Some questions from a geographer
As I walk around this amazing city I find myself asking questions such as:
Where does all the food come from to feed all these people?
Can so many people continue to live on top of each other and for disease not to impact (i.e. the SARS scare)
How do they keep the meat and fish fresh in the open air in the wet markets when the temperature is 32 degrees?
Is there a solution to the shocking air pollution which gets worse every year as it blows in from the Chinese factories?
How come most people seemed so happy when so crowded?
Will Hong Kong one day just be gridlocked no matter how many subways/highways they build?
How much energy does this place use up with neon’s, air conditioners and office lights to name just a few?
Is such a city really sustainable as it consumes enormous resources and the Chinese from the mainland continue to migrate?
Despite all this there is something very attractive about Hong Kong with its vibrancy, energy, safety and obvious community spirit.
As the next blog will show, the geography department at Hong Kong University is using GIS to help find some answers to some of these questions (or least try to manage)
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