SCMP publishes article

2018 Year in Review

14/02/2019

As the Year of Pig has come I am reflecting on all I have achieved in the Dog Year of 2018. Today I am going to share the "Year in Review" which highlights all the works and accomplishments I have done in the past year.

Last year, I have been working closely with HKIUD, participated in the discussion of Active Ageing, experienced an interesting workshops. Meanwhile, I met experts, visionaries and game changers and share their thoughts on the various aspects of city life in tomorrow’s world. In addition, I have been writing articles to discuss various issues, such as future proofing city, tree management and urban liveability.

1. HKIUD election

In 2018, I was pleased to be elected Vice President of Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design, establishing and chairing the "International and Mainland Affairs Committee" to strengthen communication and information exchange on urban design knowledge, education and research within the region.

2018/09/21 Barry Wilson Elected HKIUD Vice President

2018/10/15 1st Working Session with HKIUD

2018/10/15 1st Working Session with HKIUD

2. Barry Interviews (Shares)

Last year, I started writing a series of articles for URBANIZATION MAGAZINE. In this regular column, I take travels around the globe to discuss the essential ingredients that are focused on what makes better city living. I meet experts, visionaries and game changers and share their thoughts on the various aspects that can and should be at the heart of city life in tomorrow’s world.

2018/05/22: Interview with Prof. Ward Thompson

2018/09/26 An Ecology of Urban Spaces

It was 1989 when I last met Catharine Ward Thompson, the renowned Landscape Architect, health researcher and educator. In those days I was a student at Edinburgh College of Art and Catharine “Head of Department”. having been rapidly catapulted to the top of her profession, and later going on to develop an expertise in identifying evidence linking access to landscape with improved mental and physical heath, particularly with kids, teenagers and the elderly.

As founder and Director of internationally recognised research centre OPENspace, she has lead numerous major research grants and collaborations, including highly-innovative research on ‘GreenHealth’ for the Scottish Government and the award-winning consortium, Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I’DGO).

2018/11/02 Barry Wilson meets Marta Pozo Gil

2018/12/03 Mindset The Key To Changing Cities

Before this year's Conference of the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design - “Actions for Active Ageing–Urban Design for All,” I wanted to take some quality time in advance to personally greet the speakers and understand their particular passions and knowledge areas, as well as to brief them on the objectives of the Conference. Whilst several speakers were relatively new to Hong Kong, Marta Pozo Gil, Asia Director of design superstars MVRDV, was a regular local visitor, being based in Shanghai. We meet for the first time.

3. Barry Says

In my Barry Says column, I have been writing articles to discuss about the planning issues of Hong Kong and the relevance to smart urban growth in the future.

2018/11/13 Land Ahoy!

Hong Kong has a land crisis, but it goes beyond mere availability. Not only does there seem to be a fundamental lack of consensus in the actual quantity of new land creation required, if in fact new land is required at all, but more than that, there appears to be a fundamental flaw in the development decision making process.

2019/01/04 New Heart-New Territory

The landscape of the New Territories could form the centre of truly smart urban growth as we move into the latter half of the 21st Century. Enlightened vision and careful land management are essential.

4. Publications

My articles have also been published in various platforms, including professional journals, magazines, and newspapers. The discussion covers a wide range of topics such as future proofing city, tree management and urban liveability.

2018/07/09 ICE: An Outline to Future-proofing Our Cities with Ten Immediate Steps

This paper identifies ten key areas where governments, planners, investors and the individuals responsible for shaping our cities, can refocus their priorities and funding in order to more effectively utilise both the limited financial and natural resources available. Entering a period of massive disruption, a paradigm shift is urgently required in the means of conceiving, delivering and managing city development.

2018/08/07 The Lighthouse: Managing Trees in the Urban Environment

Developing the city today would be much easier without the need to work around trees on development sites, especially within urban areas, yet the city does also need to protect its trees and has detailed processes in place to achieve just that. The ‘hows and whys’ however remain a bit of a mystery to many in the construction industry.

2018/11/19 The HKIA Journal: New Heart - New Territory

New Heart — New Territory examining the relevance of green space at the heart of the Shenzhen Hong Kong Metropolis.

2019/01/22 SCMP- Quality not Quantity Makes Urban Liveability

Among the plethora of statistics, benchmarks and generalities in Hong Kong 2030 Plus, the government’s policy vision document, one word is conspicuous in its almost total absence – quality.

5. Studio Events

I was also participating in many different activities in both Hong Kong and the Mainland, and sharing my knowledge to my students, professional experts and the public last year.