Issue 8 2020 Realising Hong Kong’s sustainability dream: Kai Tak District Cooling System www.arup.com Click the heading to go to Foreword the relative page. The dramatic effects of COVID-19 on public health and global economies will Technical Solutions inevitably cause a considerable drag on the progress towards the 17 United 04 Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) set for 2030. Despite this Shaping a sustainable future: Why it matters? challenge, the pandemic has reinforced the need for intensified efforts towards these ambitious goals. A visionary breakthrough: Shanghai urban drainage masterplanning Realising Hong Kong’s sustainability dream: This issue of FIRST showcases some of the works and research projects we have Kai Tak District Cooling System done in living up to our commitment to making meaningful contributions to Neuron Health: Keeping indoor air quality in check achieving the UN SDGs. The cover article explains why it matters to all of us to Da Nang WtE facility: Let no waste go to waste shape a sustainable future and the key drivers that will deliver business benefits. Sustainable City pLAn: Setting out the Green New Deal While the list of projects that exemplify our commitment is extensive, this issue brings to you a few specific impactful examples. The Kai Tak District Cooling System (DCS) reflects our trusted capabilities that cover all phases of this groundbreaking project for Hong Kong, from initial planning to design, to final Foresight and Innovation implementation and ongoing operations. 26 2050 scenarios: A glimpse into four fictional futures Extreme weather events put water infrastructure at risk while continuing Building a culture of innovation urbanisation increases demand. In some cases, an ageing water infrastructure needs a major overhaul. Read on to find out our ‘Design with Water’ framework and City Water Resilience Approach to the planning of an integrated water management for Shanghai as the city looks to improve the resilience of its decades-old drainage system. 32 Research Every game-changing project begins with feasibility analysis and strategic Intelligent scanning of rock armour planning. In this issue we also look at the recommendations we made for the Da Mangkhut’s aftermath offers window of opportunity for Arup to Nang City, Vietnam on implementing a waste-to-energy facility under the public- study facade’s resistance to severe winds private partnership model; and on the Sustainable City pLAn envisioned by the City of Los Angeles. Also covered in this issue are the summary of our latest Foresight report, intrapreneurship programme, latest research results, as well as the stories of Sharing and Training Vincent Cheng and Sam Chow, who shared their insights on leadership, career 36 development and project success. Learning in a socially distant world We hope you find this issue informative and useful. Lessons learnt from COVID-19: Shaping a resilient future FIRST is a publication produced by East Asia Arup University (AU) for our clients and partners, exploring Profiles design, innovation and technical solutions for the built 38 environment. It takes its name from the unique model of AU: Foresight, Innovation, Research, Sharing, and Training. Vincent Cheng: Leading Arup’s winning green team Sam Chow: Road to success If you have any thoughts, questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected]. FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions Shaping a sustainable future: Economic drivers • Reduce design and construction costs • Increase asset value Why it matters? • Reduce operating costs • Increase workplace productivity • Bring wider economic benefits At Arup, we are committed to making continued, meaningful contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Not only Environmental drivers does this commitment create shared value for our clients, it also gives back to • Enhance mitigation and resilience against risks posed by climate our communities and helps to protect the environment. We apply our expertise, change Technical Solutions Technical diversity of thinking and independence in the quest for a safe, sustainable and • Improve indoor and outdoor air resilient future for all. quality • Add value through greenery and biodiversity The 17 SDGs to transform our world: • Reduce carbon emissions • Effective use of scarce natural resources Social drivers • Improve reputation and branding • Promote health and well-being • Better reputation and branding • Promote social cohesion and inclusiveness • More design flexibility and legacy • Optimise flexibility and legacy • Better security and safety █ Key drivers defining how sustainable development brings business benefits. Governance drivers • Demonstrate political commitment In all our activities the UN SDGs East Asia consists of countries and combined value, without the support in clean energy; stock exchanges • Align with corporate social challenge us to expand our perspective. regions that are widely different in and understanding of our clients imposing stricter and more demanding responsibility We see our role not just as the best their development stages and that our mission seems impossible. So a requirements for environmental, • Benefit from regulatory incentives producer of outputs we are contracted have diverse historical, cultural and crucial question is why sustainability social, and governance (ESG) • Capitalise on financial incentives to deliver, but also the enabler of political backgrounds. Each has its development matters to your business reporting for listed companies; positive and meaningful broader • Increase access to green capital own set of challenges confronting or organisation? and institutions and corporations outcomes and impacts we and our policymakers, project owners and increasingly issuing green bonds to clients are striving to achieve. community stakeholders. Ensuring the In this challenging and rapidly fund projects with environmental Ultimately a focus on the drivers is not successful completion of local projects changing world, we advocate that benefits. New policies, regulations and only good for business, it will result in while delivering on our promise to adopting sustainable solutions are the initiatives are driving a real change in significant wider positive impacts to meet these UN SDGs is easier said best solutions not just for the planet practice. our planet. That is how, together with than done. and for society, yet increasingly also our clients, we aim to shape a better for bringing business benefits. We have identified a set of drivers world. While we as designers, planners, that we believe help deliver business engineers, architects, consultants We are already witnessing a benefits for projects we work on with and technical specialists have the wholescale change in some sectors: clients. expertise and skills to materialise that energy companies investing more 5 FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions A global perspective turned into local solutions A visionary breakthrough: After reviewing the previous drainage masterplan and studying relevant cases across the globe, the project team Shanghai urban drainage challenged the traditional approach of focusing solely on large ‘grey’ infrastructure solutions. Instead, a visionary ‘blue, green and grey’ masterplanning approach was proposed to support an integrated water cycle plan across the city, which would also benefit other aspects across the Greater Shanghai, Client: Shanghai Municipal Water Authority including ecology, economy and public health. Collaborator: Shanghai Urban Construction Design As global policymakers continue to and Research Institute find ways to cope with the inevitable █ The Shanghai project team attended a workshop during a site visit to Leeds, the UK. Arup’s scope of services: impacts from climate change, Water engineering, flood risk innovations such as new governance management, civil engineering, models, water sensitive urban design, landscape architecture, central urban drainage system planning, integrated flood control planning drainage capacity standard and and decentralised infrastructure are Place and com pollution control standard analysis, now being made part of future water munity advisory on layout principle and Economy - optimisation of grey, green and strategies. blue infrastructure - Wastewater Health and well-being Water supply culture Integrated Food and agri water cycle Energy and carbon Flooding Water Ecosystem resources services Buildings Climate change and public realm Energy and carbon Demand Asset management management The Shanghai urban drainage catchment at the expense of green In December 2018 the city’s authorities Planning masterplan has officially been signed space. The city has seen a 50% increase launched an international design and urban Catchment design River and off by the Shanghai Water Authority, in stormwater runoff across the city, competition to look for advanced management signifying a breakthrough for leading to an increase in flooding yet implementable strategies for the waterways Arup in the Chinese water market, events. highly populated city centre using Green infrastructure Urban retrofit showcasing our capability to contribute international expertise. Resilient infrastructure to the building of resilient cities. A large area of Shanghai is served by Coasts The masterplan was the result of an a ‘combined drainage system’, which In their winning design, Arup Smart 11-month collaboration between Arup carries both rainwater and wastewater