23 September 2011
Stage 3 Public Engagement Exercise starts on 30 September
Members of the public will see how their views have been incorporated in the future West Kowloon Cultural District ("WKCD") when the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority ("WKCDA") rolls out its Stage 3 Public Engagement exercise ("PE3") on 30 September.
Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, Chairman of the Consultation Panel of the WKCDA, today announced that information on the proposed Development Plan ("DP") for the WKCD would be displayed to the public in PE3 for a month. During the exercise, the public will also see how Foster + Partners' City Park Conceptual Plan has been refined in response to public and stakeholders' views.
"PE3 is an exercise with a difference in that it is more than a consultation exercise," Professor Cheung explained. "In PE2, the public was asked to comment and rate features of the Conceptual Plans prepared by three world-class master planning teams. During PE3, we shall inform the public how we have responded to their views and preferences by reflecting them in the Modified Conceptual Plan through relocating certain arts and cultural facilities and incorporating desirable features favoured by the public into the Foster Plan." He said the public would also see information on the proposed DP the WKCDA intends to submit to the Town Planning Board around the end of this year.
"PE3 marks the crucial stage of our planning for the District. The WKCD project is 'real', and soon coming to life!" he added.
Anchoring the month-long exercise will be an exhibition of the Modified Conceptual Plan and information on the proposed DP beginning from 30 September at the Thematic Exhibition Gallery in the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre.
The focal point of the exhibition will be a giant 1:250 physical model, showing how the future arts hub will look like, featuring major arts and cultural as well as other facilities. To enhance public understanding of the plans, there will also be a digital 3D model, photomontages and panels displaying key information and features. Pamphlets will also be distributed at the exhibition, allowing the public to leave their comments.
To help the public and stakeholder groups understand more about the proposed DP, guided tours and presentation sessions will be arranged. From 23 September onwards, members of the public may indicate their attendance online on the WKCDA's website(www.wkcda.hk/pe3/en/background/index.html)
or call 2501 7930 during office hours.
Furthermore, the WKCDA is also organising a one-day conference to allow more in-depth discussion and exchange of views on various technical aspects of the proposed DP among professional groups, stakeholder meetings with arts and cultural groups and a get-together to enable students and young people to meet with representatives from the WKCDA, Foster and the Project Consultant.
The event calendar for PE3 activities will be available on the WKCDA's website starting from 23 September. To make PE3 open and transparent, all related materials such as the list of stakeholders, the pamphlet, audio recordings and transcripts of the proceedings of the presentation sessions will be uploaded to the WKCDA's website. Moreover, the public can also view information on the proposed DP, which is illustrated by animations, explanatory videos and photographs, on the website.
"I know the public may wish to share their thoughts on the proposed DP with us. There will be an open-ended question in the pamphlet for them to express comments. Alternatively, they are welcome to send in their views to us by email, fax or mail. Discussion will also be thrown open on my Facebook Group 'West Kowloon Plaza'. I look forward to public support for us to take the project to its next stage," he said.
Views collected will be analysed by the Public Policy Research Institute of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the WKCDA's views reporting and analysis consultant.
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