Pedestrianisation Zoning and Air Quality in Hong Kong

Abstract

Air quality assessment in the vicinity of the Causeway Bay Pedestrianisation Scheme is conducted. The study analyses the concentration of respiratory suspended particulates, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxides, and shows that reductions for the three pollutants could be achieved at Hennessy Road and Great George Street. However, this would transfer the air pollution to nearby roads due to traffic diversion. The justifications of shifting air pollution from one place to another are that the targeted areas are more prone to pollutant buildup and the shift would maximise the number of benefactors. The improvement in air quality is compared with field data obtained from the roadside field data. Comparisons show that the improvement recorded at the station is lower than the predicted one. The difference between the projected and recorded improvements is because only part of the scheme has been implemented. The study shows that pedestrianisation does bring improvement in air quality in urban areas.