Feasibility Study Of Vertical

This dissertation, "Feasibility Study of Vertical Greening for Underground Space in Hong Kong" by Jo-yi, Ho, 何棗兒, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: Due to the scarce and limited land resources for infrastructure development in Hong Kong, the government has proposed the enhanced utilization of underground space in the future infrastructure development. Though utilization of underground space provides significant benefits in urban planning, its associated negative effects (both psychological and physiological) could not be overlooked. Implementation of vertical greening as one of the design elements serves as a solution to tackle with the negative effects in underground infrastructures. This study aims to investigate and evaluate the feasibility of vertical greening for underground space in technical, economic and operational aspects. The methodologies used in this study includes literature review, questionnaire and interview. Through studying the literature, the current development and technical issues of indoor vertical greening and the knowledge gap is identified. This method is also used for summarizing the potential environmental benefits provided by indoor vertical greening in underground space. After obtaining fundamental knowledge related to the research topic, questionnaire is conducted to assess the public attitude towards perception of underground space and vertical greening as well as acceptance and concerns about these issues. The public shows a supportive attitude for the implementation of vertical greening in underground space, and more than half of them do think the vertical greening can help to alleviate negative effects brought by underground environment. In addition, they show positive attitude towards the applications in underground MTR station and shopping centres. The public also indicated that though there is investment, they think it is still worthy to install vertical greening in underground space as it could provide environmental, social and economic benefits. At the same time, interviews are conducted with experts in landscape and property management field respectively in order to obtain professional and marketing information of vertical greening in Hong Kong. The findings help to consolidate the feasibility studies. In the technical feasibility study, technical issues of two main classifications of vertical greening and four applications in Hong Kong and other countries have been discussed. In the economic feasibility study, the cost-benefit analysis of vertical greening for underground space has been discussed. Environmental, psychological, social and private benefits have been covered and elaborated comprehensively. The estimated cost of the vertical greening based on the assumptions (i.e. a 12.5 m DEGREES2 living wall system with 10-year service life) is HKD $50,050 per year. In the operational feasibility study, the issues most likely concerned by the public and potential stakeholders have been discussed and explained with practical solutions. Recommendations are made for the enhancement of sustainability of the vertical greening in underground space. Also, it is suggested that the environment, social and economic benefits should be further investigated and explored in order to enhance public acceptance and willingness of property owners/project proponents to implement vertical greening in the coming underground space development. Subjects: Underground areas - China - Hong Kong Vertical gardening - China - Hong Kong

"The vertical farm is a world-changing innovation whose time has come. Dickson Despommier's visionary book provides a blueprint for securing the world's food supply and at the same time solving one of the gravest environmental crises facing us today."--Sting Imagine a world where every town has their own local food source, grown in the safest way possible, where no drop of water or particle of light is wasted, and where a simple elevator ride can transport you to nature's grocery store - imagine the world of the vertical farm. When Columbia professor Dickson Despommier set out to solve America's food, water, and energy crises, he didn't just think big - he thought up. Despommier's stroke of genius, the vertical farm, has excited scientists, architects, and politicians around the globe. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Despommier explains how the vertical farm will have an incredible impact on changing the face of this planet for future generations. Despommier takes readers on an incredible journey inside the vertical farm, buildings filled with fruits and vegetables that will provide local food sources for entire cities. Vertical farms will allow us to: - Grow food 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - Protect crops from unpredictable and harmful weather - Re-use water collected from the indoor environment - Provide jobs for residents - Eliminate use of pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides - Drastically reduce dependence on fossil fuels - Prevent crop loss due to shipping or storage - Stop agricultural runoff Vertical farms can be built in abandoned buildings and on deserted lots, transforming our cities into urban landscapes which will provide fresh food grown and harvested just around the corner. Possibly the most important aspect of vertical farms is that they can built by nations with little or no arable land, transforming nations which are currently unable to farm into top food producers. In the tradition of the bestselling The World Without Us, The Vertical Farm is a completely original landmark work destined to become an instant classic.