, these landscapes are formed by their mixture of land uses (including commercial, retail and residential), mixed scales of development, roads and highways infrastructure, intermittent open spaces and on occasion, a somewhat incoherent urban structure. Vegetation includes planting alongside roads and highways and in open spaces. Very common throughout Hong Kong, they are found in new towns as well as in newly developed or redeveloped urban areas. They are characterised by their relative predominance of human features and by their varied character of human and natural features of often differing forms, scales and colours. Examples of this type of landscape can be found in most new towns and in Aberdeen and Tsuen Wan.

31.  Organic Mixed Urban Development Landscape - These are the dense urban landscapes of the older areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon. Found on early reclamations or on lower hillsides in these locations, they are characterised by their ‘organic’ (non-orthogonal) street blocks, with narrow streets often winding up or across hillsides; by a diverse mix of land uses (residential/retail/commercial); by their high building densities and building stock of varying ages. Notable in these landscapes is a relatively high incidence of historic buildings, both Chinese and European, which greatly enrich the urban landscape. Vegetation consists of limited street tree planting and planting in small parks and open spaces with relatively high numbers of mature trees, often wall trees. The result is a diverse, tightly enclosed and vibrant landscape characterized by its varied topography, building stock and land use and by it rich history. Examples of this type of landscape can be found in the SOHO area of Hong Kong Island and around Granville Road in Tsim Sha Tsui.

32.  Park Urban Landscape - These recreational landscapes comprise major urban parks, which are large enough to form landscapes in their own right. They are found across Hong Kong from the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon to the new towns. They lie on topography of all kinds, from rolling hillsides to flat, reclaimed areas. Their land uses are mainly as passive recreation, and typically include ornamental planting, lawns, pathways, sitting areas, water features, pavilions and park offices. They often however include sports facilities such as stadia, swimming pools and ball courts. Most date from the latter part of the Twentieth Century, but some, such as the Zoological and Botanical Gardens in Central, are over a 100 years old and contain magnificent specimens of mature trees. In character, these landscapes are typically semi-formal, tranquil and verdant. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Kowloon Park in Kowloon and Victoria Park in Hong Kong Island.

33.  Residential Urban Landscape - These are urban landscapes which are wholly or largely given over to residential land use. Developed comprehensively on flat or terraced land, mainly on the edges of urban areas, they are characterized by their medium or high-rise residential estates, set amongst open space, together with associated highways, footbridges, school or community facilities and retail facilities. Vegetation includes roadside trees and shrub planting and planting in open spaces and around residential estates. The result is a fairly homogeneous, ordered landscape comprising largely built elements softened to a certain extent by the effects of surrounding planting and greenery. Examples of this type of landscape can be found across Hong Kong, such as at Wah Fu Estate in Hong Kong Island and Butterfly Estate in Tuen Mun.

34.  Rural Township Landscape - These are the landscapes created by small towns found in rural areas remote from the urban centres. Usually lying on the coast, they are more developed than villages but less so than urban areas. They are typically former fishing villages which have developed a small central core of low or medium-rise buildings, often on an irregular grid of small streets and lanes. These buildings provide for a diverse mixture of uses, including a market, residential and retail uses. Older buildings from the former village are typically scattered within or around this more intensively developed core, resulting in a relatively high density of historical buildings siting alongside much newer buildings. Associated with this central core may be community facilities, such as a sports centre, park, or waterfront promenade. Vegetation typically consists of occasional mature trees, with limited amenity planting. All of these features combine to produce a landscape of small scale features, which is diverse, intimate and often possesses a vibrant street-life and particular sense of place. Partly because of their rural locations and small-scale charm, such townships are often significant tourist centres, for example Stanley in Hong Kong Island, and Cheung Chau.

Coastal Waters Landscape

35.  Bay Landscape - These landscapes consist of areas of inshore water, found around the coastline of Hong Kong, which are enclosed to a significant degree, by landform on three sides. The result is a coastal landscape with a distinct sense of enclosure, characterised by the visual interlock of land and sea. Whilst these landscapes consist predominantly of water, they may also include small islands, occasional vessels, fish farms and marine activities such as waterborne recreational activity. Each Bay Landscape is given its particular character by a combination of its physical enclosure, the character of its shoreline (and small islands or rocks offshore) and by any marine activities. Examples of this type of landscape are Cheung Sha in Lantau Island and Tai Long Wan in Sai Kung.

36.  Inshore Water Landscape - These are areas of coastal water lying close to the shore and enclosed to a certain degree by landmasses or islands, which create a limited sense of enclosure or containment. Whilst these landscapes are characterized predominantly by the horizontality and muted hues of their coastal waters, they may also include small, isolated islands or outlying rocks and marine activities of all kinds, including fish farms, anchorages, commercial shipping lanes, ferry traffic and waterborne recreational activity. The result is a largely open, tranquil and natural landscape which is punctuated by the colours and noises of human features and activities. Examples of this type of landscape are outer Victoria Harbour and Port Shelter in Sai Kung.

37.  Inter-tidal Coast Landscape - Lying between the high and low water tide levels and generally remote from Hong Kong’s urban areas, these are open and expansive coastal landscapes. They are characterised by a variety of different features, but first and foremost, by the presence of water. They may also include mud flats (often very extensive); areas of salt marsh; mangrove stands, or gei wai. In some cases, two or more of these features can be found in a single area. What these different areas have in common is their powerful association with the sea and the fact that they are all to some extent, characterised by a certain simplicity, tranquillity and a feeling of remoteness. Examples of this type of landscape can be found along the shore of Deep Bay in North-west New Territories and near Ting Kok in Tai Po.

38.  Island Landscape - Lying offshore from the main landmass of Hong Kong, Island Landscapes include those islands too small to be broken down into other component landscapes. The form of these islands reflects their underlying geology, but most are rocky and steep-sided and have a sparse cover of grass and scrub vegetation, with few trees (though there are obvious exceptions to this, such as Tung Ping Chau). Many possess dramatic rock formations or sea cliffs. Because of their often remote locations, many such islands possess few or no human features. In other cases, they may possess only an isolated telecommunications station, light house or detention centre. In a smaller number of cases, such as at Po Toi or Tap Mun, there may be a village and small population. Often isolated and exposed, these landscapes are particularly notable for their visual drama and remote character. Examples of this type of landscape include Green Island off Hong Kong Island and the Ninepin Group (Kwo Chau Islands) off Clearwater Bay.

39.  Offshore Water Landscape - These are coastal landscapes consisting almost exclusively of extensive areas of offshore water. They are defined by land (either mainland Hong Kong or its islands) on one side and by open sea on the other side and the result is a ‘seascape’ with a distinct sense of space and openness. Apart from the sea itself, the only other features in these offshore waters are occasional vessels, such as fishing vessels, ferries or cargo ships. Always possessing a sense of exposure and remoteness, they are very simple landscapes which attain much of their character from the prevailing quality of light and weather conditions. Examples of this type of landscape are the offshore waters off eastern Hong Kong and those off southern Hong Kong.

40.  Strait Landscape - These are areas of inshore coastal water enclosed by significant landforms on two sides, thereby creating a distinct sense of enclosure on those two sides. Characterised predominantly by their surrounding landforms and the muted hues and horizontality of their coastal waters, they may also include small, isolated islands, passing vessels, and marine activities of all kinds, including anchorages, shipping lanes, ferry traffic and waterborne recreational activity. These features produce a natural, marine landscape with a distinct sense of enclosure, otherwise characterised by the character of their coastal edges and the colours and sounds of their marine activities. Examples of this type of landscape are inner Victoria Harbour and Tolo Channel.

41.  Typhoon Shelter Landscape - Found generally on the coastal edges of urban areas, these are inshore aquatic landscapes formed by the armourstone breakwaters constructed to protect large numbers of moored vessels. These vessels include freighters, fishing vessels, pleasure craft and sampans. Though they consist primarily of water, other features in these landscapes include jetties, pontoons and navigational features resulting in a landscape that is a transitional one between land and sea. In many cases, the result is a vibrant and active landscape characterized by a variety of form and colour and often by a significant sense of enclosure. Examples of this type of landscape can be found at Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter in Kowloon and Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter on Hong Kong Island.

3.3           LANDSCAPE EVALUATION SYSTEM                 

3.3.1        In accordance with international best practice and the evidence of case studies, four indices were developed by which landscapes could be assessed. These were:

3.3.2       Each of these indices is described further below according to the following aspects:

Landscape Character

Definition

3.3.3         Landscape character is the aggregate impression created by the most significant landscape features within a given landscape.

Objective

3.3.4         The objective of this stage is to identify, in as objective a manner as possible, the character and key pattern of features which provides the very essence of landscape character. 

3.3.5         The objective of this stage is to provide three products:

Method of Appraisal

Written Description of Landscape Character

3.3.6         A written description of landscape character is provided. Guidance set out by the UK Countryside Agency is followed in this regard. The Agency states that “The aim should be to describe the overall character of the landscape with reference to geology, landform, land cover, land use, settlement and enclosure and to draw out the way that these factors interact together and are perceived…Care must be taken in selecting descriptive words. Subjective value judgments should be avoided. So, words like bland, beautiful, attractive, degraded and ordinary, should be avoided…” (Countryside Agency, 1999, p.60).

Structured Record of the Components of the Landscape

3.3.7         The following characteristics of the landscape are also recorded using a structured proforma during the field survey (details are included in Chapter 5):

List of Key Landscape Features

3.3.8         This stage of the appraisal uses the descriptions of the key landscape patterns and character, to define a list of key landscape features for each LCA, i.e. the key features which go to make up positive aspects of that character. Their number is the fewest necessary to define the essential characteristics of the LCA. The UK Countryside Agency elaborates on the method for identifying lists of key landscape features:

3.3.9        “Landscape descriptions should be accompanied by a separate list which summarise the key characteristics of each landscape character type and/or area. Key characteristics are those combinations of elements which are particularly important in giving an area its distinctive sense of place. If they were to change or be lost there would be significant consequences for the current character of the landscape…Key characteristics should therefore be the prime targets for monitoring change and for identifying landscape indicators...They must be identified and described carefully as they are likely to become a major reference point in making decisions about the future of the landscape. The smaller the scale and the greater the level of detail in the appraisal, the more detailed and specific the key characteristics are likely to be” (Countryside Agency, 1999, p.61-62).

Level of Appraisal

3.3.10      The description of landscape character is carried out at the level of the LCT, that is, one description will cover all areas of that generic LCT.

Thresholds

3.3.11       Thresholds for measuring Landscape Character are the LCTs identified earlier in this section.

Assessment of Landscape Condition

Definition

3.3.12       Landscape Condition is defined as the integrity of the pattern of positive natural landscape features which make up the character of the landscape being assessed.

                Objective

3.3.13       The aim of this stage of the appraisal is to identify in an objective manner, the condition or strength of the sense of place of the landscape. This can be taken forward at a later date for use in landscape strategies as part of future work outside this Study.

                Method of Appraisal

3.3.14       This part of the appraisal is an extension of the Appraisal of Character and involves a description of the intactness or completeness of the natural resources of the landscape.               

3.3.15       As the UK Countryside Agency states, landscape condition “is based upon judgments about the extent to which the distinctive character of a particular LCT is visible in a specific area and about the physical state of repair of the landscape or its ecological integrity” (Countryside Agency, 1999, p.80). Landscape Condition can be assessed as Poor, Moderate or Good, depending on the intactness of the fundamental landscape patterns.

               Level of Appraisal 

3.3.16       The appraisal of condition is carried out for each Landscape Character Area (LCA). 

                Thresholds 

3.3.17      Thresholds for measuring Landscape Condition are identified in Table 3.2 below:

Table 3.2 Thresholds for Measurement of Landscape Condition

Criteria   Ranking Description of Threshold
Condition  Good  The landscape is in good condition when the pattern of natural resources is coherent, largely intact and un-interrupted. This means that there is limited disturbance to natural terrain, natural features and watercourses and a significant presence of vegetation (either natural vegetation in rural locations or street trees and ornamental vegetation in an urban context). 
Moderate  The landscape is in moderate condition when the pattern of natural resources is to a significant extent altered or diminished. In the case of a rural landscape, this means that there is may be some disturbance to natural terrain, watercourses or patterns of vegetation. In an urban context, it means that there will be considerable adaptation of terrain and slopes and/or very limited vegetation cover.
Poor   The landscape is in poor condition when the pattern of natural resources which make up the landscapes is highly degraded. This means that there will be almost total disturbance to natural terrain, natural features and watercourses with little or no vegetation.

Assessment of Landscape Condition

Definition

3.3.18       Landscape Sensitivity is defined as the ability of a landscape to accommodate change without prejudice to its existing landscape character.

                Objective

3.3.19       The objective of this stage of the appraisal is to identify for each LCT a list of development types to which that landscape is sensitive.

Method of Appraisal

3.3.20       Landscape sensitivity is related to landscape character and not necessarily to landscape value. As the Countryside Agency states, “Sensitivity must be judged separately from quality and/or value because they are quite different.” (Countryside Agency, 1999, p.82). Therefore a given landscape might be considered to be of high value, but be able to accommodate development or change of certain types without compromise to its character. Appraisals of landscape sensitivity and landscape value are therefore totally separate issues.

3.3.21       Landscapes which are less sensitive to change include landscapes with considerable landform diversity, significant areas of vegetation and variety of land use which have the effect of increasing ability to visually absorb development. In contrast with this, landscapes which are open, low-lying and which have limited visual pattern or texture might be said to be highly sensitive. However, sensitivity is also dependent on the nature of the proposed development. A landscape may be more sensitive to some types of development than to others.

3.3.22       For each LCT, its sensitivity against typical development types is defined (shown in Appendix 5). This is a broad statement of principal whether development of different kinds can be incorporated into the LCT without changing its essential landscape character. The sensitivity of an LCT to a certain type of development is defined 'More Sensitive' or 'Less Sensitive’.

3.3.23       In addition to this LCT level appraisal, a number of features specific to each LCA are considered, which may further increase its sensitivity to any form of development. These factors are the extent to which the LCA possesses:

Level of Appraisal

3.3.24       he appraisal of sensitivity to development is carried out at the level of the generic LCT, qualified by an assessment of key characteristics of each LCA.

                Thresholds

3.3.25       Thresholds for measuring Landscape Sensitivity are identified in Table 3.3 below:

 Table 3.3 Thresholds for Measurement of Landscape Sensitivity

Criteria   Ranking Description of Threshold
Sensitivity More Sensitive  A limited amount of a proposed development type is likely to have a significant prejudicial effect on the character of a landscape. Such development may not be in keeping with existing patterns of land use and built form in the landscape, such that a small amount of this development is likely to significantly change landscape character. Alternatively, the physical characteristics of the landscape (landform, vegetation cover, etc) mean that the proposed development is unlikely to be accommodated within the landscape without negatively affecting existing qualities.
Less Sensitive A limited amount of a proposed development type is unlikely to have a significant prejudicial effect on the character of a landscape. Such development may be in keeping with existing patterns of land use and built form in the landscape, such that a small amount of further such development is unlikely to significantly change landscape character. Alternatively, the physical characteristics of the landscape (landform, vegetation cover, etc) mean that the proposed development is likely to be accommodated with the landscape without significantly compromising existing qualities.

Assessment of Landscape Value

Definition

3.3.26        Landscape value represents the importance we attach to a landscape. Specifically, landscape value is attributed taking into account visual coherence, complexity, rarity, relief and condition, key heritage/natural features and visual attractor/detractors. The appraisal of landscape value consists of a series of subordinate appraisals as follows:

3.3.27       These separate appraisals are synthesised into a single appraisal of landscape value using a series of guidelines.

Value as Natural Resource

Objective

3.3.28       The objective is to identify any natural resources or ecological areas/features, which make a special contribution to landscape and by which the landscape may therefore gain value. In this sense, the word 'natural' does not refer to any pristine or un-altered quality, but rather to the fact that the feature is an example of a part of 'natural history'. Therefore, highly adapted natural features, such as agricultural fields or fish ponds would still qualify as 'natural resources'.

Method and Appraisal Criteria

3.3.29       Such associations should fulfil two key criteria, namely:

3.3.30       Such associations will be of sufficient value if they are recognised under the following criteria:

3.3.31       Appraisal takes the form of a record of the feature concerned and supporting evidence of its value. 

Level of Appraisal

3.3.32      The appraisal of natural resource / ecological associations is carried out for each LCA.

Local Distinctiveness

Objective

3.3.33       The objective is to appraise the strength of sense of place of any LCA.

Method and Appraisal Criteria

3.3.34       For the purposes of appraisal, three sets of attributes are recorded:

Level of Appraisal

3.3.35       The appraisal of value as locale is carried out for each LCA.

Value As Heritage

Objective

3.3.36       The objective is to identify any heritage resources or cultural areas/features which make a special contribution to landscape and by which the landscape may therefore gain value.

Method and Appraisal Criteria

3.3.37     Such associations should fulfil two key criteria, namely:

3.3.38       Such associations will be of sufficient value or interest if they are recognised under the following criteria:

3.3.39       Appraisal takes the form of a record of the feature concerned and supporting evidence of its value.

Level of Appraisal

3.3.40       The appraisal of heritage associations is carried out for each LCA.

Scenic Value

Objective

3.3.41       The objective of this stage of the appraisal is to describe the formal aesthetic or scenic characteristics of the landscape.

Method and Appraisal Criteria 

3.3.42       The following scenic criteria are assessed:

Level of Appraisal

3.3.43       The appraisal of value as visual resource is carried out for each LCA.

Synthesising Appraisals for Landscape Value

3.3.44       The appraisals for the different components of Landscape Value above are synthesised into a single Landscape Value rating. This rating is either 'High', 'High (Qualified); 'Moderate' or 'Low'. 

Thresholds

3.3.45       Thresholds for measuring Landscape Value are identified in Table 3.4 below:

Table 3.4 Thresholds for Measurement of Landscape Value

Criteria   Ranking Description of Threshold
Value  High  Most high value landscapes are landscapes in good condition and which possess a high level of visual coherence, with no significant visual detractors. Their value is augmented by a number of factors such as the presence of a significant natural resource or heritage feature that has a visual manifestation; or by unique features contributing to the landscape's distinctiveness; or by one or more visual attractors; or by high levels of visual relief, the presence of a water body, high levels of visual complexity or rarity. 
High (Qualified)  High (Qualified) landscapes are those which have consistently high levels of landscape value (as per the definition above) but which do not quite fall into the 'High' value category. Typically, either their scenic value or their condition is diminished slightly by one or more features or aspects of their character. Such landscapes otherwise typically possess high scenic and landscape values and will possess no visual detractors. 
Moderate   Moderate value landscapes typically contain a variety of features which affect the value of the landscape in both negative and positive ways. Though they may contain visual attractors or visual detractors, these landscapes cannot be described as particularly 'scenic', nor can they be described as particularly 'unsightly'. Such landscapes normally have moderate visual coherence and are in moderate condition. They are in effect, Hong Kong's 'ordinary' landscapes, with neither very positive nor very negative attributes.
Low Most low value landscapes are in poor condition, possess low levels of visual coherence and no natural resources or heritage features that have a visual manifestation. They will also contain one or more significant visual detractors.

Guidelines for Making Assessments of Landscape Value

3.3.46       The process of landscape evaluation is not a simple or a mechanical one. Nor is it one which can be meaningfully carried out by a system of simple scoring (as world-wide experience has shown). Rather, it is a sophisticated process by which considerable amounts of data are synthesised by trained professional Landscape Architects, to produce a reasoned judgment which adheres to certain broad criteria.

3.3.47       The process of assigning a value to a landscape is essentially a 'top-down' one whereby desk-top data as well as experiential information (as perceived by Site Surveyors) is synthesised using professional judgment and training. This judgment is then justified and rationalised by assigning values to the criteria set out on the Field Data Record proforma. This in turn may lead to a review of the initial judgment and the evaluation.

3.3.48       To guide field surveyors in making these judgments, a number of criteria were defined to ensure that a reasonably consistent approach to evaluation was adopted. This process of synthesis follows a set of guidelines which are set out below. This involves the relationships between certain key landscape value appraisals noted above. The relationship between these criteria can be expressed as a decision-tree, as shown in Figure 3.1.

3.3.49       The criteria are applicable in the vast majority of cases. However, it is recognised that there will always be exceptional landscapes that do not conform to these criteria and yet warrant a particular value (Tai O is a good example of such a landscape which does not conform to the requirements of a 'high' value landscape - especially in terms of its visual characteristics and its condition - but which is so exceptional by virtue of other characteristics that it justifies this value). A field is therefore available on the Field Survey Data Record to record any such exceptional characteristics.

3.3.50       In terms of the completion of the Field Data Record Proformas, the vast majority of landscapes of ‘High’ value will as a minimum:

3.3.51       Their value will be augmented by one or more of the following:

3.3.52       'High (Qualified)' (High(Q)) landscapes which have consistently high levels of landscape value. However, their value is typically slightly reduced from ‘High’ by one or more aspects of their character such that they do not quite fall into the 'High' value category. Examples of this are the abandoning of agricultural land, resulting in a slight reduction of coherence and condition. Such landscapes otherwise typically possess high scenic and landscape values.

3.3.53       In terms of values recorded on survey data records, such ‘High(Q)’ landscapes must:

3.3.54       Alternatively, these landscapes may:

3.3.55       In addition to the above, their value will be augmented by one or more of the following:

3.3.56       ‘Low’ value landscapes are those which possess low levels of visual amenity generally and which possess one or more significant unsightly features which actually detract from the visual amenity of the landscape.

3.3.57       They are also landscapes where the basic pattern of features which make up the landscape has become so fragmented (in the case of natural features) or degraded through poor maintenance (as in the case of built features), that their condition can be said to be poor. Typically, such degradation to the landscape is caused by activities which disrupt the landscape on a large scale, such as landfills, quarrying or open storage.

3.3.58       In addition, such landscapes will not have the distinction of possessing any natural or heritage features which are manifest in the landscape and which enrich its value.

3.3.59       In terms of the completion of the Field Data Record Proformas, landscapes of ‘Low’ value will:

3.3.60       or alternatively, they will possess the following:

Criteria Used in the Definition of Moderate Value Landscapes

3.3.61       Falling between landscapes of High(Q) and landscapes of Low value, are a large range of landscapes which are degraded to some degree. ‘Moderate’ is the residual category for all landscapes not falling under ‘High’, ‘High(Q)’ or Low’.

3.3.62       ‘Moderate’ landscapes typically contain a variety of features which affect the value of the landscape in both negative and positive ways. This usually leads to a significant or appreciable diminution in the value of the landscape. This accounts for the majority of landscapes which fall within this category. This category also includes landscapes which although visually incoherent and in poor condition, do not possess any specific features or visual detractors which actually despoil or render the landscape unsightly, and therefore are of ‘Low’ value.

Guidelines for the Completion of Field Data Record Sheets

3.3.63       Field survey data was collected using a structured proforma, known as a Field Data Record. A typical Field Data Record and associated guidance are presented in Appendix 9 and were used to ensure that the different field surveyors carried out the appraisals in a co-ordinated manner. Guidance was prepared for the surveyors to clarify different sections of the Field Data Record assist them in filling them out.

 

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