HONG KONG, 21st September 2015 – Hong Kong is one of the world’s great cities, but its quality of life and world-class status are significantly compromised by air pollution, congestion and a lack of desirable public space. Imagine if, instead of cars, streets were designed for pedestrians and we could create a vibrant, green artery in the heart of the city. This panel discussion illuminates the possibilities and challenges of pedestrianizing Des Voeux Road Central, a proposal that offers a new model for raising the quality of life for all Hong Kongers.

A panel discussion about the pedestrianization proposal of Des Voeux Road was held at Asia Society Hong Kong Center on 31 August. Jeffrey Johnson, Founding Director of Asia Megacities Lab, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University, gave an overview presentation of the proposal and explained briefly about the concepts and inspirations behind as the opening. Moderated by Aric Chen, Curator for Design and Architecture at M+, Amale Andraos, Dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Donald Choi, Managing Director of Nan Fung Development, Eric Schuldenfrei, Associate Dean for Special Projects and Communications at the University of Hong Kong, and Paul Zimmerman, elected District Councillor (Pokfulam constituency) and CEO of Designing Hong Kong discussed the vision and concepts behind the Des Voeux Road pedestrianizing proposal.

Video: Watch the complete program (1 hr., 7 min.)