Copyright Undertaking
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Copyright Undertaking This thesis is protected by copyright, with all rights reserved. By reading and using the thesis, the reader understands and agrees to the following terms: 1. The reader will abide by the rules and legal ordinances governing copyright regarding the use of the thesis. 2. The reader will use the thesis for the purpose of research or private study only and not for distribution or further reproduction or any other purpose. 3. The reader agrees to indemnify and hold the University harmless from and against any loss, damage, cost, liability or expenses arising from copyright infringement or unauthorized usage. IMPORTANT If you have reasons to believe that any materials in this thesis are deemed not suitable to be distributed in this form, or a copyright owner having difficulty with the material being included in our database, please contact [email protected] providing details. The Library will look into your claim and consider taking remedial action upon receipt of the written requests. Pao Yue-kong Library, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong http://www.lib.polyu.edu.hk THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AS EVERYDAY PLACE: AN URBAN REFERENCE OF PLACEMAKING IN HIGH-DENSITY CITIES WANG WEIJIA Ph.D The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 2017 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design The Pedestrian Bridge As Everyday Place: An Urban Reference of Placemaking in High-density Cities WANG Weijia A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 2016 Certificate of Originality I hereby declare that this thesis is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it reproduces no material previously published or written, nor material that has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. ____________________________ (Signed) WANG Weijia I Abstract Pedestrian bridges are urban infrastructures that are primarily used to segregate pedestrians from vehicular traffic. Many pedestrian bridges have been constructed in high-density cities such as Hong Kong, where they are essential to the daily lives of the urban population and have become a new form of everyday urban place accommodating various daily activities. People from diverse backgrounds use the pedestrian bridges as everyday places that meet their specific urban needs. The oldest pedestrian bridge in Hong Kong is Bowen Road Footbridge, constructed in 1942, and since then 1,214 pedestrian bridges have been completed, as of March 2015. Hong Kong is a bridge city, both physically and metaphorically. The bridges span different terrains and move large numbers of people. They accommodate diverse cultural and recreational activities, and/or commercial urban programs, rather than simply being segregation infrastructures for urban traffic crossing. Intuitively or intentionally, individuals consider and make pedestrian bridges their own places. This study investigates placemaking in high-density urban contexts by examining Hong Kong pedestrian bridges. The aims of the research are to (a) reveal and examine the mechanism of everyday placemaking in a high- density context, (b) develop a framework of necessity and sufficiency for placemaking, and (c) formulate the design and management strategies of everyday placemaking. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used in this research, but as the dominant/less-dominant data collection approach is taken, the qualitative methods are selected as dominant and the quantitative methods make up a relatively a small component. The research consists of three phases: a literature review, an overall investigation, and a detailed case study. The review prepares a solid foundation for the theoretical discussion II while the investigation into the changing roles of urban pedestrian bridges provides guidance for the subsequent in-depth case study, which is based on a physical survey and intensive observations of daily use of the Mong Kok Pedestrian Bridge in Hong Kong, and investigations into the process of everyday placemaking in high-density cities. The frameworks of necessity and sufficiency, for placemaking and place-led development, are summarized and discussed using the concept of the pedestrian bridge as “everyday place,” and an elaborate framework of everyday placemaking is generated by considering the dynamic relationship between micro-scale spatial characteristics and the everyday actions of the urban population. From this framework a performance-based placemaking strategy is proposed that clarifies the roles of designer, planner, regulator, and ordinary everyday user in the process of placemaking. In summary, this thesis provides a systemic analysis of the concept of “pedestrian bridges as everyday places” in a high-density urban context. The nature of the pedestrian bridge space and the process of everyday placemaking are revealed and examined. A strategy of placemaking is then proposed for designers, regulators, and users. The research methodology used can then be referenced in related urban studies. III Publication, Exhibition, and Workshop Arising from the Thesis Publications Wang, W., Siu, K. W. M., & Wong, K. C. K. (2016). The pedestrian bridge as everyday place in high-density cities: An urban reference for necessity and sufficiency of placemaking. URBAN DESIGN International, 21(3), 236- 253. doi: 10.1057/udi.2016.3 Wang, W., Siu, K. W. M., & Wong, K. C. K. (2015). Pedestrian Bridges and Urban Landscape: A Case Study of Hong Kong Pedestrian Bridges’ Aesthetics and Their Effects on the Urban Landscape. The International Journal of Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design, 9(4), 35-53. Wang, W., Siu, K. W. M., & Wong, K. C. K. (2015). Loose Space, Inclusive Life: A Case Study of Mong Kok Pedestrian Bridge as an Everyday Place in a Densely Populated Urban Area. The International Journal of Constructed Environment, 5(2), 1-15. Wang, W., Siu, K. W. M., & Wong, K. (2014). The Changing Role of Pedestrian Bridges in Everyday Urban Life: Case Study of Pedestrian Bridges in Hong Kong. Proceedings: International Journal of Arts and Sciences, 7(1), 347-356 (CD-ROM). Exhibition Wang, W., & Siu, K. W. M. (2014). An everyday bridge (participate in the exhibition "What is Insurgent Public Space?" curated and lead by Hou, J), video installation catalogue, 11 September - 14 September, Agora 2014: Biennale de Bordeaux architecture, urbanisme and design, Bordeaux, France. Workshop IV Wang, W., & Siu, K. W. M. (2016). New migrants of Shanghai: Place attachment in contemporary urbanization. Workshop of Urban Transitions Global Summit 2016, Shanghai, China. September 5-9, 2016. (Above papers are generated during the Phd study. Parts of those publications are included in the thesis. Longer sentences and phases are referenced.) V Acknowledgements My deepest gratitude goes first and foremost to my chief supervisor, Professor Kin Wai Michael SIU, for his generous support and guidance. I especially thank him for great patience on his supervision and constructive advice on my study. His profound knowledge and research experiences significantly have a great influence on my own academic career. I will be forever grateful for his guidance and encouragement not only of my academic work but also of my personal life. I would also like to deeply thank my co-supervisor Dr. Kacey Kwok Choi WONG for his guiding and support. His artistic ways of doing art work and research challenge and inspire me a lot. I will never forget the lessons he taught me to be a creative researcher. I am sincerely grateful for School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University who awarded me the stipend of my Phd study and I also specially thank Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University who supported my workshop during my study period. I would also like to express my gratitude to Professor Jeff HOU at Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Built Environments at University of Washington in Seattle, US. The three-month attachment and visiting study broaden horizons of my research topic and help me gain international experiences. His insightful guidance and full support enlightened me on reflecting my study in different social cultural background. My thanks also go to Research Assistant Professor Melissa Cate Christ in School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. I learned a lot from her professional and research experiences when I worked as her part-time research associate. VI Special thanks go to my colleagues in Public Design Lab in School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. They always provided me a great and timely help. Finally, my deepest thanks go to my parents and my wife Elaine Yi LIAN who supported me throughout my research. I cannot do anything without them and I owe them everything. VII Contents Certificate of Originality ................................................................................ I Abstract ......................................................................................................... II Publication, Exhibition, and Workshop Arising from the Thesis ................ IV Acknowledgements ...................................................................................... VI Contents ..................................................................................................... VIII CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 1 1.1