Abstract

Many researchers and designers have criticized current methods of urban development for their lack of sustainability. Policymakers and designers are tackling urban problems in a piecemeal and shortsighted way. In addition to large architectural construction projects, street furniture is another urban element that significantly affects the quality and sustainability of urban environments. Since 2000, the Public Design Lab of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has conducted design research projects on street furniture in a number of Asian cities. One of the core objectives of these projects is to review existing street furniture design and generate new designs to achieve sustainable urban environments. Taking Hong Kong as a case study and focusing on street environments, this paper reviews how current urban development methods fail to meet the city’s new and changing needs. Referencing Hong Kong designs, the paper reviews and identifies the limitations and problems of street furniture design in terms of sustainability.