The winning team of Walk DVRC’s International Design Competition, to reimagine a decaying DVRC as a pedestrian and placemaking opportunity, had its proposal showcased at DesignInspire last week. Thanks to all who attended to learn more about the vision. For their competition-winning entry, the MLA+ consortium takes a radical step and tells the story of a future DVRC through the eyes of a little Hong Kong girl called Flora. DVRC, one of the most important streets in Hong Kong, is reimagined as a linear public space, organised around a central Sheung Wan square and featuring five iconic tram stops, each with an elevated roof park containing specific activities. Here are the highlights:

Vicky Chan's shared his vision of the Sheung Wan Fiesta. There will be functions like Chinese herb garden to promote local plant species and traditional food recipes, a shallow visual pool to promote water safety and permeability, a dedicated tramway to promote local art and culture and a food market to promote sustainable local food. Making use of trash materials like used dim sum basket from local shop owners and turn them into a pavilion. After the 90-day festival, those modular furnitures will be used throughout Hong Kong as public furnitures. SWF is meant to kick off a new age of public space.

Markus has dedicated his life to making Hong Kong an eco-friendly city, first as the chairman of WWF’s Hong Kong board, then as a co-founder of the NGOs Designing Hong Kong and the Clean Air Network, and more recently as chairman of the Walk DVRC project, which aims to turn traffic-choked Des Voeux Road Central into a pedestrian oasis.

Read more to follow Markus’s hopes for the Walk DVRC initiative.

Hong Kong is often accused of lacking a long-term urban planning strategy. This is a worrying situation especially as cities around the world are placing more and more emphasis on sustainability in their urban designs. Markus Shaw, Chairman of the NGO Walk DVRC Ltd, grew up in Hong Kong and has concerns about the living environment in this city. He has set up organizations, such as Designing Hong Kong, Clean Air Network and now Walk DVRC, to improve the quality of life in Hong Kong. The drives to move him forward are his love for the city and his passion for building a liveable city.

Read more to understand more Markus' thoughts on a more walkable and liveable city.

The Walk DVRC International Design Competition is a way to imagine a more walkable, pedestrian environment on a 1.4 km stretch of Des Voeux Road Central in the heart of Hong Kong’s Central Business District. It is an idea-based contest to re-envision and re-engage the street as quality public space – a placemaking effort in a vehicle-choked urban street. The Competition is an international one where any interested party is eligible to participate.

Have you subscribed to our Newsletter yet? Over the past month, Walk DVRC conducted several interviews with storekeepers along Des Voeux Road Central including a clothier, a chop carver, a lingerie seller and a shoe cobbler, and documented the findings in a short Youtube video. Check it out on Walk DVRC's new Youtube Channel! Other community stories in Hong Kong and abroad are published in the August Edition. Subscribe and check out our updates!

Walk DVRC's CEO Jennifer Walker Frisinger was part of a discussion panel at a press conference to launch Civic Exchange’s “Managing Vibrant Streets” report. The panel guests shared their perspectives on how to improve the vibrancy of our streets and the importance of public engagement and collaborations. Jennifer believes our streets are missing the following elements: social inclusiveness, access to water facilities, and technology infrastructure that make us a “Smart” city.

Markus Shaw, chairman of Walk DVRC Ltd introduced our latest project, the Sheung Wan Fiesta, to the Foreign Correspondents' Club yesterday. The Fiesta proposes to close a two-block section of DVRC to vehicular traffic. The new pedestrian space will feature cultural and heritage at its heart through food and performance while promoting traders and historical sights in the area. It plans to run from September to November this year for a total of 90 days. The main traffic in the Central area would be diverted, trams would be kept running and one lane of traffic would kept open to ensure disruption to traders could be kept to a minimum. The Fiesta raised a lot attention from variety of stakeholders, from local communities / shop owners to district councilors. However, we want to work together with our stakeholders to come up with the best solution. As Markus said, "The district councillors and shopkeepers won't know if the scheme benefits them unless we trial it."

Carol "Do Do" Cheng, Hong Kong's renowned TVB actress and host, encouraged Hong Kongers to proactively add more walking into your daily life. In her radio segment " When I Was Young I Listen To The Radio" with Alton Yu, the two discussed the walking environment in Hong Kong. Do Do praised Walk DVRC for our efforts in making Central a more walkable area. If you didn't have a chance to listen to the segment, go on 881903 website to review the discussion.

Markus Shaw, Chair of Walk DVRC, shared his goal to transform Hong Kong’s Des Voeux Road Central into a pedestrian oasis during his interview with SCMP. As Des Voeux Road Central is currently one of the most polluted and congested streets in Hong Kong, Shaw believes we should revert back to cycle-friendly, pedestrian-friendly transport as demonstrated by many sustainable European cities. Experts shared a similar view that Hong Kong should reduce car dependency and encourage green transport. Local groups have also promoted walkability through walking tours and historical appreciation, while Walk DVRC’s recent launch of the “Discover DVRC” map with Urban Discovery showcased some of the local businesses to explore in Central and Sheung Wan. Shaw suggested that the government should plan our city in a way that the people want the city to be planned, and projects like Walk DVRC can build the self-confidence Hong Kong needs to show the community that it is still a competitive, world-class city.