(17 June 2020, Hong Kong) The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) in China with a total area of 56,000 square kilometres and over 71 million population is set to benefit from the professional and academic collaboration among leading urban design institutes in the region that form the first Greater Bay Area Urban Designer Alliance. Following today’s signing of the MOU among the five-founding members of the Alliance, namely The Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design (HKIUD), CURB Center for Architecture and Urbanism – Macau, Guangzhou Urban Planning Association, Urban Planning Society of Shenzhen, and Zhuhai Planning Exploration and Design Industry Association,The HKIUD proudly announced during an online Press Conference that it will host the debut HKIUD Greater Bay Area Urban Design Week in November in Hong Kong this year.
With the full support of the founding institutes of the Alliance, as well as the sponsorship from Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the HKIUD Greater Bay Area Urban Design Week comprises a series of events to be organized for urban design practices, professionals and students of the Greater Bay Area. These events are the Urban Design Conference, the Urban Design Awards, which is followed by roving exhibitions in Hong Kong and a city in the Greater Bay Area later this year that will showcase the works of the winners and shortlisted nominations.
Mr. Joel CHAN, President of The HKIUD highlights the key takeaways of the HKIUD Greater Bay Area Urban Design Week during the broadcast that, “The HKIUD Greater Bay Area Urban Design Week is the first highlight programmes supported by the Greater Bay Area Urban Designer Alliance. As the host organiser, The HKIUD aims to utilise the collective strengths of the founding members of the Alliance and to share common commitments to promote the effective use of urban design in urban planning and to raise the professional standards of urban design across the mega region. The series of events to be held under the Urban Design Week will provide opportunities for urban designers to discuss the latest issues about city livability and sustainability in the mega region. In addition, it will enable urban designers within this Bay Area to deepen their collaboration and exchanges and prepare them to get active in the Mainland urban design projects in the future.
The Greater Bay Area Urban Design Conference to Take Place in November
The first edition of the Conference will be held on 18th November at the L’hotel Nina et Convention Centre Hong Kong with the theme announced as “Wellbeing through Urban Design: A Critical Action Plan for Mega Region”.The Conference aims to facilitate the discussion of common urban design issues in the Greater Bay Area and will be held biennially.
At the online press conference, Mr. Donald CHOI, Convener of Greater Bay Area Urban Designer Alliance and Vice President (Local Affairs) of The HKIUD commented that “social distancing and other precautionary actions are pushing how well cities are planned and managed to cope with the pandemic. In this moment of crisis, we are witnessing remarkable examples of coming together, and in our profession, The HKIUD in collaboration with other founding members of the Greater Bay Area Urban Designer Alliance are playing our part by focusing on sharing practical experiences, best practices and the common goal of renewing our cities for better health, sustainability and livability.”
With international renowned keynote speakers, regional and local experts, the Urban Design Conference is expected to attract at least 500 delegates from the Mainland, overseas and local professions.
The Greater Bay Area Urban Design Awards Nomination Opens from July
The Awards are organised by The HKIUD with the support of the Alliance’s other founding members as a bi-ennial event. During yesterday’s briefing, it is officially announced that the nominations will start from July this year for the member of the Founding Member Institutes in The Greater Bay Urban Designer Alliance, and their recommended professionals institutes to submit their urban design projects in the region to the Greater Bay Area Urban Design Awards.
Mr. Benny CHAN, Hon Treasurer of The HKIUD and Chairman of the Greater Bay Area Urban Design Awards Organising Committee said in his welcome remarks at today’s event that “the Awards will be a meeting of urban design talents in the Greater Bay Area. The Awards are designed to raise the overall standard of urban design projects in the Greater Bay Area through recognition of excellence bestow honour and industry recognition on indivudal and practices. Subsequently, will foster collaboration and exchange among urban designers, town planners, architects, landscape architects, engineers, surveyors and other professionals in the Greater Bay Area.”
To establish the reputation of the Greater Bay Area Urban Design Awards, renowned jury members would be invited and the jury’s adjudication will take place in September.
The Greater Bay Area Urban Design Awards Presentation Ceremony will be held on the same day after the Urban Design Conference. The award-winning and shortlisted projects will be further showcased in Roving Exhibitions to be held in Hong Kong and another city in the Greater Bay Area later this year.
The HKIUD Publication to Commemorate the Institute’s 10th Annniversairy
Mr. Charles LI, 10th Anniversary Publication Organising Committee and Honourary Secretary of The HKIUD introduced the HKIUD 10th Anniversary Publication during the press conference. To commemorate its 10th Anniversiary in 2020, The HKIUD has specially produced a 10th Anniversary Book to showcase and celebrate the achievements and milestones of urban design in the past decade.
The HKIUD announced a series of events under the HKIUD Greater Bay Urban Design Week through an online press conference today. (from left to right) Mr. Charles LI, 10th Anniversary Publication Organising Committee and Honourary Secretary of The HKIUD, Mr. Joel CHAN, President of The HKIUD, Mr. Donald CHOI, Convener of Greater Bay Area Urban Designer Alliance and Vice President (Local Affairs) of The HKIUD and Mr. Benny CHAN, Hon Treasurer of The HKIUD and Chairman of the Greater Bay Area Urban Design Awards Organising Committee.
For more details about the Greater Bay Area Urban Design Week and related events, please visit: Official Website of The HKIUD: www.hkiud.org