3.3
Neighbourhood
3
Planning for shopping malls and shop spaces
3.3.4 Creating benefits
A. Noise barrier
Shopping malls and shop spaces are not noise-sensitive recipients. Since a shopping mall usually comprises a low
podium block of a few storeys, the shopping mall and shop spaces can be located close to noise sources such as roads
with high traffic volumes or railways and become a noise buffer for other buildings on the same site. This strategy has
been adopted in many of the Housing Department’s public housing projects with excellent results.
B. Focal point in the neighbourhood
Apart from high-end downtown shopping malls and shop spaces which are magnets for shoppers and tourists, local
shopping malls and shop spaces, which are smaller in scale and part of the neighbourhood, often serve as more than
an agglomeration of shops meeting the community’s daily necessities. Unlike the downtown shopping malls and shop
spaces, which are less frequently visited during the daytime on weekdays, the local shopping malls and shop spaces are
usually full of elderly people or children during office hours. They are sanctuaries from the heat and rain and provide a
communal place for the elderly which is close to their homes. The design of these local shopping malls and shop spaces
can cater for these special social needs and become a focal point in the neighbourhood. Indoor and outdoor areas for
‘hanging around’ can be inserted into the public areas of the malls.
3.3.5 Professional help
It is important to engage professionals for detailed consultation on the implementation of site selection and planning for
shopping malls and shop spaces. The following is a list of references for obtaining professional help:
• Registered architects – Appendix A (1)
• Authorised persons (AP) & registered structural engineers (RSE) – Appendix A (2)
•
Appendix A (7)
• Acoustic consultants – Appendix A (8)
82 Hong Kong Green Shop Guide
