Hong Kong officials love paving paradise

Various news reports suggest Hong Kong officials heard the 1970s song by Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi, and figured that – rather than being cynical – it was giving ideas for what to do with green areas.

Latest example was in Saturday’s South China Morning Post – on Architectural Services Dept ordering removal of 400 trees to make way for a waterfront park in Ma On Shan.
Yes, you read that right: to build a park, 400 trees were removed or felled. While 78 trees will be replanted, 20 of them back on the park site (!), the dept claimed that most were white popinac trees, which supposedly have low visual or amenity value.

Yet HK tree expert Jim Chi-yung said it was ridiculous to remove and chop down the trees; also said white popinac is one of few trees that can flourish in a harsh waterfront environment.

Elsewhere, the concrete lovers have been and remain highly active. The West Kowloon Cultural Desert looks set to be a mainly concrete affair. Plus, of course, there’s the ongoing reclamation of the harbour, “bringing the harbour to the people” so we can have a new six-lane highway along the waterfront – and, of course, a gleaming new office tower to give our officials grand views of the Incredible Shrinking Harbour.

Though I’m sure HK officials won’t need reminding of the lyrics, even though they have the meaning back to front, here’s an extract for anyone who hasn’t committed them to heart: