CTR OF URBAN PLANNING & ENV MANGT

Researcher : Chan RCK

Project Title:

Planning for high-tech industrial development in a transitional economy: the case of Shanghai, China

Investigator(s):

Chan RCK

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (CERG)

Start Date:

11/2002

 

Abstract:

This research will start with an analysis of the critical elements accounting for the success of high-tech industries based on the international experiences. An assessment of these specified elements will then be carried out in Shanghai with the objectives of disclosing if these factors exist in Shanghai; revealing the hurdles and obstacles preventing high-tech industries from operating and growing smoothly. and examining how the government's strategy and policies work, and what government has done and what is still missing to nurturing high tech.

 

List of Research Outputs

 

Chan R.C.K., "Efficient policies that balance economic development and the protection of arable land in China", Smart Urban Growth for China, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 4 May 2007, Cambridge, MA, USA. 2007.

 

Chan R.C.K., "Urban Agglomerations in China", Paper presented at Association of American Geographers 2007 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California, 18-19 April 2007.

 

Chan R.C.K., "Urban Agglomerations or Mega-City-Regions? A Preliminary Analysis into China's Development Strategy in the 21st Century", Paper presented at the International Conference on Contemporary China Studies, The University of Hong Kong, 5-6 January 2007.

 

Chan R.C.K., Editorial Board Member, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, Urban & Regional Planning (2007 - present). 2007.

 

Chan R.C.K., Editorial Board Member, China Review (2001 - present). 2006.

 

Chan R.C.K., Editorial Board Member, Planning and Development (2005 - present). 2007.

 

Chan R.C.K., Efficient policies that balance economic development and the protection of arable land in China, invited paper presented at the Important Issues in the Era of Rapid Urbanization in China, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Cambridge, MA, USA, 3-4 May 2007.

 

Chan R.C.K., Honourable Member, Institute of Shopping Centre Management (January 2004 - present). 2006.

 

Chan R.C.K., Member, International Editorial Board, Sustainable Development (September 2005 - present). 2006.

 

Chan R.C.K., Visiting Professor, Department of Public Management, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. 2006.

 

Chan R.C.K., 中國：城市化與城市發展, Paper presented at Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section, Education and Manpower Bureau, 9 February 2007. 2007.

 

Gu C.L., Chan R.C.K., Liu J.Y. and Kesteloot C., Beijing's Socio-spatial Restructuring: Immigration and Social Transformation in the Epoch of National Economic Reformation, Progress in Planning. 2006, 66(4): 249-310.

 

Yao S.M. and Chan R.C.K., Comprehensive Analysis on the Healthy Development Strategy of China's Urbanization, 我國城市化健康發展策略的綜合分析, City Planning Review (in Chinese). 城市規劃, 2006, 30 (Supplement 2006): 60-64.

 

Yao S.M., Chan R.C.K. and Wang S.G., Growing Mechanism and Innovation-Space of Urban Agglomeration, 城市群發育機制及其創新空間, Science. 科學, Shanghai, China, Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 2007, 59(2): 23-27.

 

Yao S.M., Chan R.C.K. and Wang S.G., Growing Mechanism and Innovation-Space of Urban Agglomeration, 城市群發育機制及其創新空間, Strait City. 海峽城市, 2006, 44: 2-7.

 

Yao S.M., Wang S.G., Chen S. and Chan R.C.K., Spatial System of "Urban Agglomeration" in District Development, 區域發展中"城市群現象"的空間系統探索, Economic Geography (in Chinese). 經濟地理, 2006, 26(5): 726-730.

 

Yao S.M., Chan R.C.K. and Zhu Y.M., Urban Agglomerations of China (in Chinese). 中國城市群, 中國, 合肥, 中國科學技術大學出版社, 2006, 469 pp.

 

Yao S.M., Chen C.H., Wang G.S., Tsui Y. and Chan R.C.K., 國際空港的大區位及其規劃佈局問題 - 以廣州新白雲機場為例, 人文地理, 2006, 87(1): 56-59, 109.

 

Zhao S.X., Chan R.C.K. and Lin G.C.S., Opportunities and Challenges: China's Urban Planning in the Globalization and Rapid Urbanization, 全球化和高速城市化中的中國城市規劃：機遇和挑戰, City Planning Review (in Chinese). 城市規劃, 2006, 30 (Supplement 2006): 5-7.

 

Researcher : Chen X

List of Research Outputs

 

Li X., Yeh A.G.O. and Chen X., "Short Interval Monitoring of Illegal Urban Land Use Changes", RADARSAT-2 Symposium, organized by Canadian Space Agency (11-15 September 2006, Saint-Hubert, Montreal, Quebec, Canada). 2006.

 

Researcher : Cheng KY

List of Research Outputs

 

Hills P.R., Law W.W.Y., Mantel S.K., Cheng K.Y., Chow W.C., Fung S.F. and Lo S.W., A Conservation Trust for Hong Kong: Learning from International Experience, Green Power (Hong Kong), 2006, 101 pp.

 

Researcher : Cheung KK

List of Research Outputs

 

Mantel S.K., Cheung K.K., Welford R.J. and Hills P.R., Cooperative business-NGO partnerships in Hong Kong: NGO perspective, International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development. UK, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, 2007, 6(2): 174-192.

 

Researcher : Chiu RLH

List of Research Outputs

 

Chiu R.L.H., China's rapid urbanization: is compact Shanghai sustainable?, ENHR International Conference "Sustainable Urban Areas", organized by OTB Research Institute fro Housing, Urban and Mobility Studies, Delft Univeristy of Technology, 25-28 June 2007, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 2007.

 

Chiu R.L.H., Environmental management in housing management, In: Rebecca L.H. Chiu, Professional Housing Management Practices In Hong Kong. Hong Kong, Hong Kong University Press, 2006, 243-252.

 

Chiu R.L.H. and Ho H.C., Estimation of elderly housing demand in an Asian city: methodological issues and policy implications, Habitat International. 2006, 30: 965-980.

 

Chiu R.L.H., Government intervention in housing: convergence and divergence of the Asian dragons, Shanghai Forum 2007: Economic Globalization And The Choice Of Asia, organized by the Fudan University, Shanghai, 25-27 May 2007. 2007.

 

Chiu R.L.H., Justice of the Peace, HKSAR (July 2006 - present). 2006.

 

Chiu R.L.H., Whitehead C. and Turner B., Land use regulations: transferring lessons from developed countries, Fourth Urban Research Symposium: Urban Land Use and Land Markets, Organized by the World Bank, 14-16 May 2007, Wahsinton, D.C., U.S.A. 2007.

 

Chiu R.L.H., Member, International Advisory Committee, Housing Theory and Society. 2006.

 

Chiu R.L.H., Member, Journal of Housing Studies (in Chinese) (2006 - present). 2006.

 

Chiu R.L.H., Planning, land and affordable housing in Hong Kong, Housing Studies. 2007, 22: 63-81.

 

Chiu R.L.H., In: Rebecca L.H. Chiu, Professional Housing Management Practices In Hong Kong. Hong Kong, Hong Kong University Press, 2006, 1-320.

 

Chiu R.L.H., Second homes across two political systems within a country, paper presented at ENHR Conference Housing in an Expanding Europe: Theory, Policy, Implementation and Participation, organized by the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, 2-5 July 2006 Ljubljana, Slovenia. 2006.

 

Chiu R.L.H., The decentralized compactness of Hong Kong: how sustainable?, School of Management, Fudan University, 24 May 2007. 2007.

 

Chiu R.L.H., Urban Policy and Research. 2006.

 

Researcher : Chow WC

List of Research Outputs

 

Hills P.R., Law W.W.Y., Mantel S.K., Cheng K.Y., Chow W.C., Fung S.F. and Lo S.W., A Conservation Trust for Hong Kong: Learning from International Experience, Green Power (Hong Kong), 2006, 101 pp.

 

Law W.W.Y., Chow W.C. and Lee O.Y., Sustainable Development Workshops – Facilitator Guide & Tool Kits, Hong Kong, Sustainable Development Unit, HKSAR Government, 2007, 101 pp.

 

Researcher : Fung SF

List of Research Outputs

 

Hills P.R., Law W.W.Y., Mantel S.K., Cheng K.Y., Chow W.C., Fung S.F. and Lo S.W., A Conservation Trust for Hong Kong: Learning from International Experience, Green Power (Hong Kong), 2006, 101 pp.

 

Researcher : Hills PR

Project Title:

Trade in environmental services as a mechanism of ecological modernisation in the Asia-Pacific region

Investigator(s):

Hills PR

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Small Project Funding

Start Date:

11/2003

 

Abstract:

To develop a conceptual framework and conduct empirical analysis of the role of the trade liberalisation in environmental services (as facilitated under the General Agreement on the Trade in Services - GATS) as a mechanism of ecological modernisation (EM); to formulate more general explanations of current transformations of environmental practices, discourses and institutions.

 

Project Title:

Engaging business with environmental change: an analysis of impediments and incentives in Hong Kong

Investigator(s):

Hills PR

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (CERG)

Start Date:

12/2003

 

Abstract:

To identify the factors (i.e., impediments) which deter Hong Kong firms from moving beyond regulatory compliance. Research from elsewhere suggests that these factors may include costs, lack of information and awareness, inadequate human resources and a general lack of commitment to improved corporate governance. The specific causal factors at work in Hong Kong have yet to be established. We propose to identify and characterize these factors by an extensive series of interviews with representatives of key stakeholder groups : in the business community, government, consumer associations, environmental NGOs, labour groups, financial services and academia; to identify incentives that various stakeholder groups feel may assist in encouraging local firms to move beyond regulatory compliance; to evaluate those incentives in terms of their efficacy in the Hong Kong context by presenting them to the same firms previously interviewed to determine the extent to which they are likely to promote significant changes in corporate behaviour and responsiveness to environmental concerns; to consider whether there might be policy initiatives creating new partnerships between government and business, voluntary negotiated agreements and market-based mechanisms which together or separately would encourage businesses to become more proactive.

 

Project Title:

Trust, legitimacy and the environmental policy process in Hong Kong

Investigator(s):

Hills PR

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Small Project Funding

Start Date:

11/2004

 

Abstract:

The project will explore the background to this apparent 'trust deficit' problem by means of a structured questionnaire survey involving representatives of key stakeholder groups in government, the business community and civil society.

 

Project Title:

Partnerships, voluntary agreements and the process of environmental reform in Hong Kong

Investigator(s):

Hills PR, Welford RJ

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (CERG)

Start Date:

01/2005

 

Abstract:

To assess the existing and potential contributions of voluntary, cooperative environmental partnerships between business and NGOS, in business-to-business relationships along supply chains - especially those involving operations in the Pearl River Delta Region, and between business and government in Hong Kong; to identify the barriers to the adoption of such arrangements; to identify the positive drivers that can be developed to facilitate this adoption.

 

Project Title:

Trust, legitimacy and environmental reform in Hong Kong

Investigator(s):

Hills PR, Welford RJ

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (CERG)

Start Date:

01/2006

 

Abstract:

To investigate the dimensions of the concept of trust as reflected in the optinions and attitudes of stakeholders with direct involvement in, or good levels of knowledge of, the environmental policy process; to determine the existing level of trust in, and the legitimacy of, environmental policies, policy instructments and institutions, that exists among stakeholders; to identify factors that may explain variations in the level of trust among different stakeholders and in relation to different institutions, policies and policy instruments; to identify mechanisms or initiatives that may enhance levels of trust in these institutions, policies and instruments.

 

List of Research Outputs

 

Gouldson A., Hills P.R. and Welford R.J., Ecological Modernization and Policy Learning in Hong Kong, Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) Papers. UK, Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), University of Leeds, 2007, June 2007 (No. 03): 26 pp.

 

Hills P.R., Law W.W.Y., Mantel S.K., Cheng K.Y., Chow W.C., Fung S.F. and Lo S.W., A Conservation Trust for Hong Kong: Learning from International Experience, Green Power (Hong Kong), 2006, 101 pp.

 

Hills P.R., Executive Editor, International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development. 2006.

 

Hills P.R., Governance for Environmental Planning and Sustainable Development: Asian Perspectives, In: Ahmed Shafiqul Huque and Habib Zafarullah, International Development Governance. Taylor and Francis, 2006, 495-513.

 

Hills P.R., Member, Editorial Board, Business Strategy and the Environment (2000 - present). 2006.

 

Hills P.R., Member, International Advisory Board, International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development (2005 - present). 2006.

 

Hills P.R., Member, International Advisory Board, Local Environment (2000 - present). 2006.

 

Hills P.R., Member, International Advisory Board, Policy and Politics (2000 - present). 2006.

 

Hills P.R., Member, International Editorial Board, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management (2000 - present). 2006.

 

Hills P.R., Member, International Editorial Board, Sustainable Development. 2006.

 

Hills P.R., The Environment, In: K.P. Kaup (ed.), Understanding Contemporary Asian Pacific. USA, Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 2007, 241-265.

 

Mantel S.K., Cheung K.K., Welford R.J. and Hills P.R., Cooperative business-NGO partnerships in Hong Kong: NGO perspective, International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development. UK, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, 2007, 6(2): 174-192.

 

Studer Surbeck S.C., Welford R.J. and Hills P.R., Engaging Hong Kong Businesses in Environmental Change: Drivers and Barriers, Business Strategy and the Environment. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment, 2006, 15(6): 416-431.

 

Yu J., Welford R.J. and Hills P.R., Industry Responses to EU WEEE and ROHS Directives: Perspectives from China, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment, 2006, 13(5): 286-299.

 

Researcher : Ho HC

List of Research Outputs

 

Chiu R.L.H. and Ho H.C., Estimation of elderly housing demand in an Asian city: methodological issues and policy implications, Habitat International. 2006, 30: 965-980.

 

Researcher : Lau CY

List of Research Outputs

 

Lau C.Y., The Influence of Socio-Economic and Land-Use Variables on Personal Accessibility in the Urban Areas of Hong Kong (PhD Thesis, The University of Hong Kong). 2007.

 

Researcher : Law WWY

List of Research Outputs

 

Hills P.R., Law W.W.Y., Mantel S.K., Cheng K.Y., Chow W.C., Fung S.F. and Lo S.W., A Conservation Trust for Hong Kong: Learning from International Experience, Green Power (Hong Kong), 2006, 101 pp.

 

Law W.W.Y., Board of Director, Conservancy Association. 2006.

 

Law W.W.Y., Chow W.C. and Lee O.Y., Sustainable Development Workshops – Facilitator Guide & Tool Kits, Hong Kong, Sustainable Development Unit, HKSAR Government, 2007, 101 pp.

 

Law W.W.Y., Sustainable Development, Public Engagement and the Harbour-front Planning Process in Hong Kong, Urban Forum – Symposium on Waterfront Eco-city 2006, organized by the Works Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government, Taiwan. 2006.

 

Researcher : Lee OY

List of Research Outputs

 

Law W.W.Y., Chow W.C. and Lee O.Y., Sustainable Development Workshops – Facilitator Guide & Tool Kits, Hong Kong, Sustainable Development Unit, HKSAR Government, 2007, 101 pp.

 

Researcher : Leung DTH

List of Research Outputs

 

Ng M.K. and Leung D.T.H., Urban Renewal Strategy in Hong Kong: lessons for Shenzhen, 香港城市重建空間策略及對深圳的啓示, 2007, 105.

 

Researcher : Lo SW

List of Research Outputs

 

Hills P.R., Law W.W.Y., Mantel S.K., Cheng K.Y., Chow W.C., Fung S.F. and Lo S.W., A Conservation Trust for Hong Kong: Learning from International Experience, Green Power (Hong Kong), 2006, 101 pp.

 

Researcher : Lo YH

List of Research Outputs

 

Ng M.K. and Lo Y.H., Planning, managing and financing the development process: a course handbook, In: Ng, M.K. and R. Lo, 2007, 100.

 

Ng M.K., Lo Y.H., Lee A., Wong A. and Wong E., Sustainable Central and Western District: Strategic Planning based on "Quality of Life", 可持續的中西區: 以「生活質素」為本的發展規劃, Central and Western District and CUPEM, HKU, 2006, 158.

 

Researcher : MacPherson KL

Project Title:

Planning central business districts in China and Hong Kong

Investigator(s):

MacPherson KL

Department:

Department of History

Source(s) of Funding:

Other Funding Scheme

Start Date:

08/2003

 

Abstract:

To examine historically the development of central business districts in China and Hong Kong as well as their transformation and future viability in the face of unprecedented urban growth and economic restructuring.

 

Project Title:

Shanghai's port development in historical perspective

Investigator(s):

MacPherson KL

Department:

Department of History

Source(s) of Funding:

Other Funding Scheme

Start Date:

11/2003

 

Abstract:

To examine historically the political, economic and natural factors that have impacted on port development, maintenance and design in Shanghai ove the past 200 years.

 

Project Title:

A history of public health in Asia and the Pacific

Investigator(s):

MacPherson KL

Department:

Department of History

Source(s) of Funding:

Other Funding Scheme

Start Date:

12/2003

 

Abstract:

To explore in different countries in Asia and the Pacific how disease patterns and health problems, and the collective responses to them, have been shaped over time by cultural, economic, social, political, demographic and environmental factors. If will show how the non-medical context is important in the history of human disease, as well as how significant disease is in the larger histories of the region.

 

Project Title:

Britons overseas: Hong Kong's colonial development, 1841-1997

Investigator(s):

MacPherson KL

Department:

Department of History

Source(s) of Funding:

Other Funding Scheme

Start Date:

05/2004

 

Abstract:

To examine the British community in Hong Kong from the perspectives of Empire and locality to analyse how this community maintained, redefined, extended and transformed its identity during Hong Kong's formative development.

 

Project Title:

Urban public health in Asia and the Pacific: comparative perspectives

Investigator(s):

MacPherson KL

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Small Project Funding

Start Date:

11/2004

Completion Date:

10/2006

 

Abstract:

To explore in how disease pattterns and health problems and the collective responses to them, have been shaped over time by cultural, economic, social, political, demographic, and environmental factors in Hong Kong and southern China.

 

List of Research Outputs

 

MacPherson K.L., "The Emerald City: Dongtan Eco-city and Shanghai’s Sustainable Development", 2nd International Conference: Emerging Issues Along Urban/Rural Interfaces: Linking Science and Society Atlanta, Georgia 9-12 April 2007.

 

MacPherson K.L., "Coastal Governance around the World: Hong Kong , China", The Edge. The Magazine of CoastNet, Summer, 2007. 2007, p.15.

 

MacPherson K.L., "Reconnecting Public Health and the Environment: A History of the Origins of Public Health and Town Planning in Hong Kong" , RGC-CERG grant 2007-2009 ($ 721,500 + $50,000 merit money (HKU 747907H). 2007.

 

MacPherson K.L., One Public, Two Health Systems: Hong Kong and China, Integration without Convergence, 2nd World Planning Schools Congress 2006. Mexico City, Mexico, 20 pp.

 

Researcher : Mantel SK

List of Research Outputs

 

Hills P.R., Law W.W.Y., Mantel S.K., Cheng K.Y., Chow W.C., Fung S.F. and Lo S.W., A Conservation Trust for Hong Kong: Learning from International Experience, Green Power (Hong Kong), 2006, 101 pp.

 

Researcher : Ng MK

Project Title:

Building a sustainable Central and Western District: retrospect and prospect

Investigator(s):

Ng MK

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Other Funding Scheme

Start Date:

09/2000

 

Abstract:

To understand the concept of sustainable community; to examine the development of Central and Western District and assess if its moving towards sustainability; to evaluate the roles of the District Council in the district's development process; to offer recommendations to the Central and Western District Council on building a sustainable district.

 

Project Title:

Communicative or manipulative practice? The "Realrationalität" and "Realpolitik" of urban planning in Hong Kong.

Investigator(s):

Ng MK

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Small Project Funding

Start Date:

12/2005

 

Abstract:

Globalisation, democratisation and the concerns for better quality of life have led to the rise of partnership and collaborative planning, very often down to the neighbourhood level, that aims at concensus building in many high-income countries. While some hail this as the "communicative turn" of planning practice (Healey, 1993, 1997) that makes equitable planning possible, skeptics regard such an approach a naive one that fails to address the power structure (Flyvbjerg, 1998) which sets the agenda, determines the engagement process and validates knowledge claims.In recent years, following the advocacy of NGOs (Designing Hong Kong and Citizen Envisioning @ Harbour) and academic institutions such as CUPEM in HKU, the government of Hong Kong has also started to engage the general public in its urban planning practice, prime examples include the redevelopment of the once controversial Kai Tak site and the still hotly debated reclamation saga related to the Central Wanchai Bypass (CWB). From a utilitarian point of view, the government was forced to engage in communicative practice to satisfy the overriding public needs of future reclamation laid down by the court rulings which was instigated by the Society for the Protection of Harbour, an NGO formed to oppose harbour reclamation. Is the process contributing to Hong Kong's development as "Asia's world city" and sustain her visibility in the global stage? Or has the process been manipulated to legitimise certain development agenda favoured by power holders?Through thick and dense analyses of the participatory planning processes of an NGO-driven local community planning exercise (which should allow it be free from power manipulation) and a HEC-driven (Harbourfront Enhancement Committee) strategic planning review, the Wanchai Phase II Review (on the CWB) (which maybe viewed as an advisory body dominated by government interests), this project aims to examine in detail the unfolding of the "realrationalität" and "realpolitik" of the urban planning processes in Hong Kong.Specific objectives of the project are:oTo develop a deeper theoretical understanding of the following concepts and to explore their inter-relationships in the planning process: communicative practice and power structure; how rationalities are defined in practice ("realrationalität"); and formal politics (institutional set up) vs. "realpolitik" in the planning processes;oTo ascertain the relevance of the synthesised framework in the non-democratic polity of Hong Kong and refine the theoretical framework, if necessary;oTo investigate, through the two case studies (one at a neighbourhood level led by an NGO and one at a strategic territorial level led by the government):- The history, rationale, major stakeholders and modes of planning practice adopted;- The relative importance of global and local agenda in determining the rhetoric of the projects;- The processes, skills and techniques employed in the planning process; and- The play of power in consensus building and the unfolding of"realrationalität"and "realpolitik"throughout the processes.oTo evaluate if Hong Kong's experience in collaborative planning within a non-democratic polity is communicative or manipulative in nature and to explore, if possible, the way forward for the local planning scene in face of power on one hand and globalisation and rising aspiration of local communities towards better quality of life on the other.

 

Project Title:

Reporting Sustainability in Hong Kong: a first attempt

Investigator(s):

Ng MK

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Sustainable Development Fund

Start Date:

05/2006

 

Abstract:

1) To synthesise the best theories and practices in sustainability reporting especially in the public domain for the reference of concerned parties in Hong Kong; 2) to derive a set of sustainability reporting principles for Hong Kong; 3) to critically review and report on the current state of environment and institutional context in Hong Kong; 4) based on the synthesised information, sustainability reporting principles, the GRI public sector supplement and other best practice and through stakeholders engagement, develop a framework and a set of indicators that suit the specific context of Hong Kong; 5) to engage different stakeholders in various ways to raise their understanding and awareness of the importance of sustainable development in the course of preparing the report; 6) to develop a partnership culture in sustainability reporting with a hope that initiative will be taken up by the community with resource inputs from different stakeholders.

 

Project Title:

Rationality and Power: towards a phronetic understanding of the practice of reclamation in Hong Kong

Investigator(s):

Ng MK

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (CERG)

Start Date:

01/2007

 

Abstract:

This project aims to understand the rationalities invoked by different stakeholders and the tactics and strategies they employed in the power practice of reclamation. Specific objectives are: (1) Building on existing debates on rationality and power in the planning literature, develop deeper theoretical insights of possible relationships between rhetoric of rationalities and the play of power in the unique political economy of Hong Kong. (2) Investigate the genesis and evolution of the practice of reclamation in Hong Kong for an historical and contextual understanding of current controversies surrounding central Harbour reclamation. (3) Experiment with phronetic (value-rational) research methods advocated by Flyvbjerg (1988, 2001) to interpret the continuing reclamation saga in the central Harbour areas by asking the following questions concerning the realrationalitat and realpolitik of the case: (i) Who makes what decision at which point of time? Through what kinds of institutional set-up and processes have the decisions been made? What type of rationality is used to justify the decisions? What strategies and tactics are employed by whom? What relations of power are revealed in these processes? (Hillier, 2002, p3). (ii) Apply value rationality to evaluate where we are going. Who should be done? (Flyvbjerg, 2001, p.114). (4) Develop a pragmatic analysis of the practice of reclamation and its consequences and to outline how things may be done differently and what "avenues to praxis" (theory-informed practice) are still open? (op cit, p.140)

 

List of Research Outputs

 

Ng M.K., "Certificate of Merit", Hong Kong Institute of Planners' Award 2006, 2006.

 

Ng M.K., Editorial Board Member, Planning Theory and Practice (October 2003 - present). 2006.

 

Ng M.K., Editorial Board Member, Planning and Development, the Journal of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners (2002 - present). 2006.

 

Ng M.K., Editorial Board Member, Town Planning Review (September 2002 - present). 2006.

 

Ng M.K., Globalisation and the making of Asian world cities, In: Guest editor: Mee Kam Ng, Town Planning Review. Liverpool, Liverpool University Press, 2006, 77: 251-256.

 

Ng M.K., Globality, sustainability and creativity: world cities contest, International conference to celebrating the establishment of Urban Research Plaza (URP) of the Osaka City University, Images and Realities of Cities in the 21st Century: Global Cities, Creative Cities, and Sustainable Cities. 2006.

 

Ng M.K., Malik Meraj Khalid Award 2007, 2007.

 

Ng M.K., Member of Editorial Advisory Board, disP , disP. 2006.

 

Ng M.K. and Lo Y.H., Planning, managing and financing the development process: a course handbook, In: Ng, M.K. and R. Lo, 2007, 100.

 

Ng M.K., Lo Y.H., Lee A., Wong A. and Wong E., Sustainable Central and Western District: Strategic Planning based on "Quality of Life", 可持續的中西區: 以「生活質素」為本的發展規劃, Central and Western District and CUPEM, HKU, 2006, 158.

 

Ng M.K. and Leung D.T.H., Urban Renewal Strategy in Hong Kong: lessons for Shenzhen, 香港城市重建空間策略及對深圳的啓示, 2007, 105.

 

Ng M.K., World-city formation under an executive-led government: the politics of harbour reclamation in Hong Kong, In: Guest editor: Mee Kam Ng, Town Planning Review. Liverpool, Liverpool University Press, 2006, 77: 311-337.

 

Researcher : Shamsad B

List of Research Outputs

 

Shamsad B., Accommodating Street Enterprises in the Urban Built Environment of Bangladesh: The Case of Khulna City (PhD Thesis, The University of Hong Kong). 2007.

 

Researcher : Song DW

Project Title:

Integration of Sea Ports and Terminals in Global Supply Chain Systems

Investigator(s):

Song DW

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Small Project Funding

Start Date:

10/2005

Completion Date:

09/2006

 

Abstract:

This study aims to make a contribution in this respect by (i) conceptualizing measures for port/terminal integration in the supply chain (ii) testing the efficacy of the measures via a survey of port operators and managers (iii) assessing the extent of port/terminal integration in the supply chain of a sample of ports/terminals worldwide (iv) examining the relationship between port/terminal integration in the supply chain and performance.

 

List of Research Outputs

 

Panayides P. and Song D.W., Port Supply Chain Orientation and Performance, Paper presented at The International Association of Maritime Economists Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 12-14 July 2006.

 

Researcher : Studer Surbeck SC

List of Research Outputs

 

Studer Surbeck S.C., Welford R.J. and Hills P.R., Engaging Hong Kong Businesses in Environmental Change: Drivers and Barriers, Business Strategy and the Environment. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment, 2006, 15(6): 416-431.

 

Researcher : Tam TH

List of Research Outputs

 

Tam T.H., An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) System in Hong Kong (PhD Thesis, The University of Hong Kong). 2007.

 

Researcher : Tang PSS

List of Research Outputs

 

Tang P.S.S., A Comparative Study on the Environmental Reporting of the public sectors in Hong Kong and Japan (MPhil Thesis, The University of Hong Kong). 2007.

 

Researcher : Walker RM

Project Title:

Strategic research areas: theme on social and public policy

Investigator(s):

Walker RM, Lai LWC, Thomas ND, Curley MG, Siu AKF, Chan JCW

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Seed Funding for Strategic Research Theme

Start Date:

05/2005

 

Abstract:

Social and public policy themes are important at the global, national, regional and local levels. To understand why specific issues enter onto the policy agenda, why some policies are implemented and not others, and the consequences of policies requires an understanding of the overall context within which policies are implemented and why responses to particular problems were chosen.

 

Project Title:

New Institutional Economics and urban Chinese housing markets: a review and case study of Wuhan

Investigator(s):

Walker RM, Ma L

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research

Start Date:

03/2006

Completion Date:

11/2006

 

Abstract:

The purpose of the investigation is to: (a) make a first time application of new institutional economics (NIE) to Chinese urban housing markets; (b) use NIE to understand processes of reform and impact in Chinese urban housing markets; (c) explore the utility of a theory-led evluation framework for the analysis of resturcturing in Chinese urban housing markets; (d) develop new evidence and datasets in a case study of Wuhan; and (e) contribute towards theoretical, empirical and policy debates on institutional reform in urban China through the findings of this theoretically-led evaluation. The project addresses two central issues within the literature, one conceptual the second methodological: 1. New Institutional Economics, that is theories of property rights (Barxel, 1997; Webster and Lai, 2003), transaction costs (Williamson, 1975) and public choice (Down, 1967; Niskanen, 1971), suggests itself as a conceptual framework that will be of great value in explaining and interpreting the processes of commodification in Chinese urban housing markets. It offers a lens that will explain a range of issues and problems. For example, the various 'strata' in housing markets, such as commodity housing, or partly privatised housing can be understood through a property rights lens were commodity housing offers full property rights, urban farm villages collective rights, and partial rights in partly privatized state housing. Furthermore, we can understand these 'strata' as transitional-full property rights have not yet been attained. This leads to emergent market structures and the development of new institutions, for example property management agents. A second illustrative example of how NIE offers an important insight into issues and problems comes from a public choice perspective: the ongoing change in the size and nature of city government bureaux can be seen as a response to changes in the housing market, the way in which information is available to actors in the market to exercise choice (for example transitional arrangements are emerging to arbitrate disputes between property management companies and unincorporated homeowners associations) and the power of city majors to implement new approaches. Alongside explaintions of urban housing markets the NIE perspective also allows issues of impact to be addressed, this could be city-wide changes in efficiency or responsiveness or between households accorded different property rights or to assess the impact on equity (use, access, outcome and final income) as market processes are rolled out. 2. The RGC application proposed developing a multi-site comparative case study method. Given this application is to improve upon that application, and to undertake exploratory case studies, the methodological contribution will be to implement the proposed theory-led evauation within one city (allowing vertical and horizontal comparisons within a city).

 

List of Research Outputs

 

Ackroyd S., Kirkpatrick I. and Walker R.M., Public Management Reform in the UK and its Consequences for Professional Organization: A Comparative Analysis, Public Administration. Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2007, 85(1): 9-26.

 

Andrews R., Boyne G.A., Law J. and Walker R.M., Exploring the Impact of Managers' Perceptions of the Environment on Public Service Performance, British Academy of Management. 2007.

 

Andrews R., Boyne G.A., Moon M.J. and Walker R.M., Measuring Organizational Performance: Reliability and Overestimation of Performance Measurement, Determinants of Performance in Public Organizations II, University of Hong Kong, 7-10 December 2006.

 

Andrews R., Boyne G.A., Law J. and Walker R.M., Strategy, Structure and Process in the Public Sector: A Test of the Miles and Snow Model, Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Atlanta August 2006.

 

Andrews R., Boyne G.A., Meier K.J., O’Toole Jr L.J. and Walker R.M., Strategy, Structure, Process and Environment in English Local Governments, MidWest Political Science Association Conference Chicago, April 2007.

 

Andrews R., Boyne G.A. and Walker R.M., Subjective and objective measures of organizational performance: An empirical exploration, In: G.A. Boyne, K.J. Meier, L.J.Jr. O'Toole and R.M. Walker (eds.), Public Services Performance: Perspectives on Measurement and Management. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2006, 14-34.

 

Andrews R., Boyne G.A., Meier K.J., O’Toole Jr L.J. and Walker R.M., Wake Up Call: Network Alarms, Strategy and Performance, International Research Symposium on Public Management Potsdam, Germany, April 2007.

 

Boyne G.A., Meier K.J., O’Toole L.J. and Walker R.M., Introduction, In: G.A. Boyne, K.J. Meier, L.J.Jr. O'Toole and R.M. Walker (eds.), Public Services Performance: Perspectives on Measurement and Management. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2006, 1.

 

Boyne G.A., Meier K.J., O’Toole L.J. and Walker R.M., In: George A Boyne, Kenneth J. Meier, Laurence J. O'Toole Jr. and Richard M. Walker (Eds.), Public Service Performance: Perspectives on Measurement and Management. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2006, 315 pp.

 

Boyne G.A., Meier K.J., O’Toole L.J. and Walker R.M., Public management and organizational performance: An agenda for research, In: G.A. Boyne, K.J. Meier, L.J.Jr. O'Toole and R.M. Walker (eds.), Public Services Performance: Perspectives on Measurement and Management. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2006, 295-311.

 

Brewer G.A., Choi Y.J. and Walker R.M., Accountability, Corruption and Government Effectiveness in Asia: An Exploration of the World Bank Governance Indicators, Asian Forum on Public Management Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 13-14 January 2007.

 

Brewer G.A. and Walker R.M., External Red Tape and Organizational Performance, Mid-Western Political Science Association Conference Chicago, April 2007.

 

Brewer G.A., Hicklin A.K. and Walker R.M., Multi-level Modelling Stakeholder Red Tape, Environmental Constraints, Management and Public Service Performance, Determinants of Performance in Public Organizations II, University of Hong Kong, 7-10 December 2006.

 

Brewer G.A. and Walker R.M., Personnel System Constraints and Public Service Performance: The Mediating Effects of Culture and Climate, International Research Symposium on Public Management Potsdam, Germany, April 2007.

 

Brewer G.A. and Walker R.M., Red Tape, Environmental Constraints and Strategy: Influences on Services, American Political Science Association August-September 2006, Philadelphia. 2006.

 

Law C.K., Walker R.M. and Yip P.S.F., Housing, Households and Population: Working Across Policy Domains, International and Theoretical Perspectives on Social Policies. 2007.

 

Martin S., Entwistle T., Ashworth R., Boyne G.A., Chen A., Dowson L., Enticott G., Law J. and Walker R.M., The Long-Term Evaluation of Best Value. Final Report. London, Department of Communities and Local Government, 2006, 136 pp.

 

Walker R.M., Editorial Board Member, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory (1 January 2005 - present). 2006.

 

Walker R.M. and Li L.H., Institutional Reform in the Provision of Public Services in Hong Kong: an efficiency evaluation, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy. UK, Pion Ltd, 2006, 597–614.

 

Walker R.M., Brewer G.A. and Boyne G.A., Market Orientation and Public Service Performance: NPM gone Mad?, Determinants of Performance in Public Organizations II, University of Hong Kong, 7-10 December 2006.

 

Wu J., Yang Y.Q. and Walker R.M., On the Effect of Innovation on Government Competency, Journal of Lanzhou University (in Chinese). 2006, 34(5): 33-40.

 

Researcher : Welford RJ

Project Title:

The economic and environmental impacts of post-tsunami corporate giving

Investigator(s):

Welford RJ

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Small Project Funding

Start Date:

01/2006

 

Abstract:

This project aims to: 1. Identify perceptions amongst large corporations in the region with respect to the use of funds donated for tsumani relief 2. Through the use of Thailand as an example, identify reasons why tsunami relief has been perceived to be slow and evaluate the way in which monies donated by large businesses have been used 3. Make recommendations relating to how remaining funds being held by companies can be effectively used for tsunami related aid and relief in affected areas 4. Examine the environmental safeguards taken in tsunami redevelopment and measure the overall impact of relief efforts on the environment

 

Project Title:

Stakeholder Partnerships for Sustainable Development: Pilot Study

Investigator(s):

Welford RJ, Walker RM, Hills PR

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research

Start Date:

03/2007

 

Abstract:

This proposal builds upon existing streams of work in CUPEM on sustainable development, environmental policy, corporate social responsibility and public policy (Boyne et al, 2003; Enticott and Walker, 2005, 2006; Hills et al, 2003; Hills et al, 2006; Hills and Welford, 2002; Hills et al., 2003, 2006; Walker and Li, 2006; Walker et al., forthcoming; Welford, 2004, 2005; Welford and Frost 2006). It seeks to take this work forward by synthesising literature from different disciplines, drawing upon new conceptual frameworks and stakeholder partnerships and by moving the unit of analysis away from the environment to include broader social, economic and environmental issues in the formation of public policies with the intention of submitting and CERG RGC application in autumn 2007. Social, economic and environmental issues in the formation of public policies is an area that is constantly being refined, extended and redefined. Command-and-control models based on the extensive use of regulatory laws and standards, though still important, are increasingly seen as just one element in a diverse ‘menu’ of approaches that can help government, business and civil society move towards a more sustainable future. Concepts of negotiation, stakeholder engagement and consensus-building now occupy a prominent role in processes of reform in many parts of the world. Hong Kong’s approach to policy making and management still places considerable emphasis on regulation but there are indications that this is beginning to change and that a more significant role for stakeholder partnerships may emerge in the future. These cooperative structures are likely to see new relationships developing between non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and government. The basic long-term issues are how to promote effective modes of policy development and implementation. Our research objectives are to: • Examine the variables associated with successful partnership arrangements for sustainable development (theoretically and empirically); • Identify how different stakeholder groups identify success, in terms of processes and outcome; and, • Examine the applicability of stakeholder participation models for Hong Kong. This study will address the following research questions: 1. For each of the four topics listed below, what stakeholder partnership exist?; 2. What does the academic literatures from the business, public and voluntary sectors say about the effectiveness of public policy development based on cooperative stakeholder based engagement?; 3. How do different stakeholder groups measure success?; 4. According to the success criteria did the partnerships work?; and, 5. What are the implications for the development of stakeholder-based public policy? This proposal is a continuation of work in CUPEM on environmental policy reform, partnerships, corporate social responsibility, and trust. Importantly it is also a natural extension of three successful RGC grants by Professor Peter Hills and Dr Richard Welford: • Engaging business with environmental change: an analysis of impediments and incentives in Hong Kong, • Partnership, voluntary agreements and the process of environmental reform in Hong Kong, • Trust, legitimacy and environmental reform in Hong Kong What differentiates this proposal from past work is the emphasis on social, economic and environmental policies and strategies together with a more explicit focus on public policy making, development and service delivery through stakeholder partnerships. This links to Walker’s work on public policy and management—for example research on network or partnership behaviour, social and public policies in Hong Kong and processes and methods to enhance government effectiveness. The novelty of this application is to be found in our work that seeks to bring together the notion of corporate social responsibility in the business and management literature together with the study of sustainable development policies (that includes social, economic and environmental policies) in the public management literature. An additional factor joining these two themes is an increasing focus on stakeholder partnership as a mode of public engagement, consultation and better quality decision-making. Boyne, G. A., Farrell, C., Law, J. Powell, M and Walker R. M. (2003) Evaluating Public Management Reforms: Principles and Practices Buckingham: The Open University Press Enticott, G and Walker, R. M. (2005) Environmental sustainability and management reform in local government, Policy and Politics 33, 2, 397-322 Enticott, G and Walker, R. M. (2006) Sustainability, performance and organizational strategy: an empirical analysis of public organizations, Business Strategy and the Environment 14, DOI: 10.1002/bse.501 Hills, P. R. and Welford, R. (2002) “Ecological modernisation as a weak form of sustainable development in Hong Kong”, International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, 9, (2002), 315-331 Hills, P. R., Lam, J. and Welford, R. (2006) “Environmental reform, technology policy and transboundary pollution in Hong Kong”, Development and Change, 37, 1, (2006), 145-178 Hills, P. R., Roberts, R. and Welford, R. (2003) Ecological modernisation, environmental reform and the transformation of production and consumption. International Journal of Environmental and Sustainable Development 2, 3, 156-171 Walker, R. M. and Li, L. H. (2006) Institutional reform in the provision of public services in Hong Kong: an efficiency evaluation, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 24, 597-614 Walker, R. M., O’Toole, L. J. Jr., and Meier, K. J. (forthcoming) Its where you are that matters: The networking behaviour of local government officers, Public Administration Welford R. (2004) Corporate social responsibility: A perspective from Asia, new Academy Review 3, 4, 47-54 Welford R. (2005) Corporate social responsibility in Europe, North America and Asia: 2004 survey results. Journal of Corporate Citizenship 17, 33-52 Welford R. and Frost, S (2006) Corporate social responsibility in Asian supply chains Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 13, 3, 166-176 Welford, R. Hills, P. R., and Young, W. (2006) Partnerships for Sustainable Development: Perspectives from the Asia-Pacific Region. Hong Kong, Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management, University of Hong Kong

 

List of Research Outputs

 

Gouldson A., Hills P.R. and Welford R.J., Ecological Modernization and Policy Learning in Hong Kong, Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) Papers. UK, Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), University of Leeds, 2007, June 2007 (No. 03): 26 pp.

 

Ho M. and Welford R.J., Case Study: Power, Protests and the Police: The Shootings at Shanwei, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment, 2006, 13(4): 233-237.

 

Mantel S.K., Cheung K.K., Welford R.J. and Hills P.R., Cooperative business-NGO partnerships in Hong Kong: NGO perspective, International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development. UK, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, 2007, 6(2): 174-192.

 

Studer Surbeck S.C., Welford R.J. and Hills P.R., Engaging Hong Kong Businesses in Environmental Change: Drivers and Barriers, Business Strategy and the Environment. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment, 2006, 15(6): 416-431.

 

Welford R.J., Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility: Issues for Asia, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment, 2007, 14(1): 42-51.

 

Welford R.J. and Frost S., Corporate Social Responsibility in Asian Supply Chains, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment, 2006, 13(3): 166-176.

 

Welford R.J., Editor, Business Strategy and the Environment (1994 - present). 2006.

 

Welford R.J., Editor, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management (2002 - present). 2006.

 

Welford R.J., Editor, Sustainable Development (1997 - present). 2006.

 

Welford R.J., Examining, Discussing and Suggesting the Possible Contribution and Role of Buddhist Economics for Corporate Social Responsibility, International Journal of Green Economics. UK, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, 2007, 1(3/4): 341-350.

 

Welford R.J., Member of Editorial Board, Journal Environmental Assessment and Management (1998 - present). 2006.

 

Welford R.J., Member of the Editorial Board, European Environment (1991 - present). 2006.

 

Yu J., Welford R.J. and Hills P.R., Industry Responses to EU WEEE and ROHS Directives: Perspectives from China, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment, 2006, 13(5): 286-299.

 

Researcher : Xu J

Project Title:

Regional Cooperation: Beyond Individual Competition in the Greater Pearl River Delta

Investigator(s):

Xu J

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research

Start Date:

07/2006

 

Abstract:

Since the 1990s, local economic policies in the Greater Pearl River Delta (Greater PRD) have been strongly influenced by the approach of urban entrepreneurialism, in which localities have been managed like “firms” and marketed as “products” in order to attract mobile capital and generate endogenous growth. It is now widely recognized that such approach has caused rampant “beggar thy neighbor” self-interest polices and intensified the problems of administrative and jurisdictional fragmentation in the region. Recommendations for tackling the situation often call for more cooperation among cities to develop regional agenda and to promote effective problem-solving among municipalities. Governments in Hong Kong and Guangdong have begun to initiate a number of programmes in promoting closer economic partnership and coordinative cross-border planning, especially after the Policy Address of the Chief Executive of HKSAR in 2002. The interest in regional cooperation underscores the logic of investigating issues like how such cooperation can be evolved, developed and sustained. Unfortunately, few studies have explored these issues to enrich our understanding of the nature of relationship between different cities (cooperation or competition?) and of specific regional actions that can promote effective cooperation as well as how and why these structures developed. Seldom is such cooperation under direct scrutiny in terms of its various forms and characteristics, and how public policies can be formulated to foster, develop and sustain different forms of cooperation and how policy makers can anticipate and assess its outcomes. In addition, there is a general lack of theoretical framework dealing with cooperation of cities. As a result, many programs of regional cooperation have been implemented only in a weak form. This is especially true in the Greater PRD, which has perhaps one of the world’s most sophisticated and fragmented administrative structures. There are a variety of administrative settings in the region. It has the provincial capital of Guangzhou and two special economic zones that enjoy sub-provincial status (Shenzhen and Zhuhai), independent of the provincial planning system. It has six prefecture-level municipalities, sixteen county-level cities and three counties, each with certain designated power in urban development and planning. It has two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macao) under “one country two systems” principle that are self-governing. Intensified by competition among these places for central city status and mobile capital, the complexity of status and ambiguities of these jurisdictions’ responsibilities in regional system have increased tension, causing difficulty in real world planning. Regional cooperation and planning under such a highly complicated structure surely requires a systematic scholarship. This research attempts to systematically examine above issues in both theoretical and practical terms in order to understand the nature of city competition and cooperation and to analyze the possibility of cooperation amongst the cities in the Greater PRD. It will use a case study approach to examine the experiences of Europe and North America in regional cooperation. It will also review the history and culture of regional development and planning in China, and look into current practice and ongoing efforts in forging regional cooperation. These will help us to understand the reasons and tactics behind effective regional cooperation in China and overseas countries and to compare these experiences in the context and situation in the Greater-RPD. The research attempts to answer whether regional cooperation in the Greater-PRD will be successful and how to make it successful and what to avoid. The result of the research can help the Hong Kong government and other governments in the Greater-PRD to work out operational plans in achieving better regional cooperation. In a more specific term, this research will have five main objectives. First, it will look into typical cases of regional cooperation (also called inter-jurisdictional cooperation by many Western scholars and practitioners) in the West to identify particular actions that have promoted effective cooperation; how and why these structures evolved; and what are the outcomes of the cooperation. Second, adding to the overseas cases, the research will look into the history and experiences of regional development and planning in China, and examine typical cases in forging cooperation. This will help us to understand specific culture of regional development and planning in China. Third, building on these existing regional cooperation efforts and academic discourses, the research will develop a theoretical and analytical framework for regional cooperation which takes into account significant requirements of cooperative behavior of different inter-jurisdiction partners. Fourth, based on this framework, the research will look into how the long tradition and experience with regional cooperation efforts in Europe and North America and regional planning tradition in China can inform policy and practice in Hong Kong and cities in the greater-PRD that wish to achieve competitive regionalism. Finally, the research will attempt to identify best practices in forging regional cooperation. These five main objectives can be translated into following specific tasks: （a） Identify typical cases of regional cooperation in Europe and America; （b） Identify typical cases of regional cooperation and planning in China and examine relevant issues. For example, back in the mid 1990s, there was an effort to build a regional economy in Yangtze River Delta centred on Shanghai but it fizzled. Another big failure is the Tunmen River Plan with North Korea. Why? What lessons, if any, are there for the greater PRD? （c） Examine several significant questions about cooperation. These include, for examples, what are the major factors that have raised the importance of regional cooperation in public policy and practice? Is regional cooperation possible? What are the key debates? How and why regional cooperation vary? What are the major forms, objectives, institutional format, tactical approach, funding mechanism, and outcome of regional cooperation? （d） Understand the competition and cooperation “culture” in China and compare the international experiences with the context and situation in the Greater PRD region; （e） Identify best practices in forging regional cooperation, and （f） Identify major issues and directions of regional cooperation in the Greater PRD. （g） Initial findings will be submitted to CERG for further funding.

 

List of Research Outputs

 

Wu F., Xu J. and Yeh A.G.O., Urban Development in Post-Reform China: State, Market and Space. London and New York, Routledge, 2007, 345 pp.

 

Xu J., Competition and cooperation of financial centers: Hong Kong and other cities, Occasional paper No. 71, the Centre for China Urban and Regional Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University. 2006.

 

Xu J., Competition and cooperation of financial centers: Hong Kong and other cities, Paper presented at the International Conference on Economic Development and City Cooperation, Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China, September 23-25, 2006.

 

Xu J., Governing city regions in China: theoretical issues and perspectives for regional strategic planning, International Conference on China's Urban Transition and City Planning. 2007.

 

Xu J., One Region Many Systems: Competition or Cooperation in the Greater Pearl River Delta Region, Lecture notes and Presentation for China Rising: Regional Dynamics in a Emerging Superpower, Dickson Colleague in United States. 2006.

 

Xu J., The Politics of Inter-jurisdictional Cooperation in the Pearl River Delta: the Case of Guangzhou-Zhuhai Railway, 2007 AAG Annual Meeting. 2007.

 

Xu J., URC/CRCG - Conference Grants for Teaching Staff , International Conference on China's Urban Transition and City Planning . 2007.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Xu J. and Yi H., Fourth wave of urbanization in China (in Chinese), 中國城市化的第四波, City Planning Review. 城市規劃, Beijing, China, 2006, 30 Supplement 2006: 13-18.

 

Researcher : Yeh AGO

Project Title:

Case-based reasoning and urban planning

Investigator(s):

Yeh AGO

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management Trust Fund

Start Date:

05/1999

 

Abstract:

Planning support system is the forefront of research on the application of information technology in urban planning. Case-based reasoning and its associated case-based system have the potential to be an important component of the planning support system. A case-based system for the processing of planning applications will be developed to examine the implementation and utility of case-based resoning in urban planning.

 

Project Title:

Constrained cellular automata (CA) models for land use planning

Investigator(s):

Yeh AGO, Li X

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Other Funding Scheme

Start Date:

06/2000

 

Abstract:

A site of constrained cellular automata models will be developed for generating alternative land use plans according to different planning objectives. These models can be used for the planning of sustainable development.

 

Project Title:

Hong Kong - Pearl River Delta development

Investigator(s):

Yeh AGO

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

The University of Hong Kong Foundation Seed Grant

Start Date:

04/2002

 

Abstract:

To study Hong Kong - Pearl River Delta development.

 

Project Title:

Competitive development of GuangZhou

Investigator(s):

Yeh AGO

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Other Funding Scheme

Start Date:

09/2002

 

Abstract:

To examine how GuangZhou reposition itself in the increasing competition amongst cities in the Pearl River Delta.

 

Project Title:

Short-interval monitoring of urban land development with satellite SAR images using object-oriented image analysis and knowledge-based systems

Investigator(s):

Yeh AGO, Li X

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (CERG)

Start Date:

10/2004

 

Abstract:

To collect and analyze bi-monthly SAR images in the first year of the study for developing such monitoring system and three additional SAR images in the next year in different seasons for testing the accuracy and reusability of the proposed method in different seasons of the year.

 

Project Title:

China Studies Research Areas

Investigator(s):

Yeh AGO, Wong SL, Tse DKC, Burns JP

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Seed Funding for Strategic Research Theme

Start Date:

05/2005

 

Abstract:

To coordinate the three themes: Business and Law; Comparative Studies of Culture and Society Theme; and Reform and Development. The research focus will be on comparative studies of culture and society, business and law, and reform and development of contemporary China, especially in the era of globalization.

 

Project Title:

Identification of Transport Black Spots Using Web-Based Public Paritcipatary GIS

Investigator(s):

Yeh AGO

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research

Start Date:

02/2006

 

Abstract:

Traffic accidents have been causing thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of disabilities to the world each year. In order to reduce casualty and other losses, researches have been done all over the world to find out the causes of traffic accidents. It has been identified that three major aspects are contributing to accidents and they are road infrastructure, drivers and vehicles. These three aspects are said to be interactive, and improvement in one aspect can improve the other at the same time (EUROPA, n.d.). For example, clear traffic design should be able to influence and guide the driver's behaviour, and a forgiving road side design can protect the road users in case a vehicle crashes. Traditionally, problematic road designs are identified after a high record of accidents was tracked at the same location. In order to take a more proactive approach, actions should be taken before the accidents happen. Some countries have already adopted road safety reviews and road safety audits in order to identify problematic road design at an early stage. However, these reviews and audits are done by a small team who tries to consider the safety aspects on theoretical basis or by hypothetical analysis. To supplement the views by these experts, road users’ who have actual experience of using these facilities can share genuine problems in actual daily usages. This research therefore proposes to adopt public participation approach to identify the problematic road infrastructure, such as traffic signs. Before the authority can look into which orad infrastructure went wrong, they have to identify the location that are highly likely to cause problems. Traditionally, the identification of problematic road infrastructure was done by black-spot approach by identifying the location of the most frequency occurred car accidents. This approach is considered as the first generation of road safety measures. The second generation approach of road safety starts with road users behaviour and expectation (Lamm, Psarianos and Mailaender 1999). Proper design of road infrastructure, harmonization of design standards, and more attention to human operator of the road system and their response to changes in the road system are characteristics of the second generation approach. To deliver this second generation approach of road safety measures, more attention has to be given to the road users’ opinion. This is in line with the call from World Health Organisation (2004) for more concern on road safety and to create effective partnership horizontally and vertically that involves the participation by different sectors of the society. With the advanced spatial query and display capabilities of geographic information system (GIS), there have been increasing applications of GIS in road safety analysis recently (For example, Smith, Harkey and Harris, 2001; Gholsten and Anderson, 2005). Database of blackspots, traffic characteristics or other road infrastructures are inputted, analysed and presented in GIS. To identify locations of black spots, usually previous accident data are made use of. There is a general lack of study on to use public participation GIS in collecting feedback from raod users. Involving the road users to identify the location of problematic transport infrastructure can create partnership between the road authority and the public in promoting road safety. In identifying the location, textual description of the location may cause confusion, and sometimes not accurate enough. A direct way of identifying geographical locations is done with the help of maps. Satellite pictures can be inputted into the system as another map layer, so that the users can refer to it whenever necessary to remind them of the actual scene in any location. These map information enable a better communication between the road user and the authority. In recent years, there has been growing use of public participation in Geographic Information System (PPGIS). Applications are found in areas such as community development, land use planning, bioregional mapping, urban design etc. (Ball, 2002). In PPGIS, the stakeholders are allowed to interact with the online data on a GIS platform in the Internet. (Krygier, 1998; Carver, Evans, Kingston and Turton 2001; Ball 2002). This study will develop a web-based public participatory GIS to enable road users to submit to the transport authority locations of problem areas of the transport network and for the transport authority to produce users' traffif black spot maps for analysis and follow up actions. References: Ball, J. (2002) Towards a Methodology for Mapping “Regions for Sustainability” Using PPGIS, Progress in Planning, Vol 58, p. 81-140. Carver, S. Evans, A. Kingston, R. and Turton, I (2001) Public participation, GIS, and Cyberdemocracy: Evaluating On-line Spatial Decision Support System, Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, Vol 28, p.907-921. EUROPA (n. d.) Road Safety: Road Infrastructure, available in: http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/road/roadsafety/roadinfra/index_en.htm (Last Visit, 1/11/2005) DoT, UK (1991) from The Human Factors of Transport Signs, Castro C. and Horberry, T. (eds.), p.2 Gholsten, S. E. and Anderson M. D., (2005) A GIS Accident System to Accompany CARE, US: Department of Transportation, Technical Report No. FHWA/CA/OR. Krygier, J. B. (1998) The Praxis of Public Participation GIS and Visualisation, in Empowerment, Marginalisation and Public participation GIS, Specialist meeting at the National Centre for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA), Santa Barbara, 15-17 October, 1998. Papers available in: http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/varenius/ppgis/papers/ (Last Visit, 1/11/2005) Lamm R., Psarianos B. and Mailaender T. (1999) Highway Design and Traffic Safety Engineering Handbook, Chapter 20, New York: McGraw-Hill. Lay, M. G. (1998) Handbook of Road Technology, Vol.2, 3rd ed., New York: Gordon and Breach. Lay, M. G. (2004) Design of Traffic Signs, in The Human Factors of Transport Signs, C. Castro and T. Horberry (eds.), Florida: CRC Press LLC. Smith R. C., Harkey D. L., and Harris B. (2001) Implementation of GIS-Based Highway Safety Analysis: Bridging the Gap, US: Department of Transportation, Technical Report No. FHWA-RD-01-039. Transport Department (2000) Road Users’ Code, HK: Government of the HKSAR World Health Organisation (2004) World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention: Summary, Geneva: WHO.

 

Project Title:

GIS road network data model for the display and navigation of multi-lane complex intersection transport network

Investigator(s):

Yeh AGO

Department:

Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt

Source(s) of Funding:

Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (CERG)

Start Date:

01/2007

 

Abstract:

(1) To evaluate and compare the pros and cons of road network data models. (2) To find an appropriate and efficient GIS road network data model for the display and navigation of multi-lane complex intersection transport network, based on the complex road network condition of Hong Kong.

 

List of Research Outputs

 

Li X., Yeh A.G.O. and Chen X., "Short Interval Monitoring of Illegal Urban Land Use Changes", RADARSAT-2 Symposium, organized by Canadian Space Agency (11-15 September 2006, Saint-Hubert, Montreal, Quebec, Canada). 2006.

 

Li X., Yeh A.G.O., Liu X.P. and Yang Q.S., 地理模擬系統:元胞自動機與多智能體, Beijing, Science Press, 2007, 312 pp.

 

Wu F., Xu J. and Yeh A.G.O., Urban Development in Post-Reform China: State, Market and Space. London and New York, Routledge, 2007, 345 pp.

 

Yeh A.G.O., "Employment Decentralization and New Town Development in Hong Kong", 2nd World Planning Schools Congress 2006, organized by Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and Global Planning Education Association Network (GPEAN) (11-16 July 2006, Mexico City, Mexico). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Academician, Chinese Academy of Sciences (November 2003 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Academician, International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, Minsk, Russia (21 May 1995 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Advisory Professor, School of Architecture and Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai (30 October 1995 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Editorial Board Member, Asian Pacific Planning Review, Korea Planners Association, Taiwan Institute of Urban Planning, City Planning Institute of Japan (January 2003 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Editorial Board Member, China City Planning Review, Beijing: China Urban Planning Society and China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (January 1996 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Editorial Board Member, Environment and Planning B, London: Pion (1994 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Editorial Board Member, Foreign Urban Planning (in Chinese), Beijing: China Urban Planning Society and China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (October 1996 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Editorial Board Member, Geo-information Science, Beijing: Science Press. 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Editorial Board Member, Geocarto - International Journal of GIS and Remote Sensing, Hong Kong: Geocarto International Centre (1994 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Editorial Board Member, Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, School of Housing, Building and Planning, Penang, Malaysia (2005 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Editorial Board Member, Journal of Geographical Sciences, Beijing: Geographical Society of China and Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (2001 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Editorial Board Member, Progress in Planning, London: Pergamon Press (1994 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Editorial Board Member, Tropical Geography (in Chinese), Guangzhou: Guangdong Science and Technology Press (1993 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Xu J. and Yi H., Fourth wave of urbanization in China (in Chinese), 中國城市化的第四波, City Planning Review. 城市規劃, Beijing, China, 2006, 30 Supplement 2006: 13-18.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Honorary Professor, National Laboratory for Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University (June 1998 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Honorary Professor, National Laboratory of Resources and Environment Information System (LREIS), Institute of Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (August 1989 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Honorary Professor, School of Geoscience and Environmental Science, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou, China (April 1990 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Invited Keynote Paper, "Integration of Cellular Automata and GIS in Urban Planning", 4th International Conference on Planning and Design – New Perspectives in Planning and Design, organized by Department of Urban Planning, Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, 5-6 May 2007.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Invited Keynote Paper, "Planning and Management of Super Tall Building Living in High Density Cities", International Forum on Urban Development – Globalization and Urban Development, organized by College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University and supported by UN-Habitat, China Ministry of Construction, and Shanghai Municipal Government, 19 May 2007.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Invited Panelist, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cooperation Forum, Central Policy Unit, Hong Kong SAR and Shenzhen Comprehensive Development Research Institute, 3 August 2006, Shenzhen. 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Invited Paper, "Digital City and GIS", 12th Joint International Computer Conference (JICC 2006), jointly organized by Hong Kong Computer Society and China Computer Society, Zhongshan City, China, 30 November - 1 December 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Invited Paper, "Pearl River Delta: Planning and Urban Development in China and Hong Kong", sLIM Seminar on Urban Development, organized by sLIM Foundation and the Department of Geography, Planning and International Studies, University of Amsterdam, 20 October 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Keynote paper, "Fourth Wave of Urbanization in China" , International Conference on China's Urban Transition and City Panning, 29-30 June 2007, Cardiff University . 2007.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Member of Editorial Board, Asian Journal of Geoinformatics, Asian Remote Sensing Research Information Network, Bangkok, Asian Institute of Technology (October 2000 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Member of Editorial Board, Delft, The Netherlands: International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation (January 1999 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Member of Editorial Board, New York: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems (April 1997 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Member of Editorial Board, Routledge, London, UK: Planning Theory and Practice (in conjunction with the Royal Town Planning Institute), September 1999 - present. 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Member of Editorial Board, Transactions in GIS, Cambridge: GeoInformation International (November 1996 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Member of Editorial Board, Wuhan, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping: Geo-Spatial Information Science (English Edition), December 1999 - present. 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Member of International Advisory Board, Planning Practice and Research, Bristol (November 1996 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Member of International Editorial Advisory Board, Regional Development Studies, Nagayo, Japan: United Nations Centre for Regional Development (1997 - present). 2006.

 

Yeh A.G.O., Member of International Editorial Board, Cardiff, UK: International Planning Studies (September 1998 - present). 2006.

 

Researcher : Yeung CK

List of Research Outputs

 

Yeung C.K., Shifts in home ownership policy in Hong Kong 1997-2003 (PhD Thesis, The University of Hong Kong). 2007.

 

Researcher : Yi H

List of Research Outputs

 

Yeh A.G.O., Xu J. and Yi H., Fourth wave of urbanization in China (in Chinese), 中國城市化的第四波, City Planning Review. 城市規劃, Beijing, China, 2006, 30 Supplement 2006: 13-18.

 

Researcher : Yu J

List of Research Outputs

 

Yu J. and Bell J.N.B., Building a Sustainable Business in China's Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management . UK, Imperial College Press, 2007, 9(1): 19-43.

 

Yu J., Welford R.J. and Hills P.R., Industry Responses to EU WEEE and ROHS Directives: Perspectives from China, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment, 2006, 13(5): 286-299.



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