CIVL 6025

Environmental Impact Assessment

of Engineering Projects

Hong Kong
Planning Standards
and Guidelines

Disclaimer: Lectures are given in personal professional capacity and

not represent the official position of EPD and HKSARG
Hong Kong
Planning Standards and Guidelines

 A Government manual of criteria for

determining the scale, location and site
requirements of various land uses and
facilities.
 Applied in planning studies, preparation/
revision of town plans and development
control.
Hong Kong
Planning Standards and Guidelines

Purposes
 Guidelines for reserving adequate land to facilitate
social and economic development and provide
appropriate public facilities to meet the needs of
the public.
 A tool in forward planning to provide an equitable
basis for the allocation of scarce land resources.
Hong Kong
Planning Standards and Guidelines

Purposes
 Provides locational guidelines for various types
of land uses and facilities to help the planning of
a development area.

 A tool to regulate development by providing

guidance on the scale, intensity and site
requirements of various developments as well
as the supporting facilities required.
Hong Kong
Planning Standards and Guidelines

Application
 Strategic planning level
 determine the total land requirements for various
uses and their territorial distribution.
 District level
 identify specific areas and sites for individual
land uses and facilities and their orderly
arrangements.
Hong Kong
Planning Standards and Guidelines

Application
 Applied with a degree of flexibility, having regard to
land use demands, local conditions, development
constraints and resource availability.
 Neither statutory nor rigid. Its effectiveness
depends on proper understanding, flexible
application and cooperation within the Government
and similarly its application by developers through
proper guidance from the Government.
Hong Kong
Planning Standards and Guidelines
Contents
 Ch1 Introduction
 Ch2 Residential Densities
 Ch3 Community Facilities
 Ch4 Recreation, Open Space & Greening
 Ch5 Industry
 Ch6 Retail Facilities
 Ch7 Utility Services
 Ch8 Internal Transport Facilities
 Ch9 Environment
 Ch10 Conservation
 Ch11 Urban Design Guidelines
 Ch12 Miscellaneous Planning Standards & Guidelines
Hong Kong
Planning Standards and Guidelines

Chapter 9: Environment

 Guidance for including environmental considerations

in the planning of both public and private
developments.
 Applies to the planning of permanent or temporary
uses which will have potential to cause significant
changes to the biophysical environment or which are
sensitive to environmental impacts.
Chapter 9: Environment

Aims of Environmental Planning

 A systematic approach to address the relationships

among activities, environment, natural resources
and environmental effects of activities for the
purpose of optimising environmental quality and
capacity.
Chapter 9: Environment

Aims of Environmental Planning

 Overall policy objectives for environmental planning:

(a) "to avoid creating new environmental problems

by ensuring the consequences for the environment
are properly taken into account in site selection,
planning and design of all new developments"; and

(b) "to seize opportunities for environmental

improvement as they arise in the course of urban
redevelopment ...."
Chapter 9:
Environment
Environmental planning steps
ensure the proposed land uses
are:

 environmentally suitable

 compatible with other land

uses in the same development
area

 provided with adequate and

suitably sited environmental
facilities to handle and dispose
of all wastes and wastewater
arising from proposed
developments
Source: HKPSG
Chapter 9:
Environment
Environmental implications
analysis to evaluate
environmental suitability
governed by factors:

 Existing land uses

 Natural environmental
characteristics (e.g. topography,
climate, hydrological and
hydrographical properties,
vegetation, wild life and habitat)
 Residual environmental
impacts: nature, distribution and
consequences (e.g. sewage,
noise and gas emissions)
 Environmental capacity to
receive additional developments
(e.g. natural self-cleansing
capacity for pollution) Source: HKPSG
Chapter 9: Environment
Environmental Considerations
in Land Use Planning

Air Quality Considerations

Policy Objectives: limit air contamination and met Air Quality

Objectives
Broad Locational Guidelines: current air pollution levels,
topography, prevailing winds
Guidelines for Potentially Polluting Uses: industrial zones,
sewage treatment works, village incinerators, …
Guidelines For Sensitive Uses: high-rise buildings, hospitals,…
Ventilation Corridors
Chapter 9: Environment
Environmental Considerations
in Land Use Planning

Noise Considerations

Policy Objectives: control noise sources, prescribe noise

standards and planning for noise
Guidelines of Noise Emitters: aircraft, road/rail traffic,…
Guidelines to Reduce Noise Exposure: self-protecting
building design, decking, noise barriers, acoustic insulation of
buildings,…
Guidelines for Developments in Rural Area: avoid over 10
db(A) above prevailing background level
Chapter 9: Environment
Environmental Considerations
in Land Use Planning

Water Quality Considerations

Policy Objectives: maintain quality of inland/coastal/marine/

ground waters; provide public sewerage, wastewater treatment and
disposal facilities; enforce pollution control laws
Guidelines for Potentially Polluting Uses: industry, sewage
collection & disposal,…
Guidelines for Sensitive Uses: bathing waters, aquaculture &
fisheries, residential development, water gathering grounds
Chapter 9: Environment
Environmental Considerations
in Land Use Planning

Waste Management Considerations

Policy Objectives: promote sustainable waste management; provide
waste disposal facilities; enforce pollution control laws
Standards and Guidelines for Waste Reception and Transfer
Facilities: refuse transfer & construction waste facilities,…
Guidelines for Industries with Special Requirements for Waste
Disposal: chemical waste, ,livestock rearing,…
Guidelines for Community Facilities with Special Requirements for
Waste Disposal: markets, hospitals, clinics,…
Guidelines for Developments close to Landfills
Hong Kong
Planning Standards and Guidelines

Case Study of Planning

Recommendations:

Traffic Noise
Traffic Noise
One of the most enduring problem
in Hong Kong:

 Dense high-rise developments

sandwiched between busy roads,
flyovers and junctions
 Steep terrain with elevated roads and
other structures
 About 1.1 million people (one in seven
residents) exposed to excessive traffic
noise.
 Road Traffic Noise
• Methodologies
• UK - Calculation of Road Traffic Noise (CRTN)
• Factors that affect Traffic Noise Level
• Vehicle Flow Rate
• Speed
• % of Heavy Vehicle
• Road Surface
• Gradient
• View of angle
• Distance from noise source
• Façade
• Barrier Effect

19
Traffic Noise
3-D Traffic Noise Model:

 Address public concerns before final decisions

 Main components:
 3-D geographical model showing terrain, ground surface
type, traffic flow / composition / speed
 Computational model calculating noise levels at 1m from
building façade and measuring impacts along height and
width of a building
 Photo-realistic model visualizing information via easily-
understood image
Traffic Noise
3-D Traffic Noise Model:
 Colour noise levels: purple and red for the noisiest places
 Visualization of noise levels with and without mitigation
measures (e.g. noise barriers) by walking, driving and flying
through the site

 3-D models of Tseung Kwan O Road Project show noise levels at

building façades without noise barriers (left) and with them (right).
Mitigation of Traffic Noise

 Road traffic noise propagates from a source as a series of

rapidly fluctuating pressure waves to a noise sensitive
receiver.

 Noise mitigation measures at:

 Source
 Pathway
 Receiver
Mitigation of Traffic Noise

Source: HKPSG
Mitigation Measures for Traffic Noise
Town Planning Ordinance

Road Surfacing

24
Mitigation of Traffic Noise
Land Use Planning
 Compatibility of different land uses adjacent to each other.
 Outline Zoning Plans (OZPs) under the Town Planning
Ordinance govern land uses for different purposes. Implications
on the environment (e.g. noise impact) addressed in
amendment of existing OZPs or drafting of new OZPs.

Case Study (Tai Po Industrial Estate):

Separate zones for industrial
undertakings and residential buildings.
A buffer area for non noise sensitive
use between the two zones help to
reduce noise impact to the residents
arising from the industrial operation.
Mitigation of Traffic Noise
Low Noise Road Surface

 Features:
 Absorbing road/tyre interaction noise or reducing tyre
tread impact and shock noise.
 Standard material used in high speed roads.
 Applicable to local roads when suitable for specific road
condition.
 Noise Reduction: 2.5 dB(A)
 Case Study: King Tai Court
at San Po Kong, LOHAS Park
at Tseung Kwan O
Mitigation of Traffic Noise

Noise Barrier

 Features:
 Reduces noise by diffracting sound wave over the top of the
barrier and around its ends.
 Barrier effectively reduce noise level within acoustical
"shadow zone" behind the barrier.

Vertical Barrier:
 Noise Reduction: 2-15 dB(A)
 Case Study: Pak Tin Estate
at Shek Kip Mei, Sau Mau
Ping South Estate at Kwun
Tong, Bel-Air at Pokfulam
Mitigation of Traffic Noise

Noise Barrier
Canopy Barrier:
 Noise Reduction: 2-12 dB(A)
 Case Study: Kwei Lun Estate at Kwei Chung, Royal Escot at Fotan
Mitigation Measures for Traffic Noise

To increase noise pathway

29
Mitigation of Traffic Noise
Building Setback
 Features: Separation between carriageway and residential
development to minimize traffic noise impact to the
domestic premises.
 Noise Reduction: 2.5 – 8.9 dB(A) at 20m - 100m
 Case Study: King Tai Court at San Po Kong
Mitigation of Traffic Noise
Screening by Noise Tolerant Buildings

 Features:
 Protect residential buildings from road traffic noise.
 Example: multi-storey carpark building
 Locating between road traffic and residential building
reduces noise in the "shadow zone"
 Noise Reduction: 1-16 dB(A)
 Case Study: Upper Wong Tai
Sin Estate, Hong Keung Court,
Tseung Kwan O Plaza, Island
Place at North Point
Mitigation of Traffic Noise
Building Orientation and Innovative Layout

 Features: Building orientation with:

Less noise sensitive uses (e.g. kitchen, bathroom, store
rooms) facing noisy side (e.g. busy roads).
 Noise sensitive uses (e.g. living rooms, bed rooms) located
on other side.
 Noise Reduction: 5-19 dB(A)
 Case Study: Un Chau Estate at Cheung Sha Wan, Kam Tai
Court at Ma On Shan, Aldrich Garden at Shau Kei Wan, Rhine
Garden at Sham Tsang, Dynastic Heights at Beacon Hill
Mitigation Measures for Traffic Noise

“Floor to Ceil Window”

Kitchen and toilet are non-
sensitive receiver

Traffic Road
33
Mitigation of Traffic Noise
Podium

 Features: Putting residential buildings on top of a podium

can provide shielding against traffic noise from roads in
their vicinity.
 Noise Reduction: 1-7dB(A)
 Case Study: Sau Mau Ping
South Estate at Kwun Tong,
Island Place at North Point,
Sceneway Garden at Lam Tin,
Discovery Park at Tsuen Wan
Mitigation Measures for Traffic Noise

-Installation of Air-conditioner
-Window Insulation

35
Mitigation of Traffic Noise

Architectural Features
 Architectural fins:
 Features: Screen traffic noise.
 Noise Reduction: 2-3 dB(A)
 Case Study: Yau Lei Estate at
Yau Tong, Nan Fung Plaze at
Tseung Kwan O

 Acoustic balcony:
 Features: More than 1m deep,
1.2m high solid parapet, ceiling
lined with absorptive material.
 Noise Reduction: 2-2.5 dB(A)
 Case Study: Providence Park at
Pak Shek Kok
Mitigation of Traffic Noise

Acoustic Windows
(Top-hung Type)

 Features: A horizontal fin on

window bottom with micro-
perforated absorbers on inner
side behind window.
 Noise Reduction: 4-5.5 dB(A)
 Case Study: Liberte at Lai Chi
Kok
Mitigation of Traffic Noise

Acoustic Windows
(Baffle Type)

 Features:
 Improved double glazing
design
 Noise abatement without
completely closing windows
 Ventilation allowed between
two glass layers
 Noise Reduction: 4-8 dB(A)
 Case Study: King Tai Court,
PolyU/Lingnan U Student Hostels
Hong Kong
Planning Standards and Guidelines

Thank You