Jim C Y
Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Environ Manage. 2001 Dec;28(6):819-32. doi: 10.1007/s002670010264.
Urban Hong Kong is covered by high building, road, and population densities. Its urban morphology is inherently not conducive to extensive or high-grade greening. Recent renewal of old areas has squeezed out some limited interstitial plantable space, although in new development areas modest spaces have been earmarked for greenery. The study aims at evaluating the major constraints to urban trees and their companion urban soil envelopes and at providing specific recommendations to improve tree management in the city. The analysis covers the above-ground confinements that dampen tree performance, the less tangible but rather difficult institutional restrictions that impose a somewhat unnecessary lid on tree planting, the multiplicity of players and stakeholders involved in urban-tree management that militates against coordination and cooperation, the widespread occupation of underground space by utility lines often to the exclusion of trees, and the extremely poor quality of urban soils that are often used without amelioration to support tree growth. The management recommendations furnish practical suggestions and hints to improve the short- and long-term welfare of trees in terms of quality, quantity, and spatial distribution. The conclusion enumerates some concrete measures for consideration by decision-makers to upgrade the city's greenery to close the gap between science and policy.
香港市区高楼林立、道路密集、人口众多。其城市形态本质上不利于大规模或高品质绿化。尽管在新开发区预留了一些适度的绿化空间，但旧区的近期更新已挤出了一些有限的间隙可种植空间。该研究旨在评估城市树木及其相伴的城市土壤环境的主要制约因素，并提供具体建议以改善城市的树木管理。分析涵盖抑制树木生长的地上限制因素、对植树施加某种不必要限制的较无形但相当棘手的制度性限制、城市树木管理中涉及的众多参与者和利益相关者所导致的不利于协调与合作的情况、公用事业线路对地下空间的广泛占用（往往排挤了树木）以及城市土壤质量极差（常未经改良就用于支持树木生长）。管理建议提供了切实可行的建议和提示，以从质量、数量和空间分布方面改善树木的短期和长期生长状况。结论列举了一些具体措施，供决策者考虑，以提升城市绿化水平，弥合科学与政策之间的差距。
