ABSTRACT
Urbanism is the study of the way of life, and physical needs of urban societies, however, urbanists are failing to see the whole picture. For cities like Hong Kong, outward growth is constrained by natural barriers, forcing urban density to increase in order to accommodate population growth. For many years seasonal typhoons have wreaked havoc on Hong Kong, and although modern buildings are built to withstand the high winds, managing significant rainfalls in a dense urban area remains a challenge. The Mongkok area of West Kowloon suffered particularly bad floods in 1997 and 1998 due to local stormwater drains being inundated by water from expanding urban settlements further upstream. Taken cumulatively, the clustering of tall buildings in dense urban areas can lead to insufficient space at street level to safely and conveniently move goods and people.
