Hong Kong is a glittering trophy to capitalism; a hedonistic paradise of theme parks, shopping and food.  I lost count of the number of Tiffany and Louis Vuitton stores we passed in Kowloon alone and that was quite distinct from the innumerable hawkers selling knock offs at the various markets.  These traders didn’t quite bring back my repressed memories of the back alleys and deserted warehouses of Shanghai in search of elusive watches or bags or whatever – customer service in Hong Kong reigned supreme.  The warehouse runners came to you!

But it is not knockoffs and pirated gear that most epitomised Hong Kong to me for this month’s Urban Excursion, but its transport systems and the effects that these systems have on the surrounding urban environment.  And being Hong Kong, transport like most everything in this City, is certainly memorable, from the iconic Star Ferry, to the double decker trams and even its escalators.  Not just your run of the mill everyday escalators mind you, that propel you mindlessly from level to level of a shopping centre, but the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator with plenty of opportunities to see and be seen – quintessentially Hong Kong!

At 800m in length and climbing 135m, the Central Mid Level Escalator links Queens Road in Central near the Central Market to the residential apartments in the Mid levels.  At $30million to construct and opening in the mid 1990’s, the Central Mid Level Escalator is actually a series of escalators running one way, with the directional flow designed around the morning and afternoon peaks.  Some 60,000 pedestrians are estimated to take the 25 minute ride every day, and the escalator has become a popular tourist attraction as well as an important commuter conveyance.  But it is not only its role as a major transport corridor for pedestrians that is significant, but its contribution to economic vitality and urban renewal of the surrounding neighbourhood has been heralded from both an urban design and economic development perspective. 

Like its New York and London counterparts, Hong Kong’s Soho neighbourhood has epitomised neighbourhood gentrification.  Once a traditional Hong Kong neighbourhood occupied by the ubiquitous porcelain shops and housing an elderly population, Soho, as it is now called, is a popular destination comprising restaurants, nightclubs, bars and shops.  A number of the restaurants and bars are particularly targeted at the expats, including a wide range of international cuisine styles. The bars, restaurants and cafes are also designed to maximise the opportunities for diners to see and be seen, enjoying the passing parade of life on the escalators; a voyeurs paradise!