Green Talents Moment✨: Meet Sharon Kan, Urban Planner & Co-founder, Working Group of Sustainability and Climate Change, Hong Kong Institute of Planner

In 2024, Climate Incubator launched a new article series “Green Talents Moment”. We speak with individuals who contribute to sustainability through their work and projects. Our aim is to inspire readers to explore more possibilities for making contributions to sustainability🌏.

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We are grateful to speak with Sharon Kan this week. She is an urban planner who has a keen interest in sustainability and climate change issues. Sharon began her career as a sustainability officer at a local university but sought a means to have a greater impact on advancing the city's sustainability agenda. Let’s explore her journey and understand how urban planning can promote sustainability.

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How did you start your career as an urban planner? What are some interesting aspects of studying and working in this field?

I initially worked as a sustainability officer at a university, where my responsibilities were similar to those of today's ESG officers. Although I enjoyed that job, I was thinking if I could amplify the impact on a larger scale that beyond campuses. This led me to pursue further education in urban planning and embarked on a career as an urban planner. 

Working as an urban planner offers opportunities to explore unique and lesser-known places! During my time working at the government, I was involved in processing planning applications in the Northernmost areas of Hong Kong. This allowed me to visit places like Man Uk Pin (萬屋邊), which I bet many of you may not have heard of. Through urban planning, I understood more about the diverse "looks" of our city and had the chance to explore and discover its interesting spots.

What motivated you to establish the Sustainability & Climate Change Working Group of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners (HKIP)? 

HKIP is a professional group for all professional or qualified urban planners in Hong Kong. Ms. Chin Chin Lam (previous Climate Incubator mentor) and I are very passionate about climate change topics, and would love to explore more about the relationship between urban planning and environment. We observed a knowledge and technical gap among some urban planners, as not all of us are environmentally trained and hence may have little understanding about sustainability. This knowledge gap can hinder our work, particularly when dealing with environmentally-related assessments such as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Carbon Appraisal in planning and development projects.

We then decided to form a working group on sustainability & climate change, aiming to elevate members' knowledge in this area and provide a platform for young, climate-conscious planners to build a social network. 

What does the Sustainability & Climate Change Working Group do?

We organised activities like seminars and webinars, inviting local and international experts to enhance planners' sustainability skills, and gather all voices together to generate a greater impact. One ongoing project is Coastal Hazard Risk Interactive Map (CHRIM). It provides layers showing vulnerable demographic groups, potential flooding areas, and available emergency shelters. We hope this holistic view helps stakeholders, like property management companies, developers, and social welfare groups, to prioritise resources for communities. We are also advocating for updated planning standards and guidelines that address climate change, enabling climate-sensitive planning under clear guidelines.

How can urban planners contribute to environmental sustainability? 

There is a lot we can do as an urban planner. Some measures like influencing land use patterns and implementing urban forestry practices can impact urban temperature distribution. One crucial area is sustainable transport planning. This involves designing road patterns, land use strategies, and transportation infrastructure to reduce the number of vehicles and traffic volume, and thus the carbon emission of our city. 

Another interesting concept is the "buffer zone," which serves as a climate mitigation measure. In planning aspects, we can create buffer zones in coastal areas or river banks without designating a specific land-use. These zones help mitigate flooding impacts on property and human life, and also serve the wave or flood water attenuation function. When not affected by flooding, these areas can serve as public spaces for recreational use. I would say it is a win-win situation for all stakeholders. We welcome the establishment of additional harbourfront parks, especially on the northern Hong Kong Island. However, we advocate for the designation of more buffer zone areas in new development zones which coincide with high flood risks. 

What else can urban planners do, beyond their full-time job, with their professional knowledge and skills?

While there may not be direct projects or initiatives that explicitly link climate change topics with urban planning, we do have some groups like Liber Research Community that conduct extensive research on land policy and urban studies to explore their impact on sustainability. Another noteworthy organisation is Walk DVRC, which advocates for pedestrianisation, walkability, and public spaces in Hong Kong, with a vision of "returning space (roads) to the people." Their efforts bring additional benefits by reducing vehicle usage and emissions through changes in land use. Street Reset is another good example. They focus more on research and transportation topics.

What are some qualities required for being an urban planner?

Unlike other specialists, urban planning is a multidisciplinary field in which we need to be generalists who need to know “everything”. Our daily work involves collaborating with professionals from diverse disciplines and sectors. It would be much easier for us to communicate with different professionals if we have an understanding of their subjects.

Also, strong communication, collaboration, and project management skills are essential. We cannot work in isolation but must collaborate with various parties. Like in a redevelopment project, we engage with the government for policies and guidelines, communicate with architects for design considerations, address engineers' transportation concerns, and consult with ecologists for biodiversity preservation. Each participant offers their input, feedback, and considerations, and we have to consolidate and incorporate all perspectives to drive the project forward. Lastly, as planners, we need to question and challenge the status quo. We should be curious about our city and constantly ask why things are designed a certain way. 

Do you have any recommended resources for our readers to understand more about how urban planning promotes sustainability?

The official website of Royal Town Planning Institute has a lot of Interesting articles about how planning affects climate change. We can discover the best practices in urban planning by studying the case studies from the UK.These resources are easily accessible and particularly suitable for students or planning newbies.

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Thanks Sharon for sharing her inspiring thoughts and knowledge!  Urban planning does have a great role to play in climate change and sustainability. If you are interested in being an urban planner, go chase your dreams!

Did you find this article insightful? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below👇. Don't forget to subscribe to our e-newsletter 👀 to stay updated on our activities and initiatives.

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Written by: Oi Yan Cheng Katy

Edited by: Jessica Wong

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