City University of Hong Kong (CityU), école Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, and the University of Nottingham, UK (Ningbo campus), have jointly organised the international exhibition and forum Hong Kong Horizontal Metropolis: A Paradigm Shift, bringing together top experts and scholars in architecture and civil engineering from all over the world to discuss urbanism and urbanisation.

 

The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held on 3 September at the City Gallery, in Edinburgh Place, Central. Professor Way Kuo, CityU President, mentioned in his speech that the concept of One Health is an indispensable part in the process of urban planning and urbanisation. “One Health emphasises the interconnected relationship between human and animal health and their coexisting environment. In the process of urban planning, the coexisting relationship of the three parties must be considered,” he said.

CityU was the first university in Hong Kong to introduce and practice the concept of One Health and is committed to promoting and engaging in related interdisciplinary teaching and research activities to promote the health of humans, animals and the environment. President Kuo pointed out that with the Covid-19 pandemic having spread across the globe, governments, academia, and civil society should consider different urbanisation models to respond to the current urgent ecological, social and economic issues in order to improve living standards.

 

Mr Clemente Contestabile, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau, highlighted that under President Kuo’s leadership, CityU is dedicated to promoting cooperation between Italy and Hong Kong in the fields of science and culture. For example, two years ago, CityU held an important exhibition on the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci.

He said the theme of the exhibition coincided with da Vinci's commitment to the betterment of life through innovation and technology.

 

Other officiating guests included Professor Paola Viganò, Professor in Urban Theory and Urdan Design at école Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and exhibition curator; Mrs Katia Stampfli-Ferraz, Deputy Consul General of Switzerland in Hong Kong; Ms Margaret Chan Hau-yin, Chief Town Planner in the Planning Department of the HKSAR Government; Professor Thomas Ng Shiu-tong, Head of the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at CityU; Dr Talamini Gianni, Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at CityU and exhibition curator; Ms Iris Hoi, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects; and Dr Peter Cookson Smith, Past President of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners and Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design.

 

Starting from today until 26 September, members of the public are welcome to visit the exhibition, which showcases scale models of different cities, including Lausanne and Valais in Switzerland, Veneto in Italy, Boston in the United States, and Hangzhou in mainland China, crafted by world-class experts. The exhibition will also introduce life in Lam Tsuen Valley, the Sheung Yue River area and Yuen Long in the New Territories of Hong Kong. 

To learn more about the exhibition and the thematic discussion, please enrol in the online forum. For more details, please visit the website: https://hkhm.org.