The Central-Mid-levels Escalator as Urban Regenerator in Hong Kong

This paper examines the form and activity transformations in a built-up urban area, following the development of a pedestrian facility. The particular implementation of the Central to Mid-levels Escalator (1993) facilitated the re-use of street- and upper-floor space, while also attracting real estate investments. The low-impact insertion of the pedestrian facilities supported a distinctive spatial setting on a steep slope, where new leisure and entertainment venues clustered, assuming their own local and collective identities. A close connection between the facility and the streets supported development beneath and on adjacent streets where there had been few shops and restaurants. Recent developments exploit the resulting unique spatial relationships between Escalator and environment to augment the space available for circulation or public gathering, connecting the new space directly to the movement system. This case provides a working example of how to implement a facility for pedestrian movement to generate a transformation in the built form and in the activity structure of a substantial urban area. The lessons of the Escalator project could assist in the design of other facilities for pedestrian movement in built-up urban areas.