Search

This paper forms a rejoinder to the paper by Luo & Zhai (‘“I will never go to Hong Kong again!” How the secondary crisis communication of “Occupy Central” on Weibo shifted to a tourism boycott’). It discusses claims Luo and Zhai (2017) make about negative impacts of Occupy Central protests on tourism sector in Hong Kong and debates application of sentiment analysis to censored social media platforms. The rejoinder concludes that there is no clear evidence that there has been a negative impact of Occupy Central on Hong Kong tourism. It also urges tourism academics to be more critical regarding the sources of information for their studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an assessment model based on multi-layer fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method (FCE) of classroom acoustical environment is proposed. The model classifies five major factors affecting overall assessment model into several subsets alternatives. The weightings of these main criteria and alternatives were collected through questionnaires among students based on analytic hierarchy process methodology (AHP). An evaluation score was calculated from the proposed model with the weightings generated from AHP method. In this paper, classrooms in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University were used to develop the assessment model. The result shows that the evaluation score of PolyU classrooms is about 87.2, which refers to “Good” evaluation set. It indicates that classrooms in PolyU needs to be improved. The weightings generated from AHP method can be considered for the importance of each alternatives. The assessment model can provide proper recommendation to universities for acoustic treatment so as to increase the acoustic quality of the educational environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by economic concepts of product competition, this paper uses publicly available and accurate business information on establishment names and addresses obtained from the Yellow Pages of the contemporary Hong Kong telephone book and census socio-economic data backed by oral testimonies, to dispel the myth that the "Kowloon Walled City" was an incarcerated ghetto. The use of this imagery in the title for this City as a built up, politically sensitive zone levelled to the ground to make way for a public Chinese garden shortly before Hong Kong was returned to China, is treated as a form of 'product differentiation' in the academic research marketplace. As a contribution to planning theory, the paper uses the City as a show case of how academic branding, through descriptors, creates images of places and offers a countervailing image. Technically, it demonstrates the immense archival value of telephone directories and business chronicles apart from census data as sources of socially significant data for urban studies and informed re-interpretation of subjective imageries of an urban place. • Challenge dark views of Kowloon Walled City with socio-economic statistics & oral testimonies • Refute representation of Kowloon Walled City as a dark prison • Project a bright picture of Kowloon Walled City [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hong Kong buildings account for 90% of total electricity consumption and over 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore buildings present both a challenge and an opportunity for reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) and Net Zero Carbon Building (NZCB) are recognised as feasible strategies to reduce energy use and carbon emissions leading to a more sustainable built environment. While there is a growing number of NZEBs and NZCBs in relatively cool or temperate climates, there are relatively few examples in the subtropical climate, and in a densely populated city such as Hong Kong. This paper will examine the current progress towards a low carbon built environment in Hong Kong, zero energy/carbon design strategies and technologies applicable to building in a subtropical climate, and examines a case study of Hong Kong's first zero carbon building ZCB. ZCB's energy and carbon performance, experiences and lessons learned, and future directions are discussed. The paper will conclude with the challenges and opportunities for wider adoption of NZEBs and NZCBs in the Hong Kong construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to conduct a survey of the academic contribution and influence of Chinese scholars in the field of burns.Method: The PubMed database was searched to obtain literature items originating from various countries and Chinese provinces from 1985 to 2014. The citation data were collected through the Google Scholar engine.Results: A total of 1037 papers published in 256 journals were included in this survey. China was second only to the USA in the number of publications on burns since 2010. In addition, the annual number of papers has increased significantly since 2001. The journal Burns published the most number of articles, but its proportion has been decreasing. Of the papers included in the survey, 58.34% were published in journals with a 5-year impact factor between 1 and 2, whereas only 3.66% were published in journals with an impact factor >5. Both total citations and citations per paper have decreased in the past decade. Randomized controlled trials or systematic reviews merely accounted for a small proportion. Twenty-nine provinces including 64 cities contributed one paper at least. The publications from Taiwan, Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Guangdong were high in both quantity and quality.Conclusion: The Chinese academic contribution to the field of burns is now on a rise. Although the quality of papers is lagging behind quantity, scholars and academies are dedicated to improving China's academic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the antipoverty effect of public rental housing (PRH) in Hong Kong based on a comparison of estimated imputed rents from PRH through regression-based and stratified rental equivalence methods. Empirical analysis shows that stratified equivalence method tended to generate a larger effect of poverty rate reduction and smaller effect of poverty gap reduction than regression-based method. The study identified a trend towards upwardly biased estimate of public imputed rent in the implementation of stratified equivalence method in Hong Kong where limited strata was available for the estimation. The development of antipoverty measures may be misguided if the stratified equivalence method is used in its current form in Hong Kong. The paper suggests that the choice of estimation method has important implications for evaluating the pros and cons of PRH from both poverty reduction and budgetary perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the results of an extensive survey of 1,010 professionals across four key sectors of Hong Kong's economy and follow-up interviews with a representative cross-section of 31 of the respondents surveyed. In addition, meetings-related books aimed at professionals are examined to compare their focus and contents with the perceived needs of the professionals in this study. The survey and the interviews were part of a large-scale project investigating professional communication in English in Hong Kong. This paper focuses on meetings as one form of professional communication. The kinds of meetings professionals in Hong Kong engage in are examined along with those aspects of meetings-related communication which the subjects found particularly difficult at one extreme (e.g., listening to different accents, interrupting effectively, and presenting an effective argument) through to those aspects which they perceived to be unproblematic at the other extreme (e.g., taking notes, following a discussion, and expressing opinions). Possible explanations for the survey and interview findings are discussed and their implications for English for specific purposes are explored by comparing the study's findings with the meetings-related skills foregrounded in business English textbooks and meetings-related textbooks generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a number of ports in Hong Kong and mainland China are grouped and the concentration ratio and Herfindahl-Hirschman index of the container throughputs are calculated to analyze the changes in the port and shipping industry in Hong Kong. By tracing the trajectory of the barycenter of the standard deviation ellipse of the annual container throughputs, we can analyze whether port transportation is shifting away from Hong Kong towards mainland China. The impacts of underlying policies of mainland China and Hong Kong on the port and shipping industry in Hong Kong are also revealed. The analyses show that the port and shipping industry in Hong Kong has experienced three development stages: rapid growth from the 1970s-1990s, solid growth from 2000 to 2005, and sluggish growth from 2006 to 2015. • The concentration ratio and Herfindahl-Hirschman index of the container throughputs are analyzed for a port group consisting Hong Kong port and a number of ports in mainland China. • The growth and down of the port and shipping industry in Hong Kong are described. • The impacts of underlying policies of mainland China and Hong Kong on the port and shipping industry in Hong Kong are revealed. • It is found that port transportation is shifting away from Hong Kong towards mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the practices Hong Kong Chinese undergraduate students engage in to learn German and the values they attach to these practices for their ‘selves’. The findings discussed in this paper are part of an empirical study investigating the motivation to learn German amongst Hong Kong Chinese university students who studied German as a major programme. The study employs a Foucauldian ethical perspective which regards learning as contributing to the process of self-formation to broaden the view on language learners' motivation. The data were collected through interviews and diary entries over a period of two academic terms and analysed following a discourse-oriented approach based on the four axes of self-formation as defined by Foucault. This paper focuses on a selection of five research participants examining the deeper dimensions of their engagement with the language outside class. The findings indicate that the activities students engaged in to learn and apply German assisted them in living their lives differently and creating for themselves a world in which they could strive towards their ethical ideals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is expected as one of the ideal renewable energy resources which can be used in large scale in Hong Kong. This paper presents an in-depth investigation into the development potential of rooftop PV system in Hong Kong and its environmental benefits as well. The potential installation capacity of rooftop PV systems is estimated to be 5.97GW p , and the annual potential energy output is predicted to be 5981GWh accordingly. The annual energy yield can account for 14.2% of the total electricity used in Hong Kong in 2011. In addition, about 3,732,000t of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could be avoided yearly by the replacement of the equivalent local electricity mix. For environmental benefits, the investigation results showed that the energy payback time (EPBT) and the GHG emission payback time (GPBT) of different types of rooftop PV systems in Hong Kong ranged from 1.9 to 3.0 and 1.4 to 2.1 years, respectively, both of which are far less than the systems' lifespan of 30 years. The energy yield ratio (EYR) ranged from 10.0 to 15.8, which indicates that the rooftop PV systems could generate at least 10 times the energy requirement during the system's lifetime. Although the current PV system installation cost is relatively high in Hong Kong, PV electricity is expected to fully compete with traditional electricity modes in the near future if appropriate subsidies are provided by the local government, carbon credits benefits are considered and installation cost can be further reduced. Thus, more proactive energy policies and aggressive development targets for PV technology should be set by the government. The findings presented in this paper are expected to provide a theoretical basis for local policy makers to set reasonable renewable energy policies, development targets as well as subsidies for PV technology in Hong Kong. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge (HZMB) link is currently one of the largest fixed links ever realised. The link comprises various bridges, causeways, artificial islands and tunnels and has a total length of more than 55 km with an investment of about RMB 120billion (approx. €15 billion). The Link accommodates a dual carriageway with three traffic lanes in each direction. The construction of the Link started at the end of 2010 and was opened to traffic in October 2018. The HZMB Link is internationally regarded as one of the most challenging sea crossing projects in China and a demonstration of China's comprehensive breakthrough in technology, scientific research and other related fields. The offshore part of the HZMB Link, crossing the Pearl River Estuary involves one of the world's longest and deepest immersed tunnels. The tunnel was designed and constructed to meet state-of-the-art requirements and challenging structural, geotechnical and marine/offshore conditions. The HZMB tunnel won the ITA Tunnelling Award Major Project of the Year 2018. This paper presents the project from the Client perspective. The paper will give a general introduction of the project, will provide information regarding the challenging environment in which the tunnel had to be realized and the high demanding design criteria that were applicable. Furthermore, the evaluation of the various technical options will be discussed, ultimately leading to the selection of the immersed tunnel option. The paper will also look into the background of selecting the Design & Build contract approach for this project and the experiences that were built up using this type of contract, new to China on this scale. Finally, the paper introduces how operation and maintenance of the tunnel is planned and executed so as to guarantee the 120-year design lifetime. In Ref. (The Islands and Tunnel Project of HZM Link et al., 2022) more details of the project are discussed from the D&B contractors' perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate between protecting the freedom of expression on the one hand and the right to an individual privacy on the other is not new. Certainly with the introduction of the Internet, the debate has moved onto a whole new level. While no-one disputes that the Internet has significantly transformed lives by allowing netizens to create, share, and communicate within the global village, the Internet has also provided the means to publish and disseminate false information and derogatory remarks callously and expediently. The aim of this paper is to provide a brief comparative study of the approaches in China and in Hong Kong with respect to Internet intermediary liability for defamatory postings and whether the approaches taken provide the necessary balance between the right of free expression and the right to protect one's reputation. The paper starts by dealing with the position in China pre and post Tort Liability Law. The paper then continues by examining the position in Hong Kong focusing particularly on the recent Court of Appeal decision in Oriental Press Group Ltd u Feuaworfes Solutions Ltd. In comparing the position in China and Hong Kong, the paper provides a conclusion as a possible way forward for Internet intermediary liability in China and Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: With the expansion of the world''s population, apartment buildings have become popular, especially in metropolitan areas all over the world. Although apartment buildings could economize on the use of land, they may generate collective action problems among owners in the building management process, resulting in a “tragedy of the commons” in the urban environment. However, in the literature, there has been a lack of research that has investigated collective action problems in building management. In order to fill the gap, this study surveys collective action in apartment building management and proposes to utilize the institutional analysis and development (IAD) framework to analyze their problems. Making references to the literature on collective action and drawing from studies of common-pool resource management in particular, this paper classifies collective management actions into four categories, namely: 1) rules design, 2) rules enforcement, 3) maintenance decision making, and 4) performance monitoring. It further illustrates the application of the IAD model by empirically investigating a specific collective action—the appointment of a property management company (PMC). By using the logistic regression model for 2989 single block residential apartment buildings in 18 districts in Hong Kong, this paper will show that building condition, building location, the number of owners, and the presence of an owners'' organization each have a different impact on a property''s likelihood of appointing a PMC. The results of this paper should shed light on both collective action theory and building management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Environmental sustainability is a topic of increasing concern among scholars, city planners, engineers and policymakers. Electricity consumption constitutes about two-thirds of a city''s carbon emissions. In high-density Hong Kong, the building sector accounts for 89% of total electricity consumption, with commercial buildings alone accounting for 67% of the total. This paper reports the results of an in-depth case study examining how Langham Place Hotel Mongkok Hong Kong (LPHKG) has successfully reduced its CO2 emissions by implementing a range of sustainability design strategies. LPHKG is a five-star hotel situated in Mongkok – one of the most densely populated districts in the world, with an estimated 130,000 people per square kilometre. In particular, the paper discusses how the hotel, in its efforts to achieve net zero-energy, has made wise use of technologies to maximise energy consumption efficiency in its existing lighting and air-conditioning systems and in the mechanical devices of the building itself. The overall implication of LPHKG''s efforts is that, although the initial investment required for such technologies is usually large, the resulting long-term cost savings can be significant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is an extension to a paper previously published in the journal Building and Environment. Having determined an optimal recovery time in a controlled climatic environment, this paper aims to investigate the real impact on construction rebar workers by replicating the clinical experimentation to a series of field studies. Field studies were conducted during the summer time in Hong Kong. Nineteen rebar workers performed tasks of fixing and bending steel reinforcement bars on two building construction sites until voluntary exhaustion and were allowed to recover on site until their physiological conditions returned to the pre-work level or lower. Physiological Strain Index (PSI) was used as a yardstick to determine the rate of recovery. A total of 411 sets of meteorological and physiological data collected over fourteen working days between July and August of 2011 were collated to derive the optimal recovery time. It was found that on average a rebar worker could achieve 94% recovery in 40 min; 93% in 35 min; 92% in 30 min; 88% in 25 min; 84% in 20 min; 78% in 15 min; 68% in 10 min; and 58% in 5 min. Curve estimation results showed that recovery time is a significant variable to predict the rate of recovery (R 2 = 0.99, P < 0.05). Additional rest times should be introduced between works in extreme hot weather to enable workers to recover from heat stress. Frequency and duration of each rest time should be agreed among different stakeholders based on the cumulative recovery curve. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In several sign languages, it is observed that sometimes a nominal expression appears twice within the same sentence, once in its regular syntactic position and once sentence-finally as a pronominal pointing sign. This paper investigates how these sentence-final pronouns are used in Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL), which is the natural sign language used by the Deaf community in Hong Kong. Previous studies of sentence-final pronouns in sign languages put forward three major accounts: these pronouns serve as focus/emphasis markers, agreement markers, and right dislocations. On the basis of elicited and spontaneous discourse data collected from deaf native signers, this paper argues that sentence-final pronouns in HKSL are right dislocated ‘aboutness’ topics. Given that pronouns in HKSL, as in other sign languages, are directed towards the locations associated with the intended referents, sentence-final pronouns can help secure the attention of the addressee towards the topics in discourse by upholding their visual prominence via spatial indexing. This strategy is most commonly used in conversational interactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The intermittent property of a photovoltaic (PV) system requires supplementary energy such as the utility grid or batteries to meet load demand. However, when large scale PV systems are connected to the utility grid, they might affect the grid stability if the overall system is not properly designed. Hence, an accurate model for forecasting the PV system output would be useful in enhancing the system stability and reliability. The dynamic modelling of PV systems is thus crucial to the rapidly developing technologies and integrated sources in the smart grid application. This paper presents different approaches to model PV systems and identifies their pros and cons in modelling. The paper then explains the importance of a dynamic model, followed by the methodology in building up such a dynamic model. A three-vertex representation of a nearby building casting a shadow onto the PV array is also proposed as a novel approach in shadow analysis. The implementation of the dynamic model for PV systems was demonstrated in a case study in Hong Kong. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Continuing rapid developments in information communication technology has led to an ever increasing amount of personal information being collected, processed, stored and used, without the individual even knowing about it. For countries which have domestic legislation relating to privacy and data protection, it has afforded the opportunity for a review. For others, it has opened up the opportunity to legislate. The aim of the paper is three-fold. First, the paper aims to deal with data protection regime in Malaysia and in Hong Kong by examining the salient features of the newly enacted Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act 2010 and the recent recommendations for legislative reform to the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance in Hong Kong. Second, it considers whether the laws are more concerned with legitimising data protection practices of organizations and busi-nesses rather than the protection of individuals' privacy interests. Finally, the paper briefly considers whether the laws adequately address the impact to individuals' data privacy brought about by technological advancements before providing a conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In places where feminism or personal autonomy is not part of dominant public discourse, women have to rely on other cultural narratives in the construction of their relationships and living arrangements. This paper is an exploratory study based on self-reports of Hong Kong women in lesbian relationships and who consider themselves as families. The paper aims to contribute to debates on the impact of "doing gender" on the household division of labour. It is found that while the gendered dichotomy of messiness/tidiness translates into an unequal division of housework, not all gendered interactions reinforce inequality. The appropriation of the mainstream heterosexual discourse of gender equality and cultural narrative of the maternal role enable these lesbians to negotiate a balance of power in their intimate relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the consumption of electricity increases, air pollutants from power generation increase. In metropolitans such as Hong Kong and other Asian cities, the surge of electricity consumption has been phenomenal over the past decades. This paper presents a historical review about electricity consumption, population, and change in economic structure in Hong Kong. It is hypothesized that the growth of electricity consumption and change in gross domestic product can be modeled by 4-parameter logistic functions. The accuracy of the functions was assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficient, mean absolute percent error, and root mean squared percent error. The paper also applies the life cycle approach to determine carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide emissions for the electricity consumption of Hong Kong. Monte Carlo simulations were applied to determine the confidence intervals of pollutant emissions. The implications of importing more nuclear power are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Air pollution problems caused from the development of infrastructures are getting serious, in which air flow is reduced and heat is trapped among high-rise buildings. In order to mitigate these problems, various methods have been developed in previous studies. Extensive green roof has been identified as one of the most important means to mitigate these problems and implement sustainable development principles in the building features. Governments world-wide have been introducing various policies and regulations for promoting extensive green roof particularly for building projects. However, the existing buildings in many large cities such as Hong Kong display few extensive green roof features. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities with many high-rise buildings. This paper examines the major barriers encountered in promoting extensive green roof systems for the existing buildings in Hong Kong. Case study approach is adopted to investigate how and why the barriers can hinder the implementation of extensive green roof features. Research results show that lack of promotion and incentives from governments and the increase maintenance cost are identified as the top barriers to the implementation. The paper concludes by providing further suggestions and actions that can help mitigate these existing barriers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper evaluates the relationships between weather variables like humidity, temperature, air pressure, wind speed and status (clear, cloud, rain, haze and snow) with stock returns and volatility in the Greater China region's stock market. The study focuses on four stock exchanges; Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from mainland China, Hong Kong stock exchange and Taiwan stock exchange from Hong Kong and Taiwan respectively. Using the robust approach the best peer econometric model for each market was chosen. The results of the study depict that weather variables have a significant effect on Greater China's capital markets. We are able to analyze that in some cases the variable affects returns as well as volatility • Prior studies have proved that weather has emotional effects. • Finance scholars have shown that emotions related to investor decisions. • I provide evidence that local weather affects stock returns. • I also explore which weather variable most liable for said effect. • I find that said effect is at least fall in every stock market of Greater China region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The impacts of buildings on our life, business, and natural environment have fueled a global trend in the building industry to "go green". This has helped proliferate various green building rating systems (GBRSs) around the world. While previous studies have examined the effects of these systems on such aspects as resources consumption, indoor air quality and property value, little research, if any, has examined their effects on construction waste management (CWM). This study aims to evaluate the effects of GBRSs on CWM, and to understand the causes behind the effects thereof ascertained. Three GBRSs, including the U.S.-developed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Mainland China's GB Evaluation Label (GBEL) and Hong Kong's Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM Plus) are selected for comparative study. A combination of desktop archive analysis and semi-structured interviews formed the study's mixed method approach. Surprisingly, the study reveals that the three GBRSs do not greatly promote superior CWM performance despite their respective CWM targeted credits. Possible causes, as informed by the interviewees, include the design of rating systems themselves, developers' biases, and lack of incentives to improve CWM. Legal and economic incentives are more decisive drivers of responsible CWM. This paper also provides demonstrable qualitative evidence for legislators and associated bodies to achieve continued improvement in CWM via GBRSs. Highlights • The effects of green building rating systems on construction waste management performance are identified. • The empirical evidence explaining such effects is explored and analyzed. • Qualitative evidence is provided for stakeholders to achieve continued improvement in construction waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Building energy computer simulation software is a useful tool for achieving sophisticated design and evaluation of the thermal performance of buildings. For successful thermal and energy simulation of buildings, it requires hourly weather data such as dry bulb air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, etc. Nowadays, an urban city faces a problem of an urban heat island which causes the urban area to have a higher air temperature than the rural region. Since the currently available weather dataset used in building simulation software mainly comes from weather stations located in remote and rural areas, the impact of the urban heat island on thermal and energy performance of buildings may not be effectively reflected. This paper reports an approach to construct a modified typical meteorological weather file, taking into account the urban heat island effect in the summer season. Field measurements have been carried out in the summer months and the corresponding urban heat island intensities were then determined. With a morphing algorithm, an existing typical meteorological year weather file was modified. An office building and a typical residential flat were modeled with a renowned building energy simulation program EnergyPlus. Computer simulations were conducted using the existing and modified typical meteorological year weather files. It was found that there was around a 10% increase in air-conditioning demand caused by the urban heat island effect in both cases. The implications of this and further work will also be discussed in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: By means of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations, this paper investigated how rural winds transport relatively clean air into high-rise urban areas to dilute airborne pollutants. Two ventilation concepts for indoor environments were applied: the age of air to quantify the time taken by rural young air to reach a given place after it enters an urban area and the air exchange efficiency to evaluate the efficiency of rural winds flushing the entire urban canopy layer. Several square building arrays with street aspect ratios (building height/street width, H/W) ranging from 1.5 to 5.3 and building area densities of 0.25 (medium) or 0.4 (compact) were considered as the approaching wind is parallel to the main street whose length varies from street scales to neighborhood scales (330–510 m to 1.03–1.65 km in full-scale). Results show that considerable young rural air enters windward entries but a major fraction of air is vertically driven out as flowing deeper into such high-rise building arrays. So air exchange efficiencies are less than 50% in street-scale arrays, and smaller in longer (neighborhood-scale) or narrower arrays. For the neighborhood-scale medium arrays, considering the power-law velocity profile in the upstream free flow, a taller array gains a larger inflow rate across its windward entry and experiences younger air and greater air exchange efficiency than a lower one. If all buildings are theoretically open-based in a neighborhood-scale compact array, air becomes much younger everywhere and the air exchange efficiency doubles. In arrays of buildings with different heights, the secondary streets in front of taller buildings get younger air due to the downward flows within them. Although further investigations are still required before providing a practical framework, this paper is one of the first attempts to find ways in improving the ventilation performance in high-rise cities like Hong Kong. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims to contribute to a fuller understanding of professional communication by focusing on the intertextuality and interdiscursivity of the request e-mails exchanged among a group of professional English language teachers of a public education institution in Hong Kong. The types of intertextual and interdiscursive elements incorporated in the request e-mail discourse produced by the teachers, and the possible reasons for such incorporation, are discussed in the paper. It is found that the intertextual and interdiscursive elements drawn upon by the teachers in constructing the request e-mail discourse serve four pragmatic functions: (1) distancing themselves from the discourse and thus diverting the possible forthcoming resentment to others; (2) convincing others to comply with the requests they made; (3) emphasizing selectively and strategically the various roles they were playing; and (4) managing rapport with the e-mail recipients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Building cooling load prediction is one of the key factors in the success of energy-saving measures. Many computational models available in the industry have been developed from either forward or inverse modeling approaches. However, these models usually require extensive computer resources and lengthy computation. This paper discusses the use of the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) model, one of the artificial neural network (ANN) models widely adopted in engineering applications, to estimate the cooling load of a building. The training samples used include weather data obtained from the Hong Kong Observatory and building-related data acquired from an existing prestigious commercial building in Hong Kong that houses a mega complex and operates 24h a day. The paper also discusses the practical difficulties encountered in acquiring building-related data. In contrast to other studies that use ANN models to predict building cooling load, this paper includes the building occupancy rate as one of the input parameters used to determine building cooling load. The results demonstrate that the building occupancy rate plays a critical role in building cooling load prediction and significantly improves predictive accuracy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Building cooling load prediction is one of the key factors in the success of energy-saving measures. Many computational models available in the industry today have been developed from either forward or inverse modeling approaches. However, most of these models require extensive computer resources and involve lengthy computation. This paper discusses the use of data-driven intelligent approaches, a probabilistic entropy-based neural (PENN) model to predict the cooling load of a building. Although it is common knowledge that the presence and activity of building occupants have a significant impact on the required cooling load of buildings, practices currently adopted in modeling the presence and activity of people in buildings do not reflect the complexity of the impact occupants have on building cooling load. In contrast to previous artificial neural network (ANN) models, most of which employ a fixed schedule or historic load data to represent building occupancy in simulating building cooling load, this paper introduces two input parameters, dynamic occupancy area and rate and uses it to mimic building cooling load. The training samples used include weather data obtained from the Hong Kong Observatory and building-related data acquired from an existing grade A mega office buildings in Hong Kong with tenants including many multi-national financial companies that require 24-h air conditioning seven days a week. The dynamic changes that occur in the occupancy of these buildings therefore make it very difficult to forecast building cooling load by means of a fixed time schedule. The performance of simulation results demonstrate that building occupancy data play a critical role in building cooling load prediction and that their use significantly improves the predictive accuracy of cooling load models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The phenomenon of protectionism in land policy has survived in the globalised age for various reasons. This case study on the destruction of racially discriminatory zoning in laissez-faire Colonial Hong Kong shows what could happen when protectionist measures are removed by the government. Approaching the reality of discrimination from economic theory of price controls, this paper argues, on the basis of the records of official speeches and writings and a small sample of post-war assignments for housing lots, that the pre-World War II segregation law was motivated more by economic protectionism in favour of Europeans rather than by any social stigma against non-Europeans or genuine environmental externalities generated by Chinese housing. The paper approaches the same phenomenon from a new perspective and with a better method. It was revealed that natural or contractual, as opposed to legal, agglomeration could happen even under written discriminatory laws that allowed a degree of inclusion for the ethnic group that suffered discrimination. This revelation was based on an examination of the ethnicity of the original owners and subsequent purchasers of all identifiable 627 housing lots on the Peak in Hong Kong for 115 years from 1876 to 1990, as found in the 421 relevant Crown Leases and 1255 assignments. These housing lots fell into 23 street neighbourhoods and could be classified by altitude. The key findings lend support to the arguments that even if the post-war colonial literature evaded or even distorted the subject, there was no true racial animosity between European and Chinese citizens because the exclusionary laws were driven by economic protectionist motives and the repeal of the laws was socially and economically beneficial for both Chinese and Europeans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since the last two decades, public participation has become a worldwide issue as the bottom-up approach has spread across the field of heritage conservation and city planning. This paper aims to examine the problematic issues in public participation in built-heritage conservation. The paper begins by highlighting the importance of public participation in built-heritage conservation and provides an understanding of the role of public participation in decision-makings in other countries; then, it examines a theoretical framework by which to understand the extent of public participation. Two controversial cases in Hong Kong illustrate the major problem issues in public participation in built-heritage conservation. This study found that the issues include different preferences regarding what is worthy of conservation; the lack of an effective public participation mechanism and integrated heritage conservation approach in the decision-making process; the different and conflicting interests of various stakeholders; power disparity; propaganda and mobilisation of interest groups; and the lack of knowledge on heritage conservation. According to the issues identified in the case studies, corresponding policy implications and recommendations to enhance public participation are made. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Carbon footprint has become a term often used by the media in recent days. The human carbon footprint is professed to be a very serious global threat and every nation is looking at the possible options to reduce it since its consequences are alarming. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact of human activities on earth and in particular on the environment; more specifically it relates to climate change and to the total amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide emitted. Effort of individuals in minimizing the carbon footprint is vital to save our planet. This article reports a study of the carbon footprint of various types of shopping bags (plastic, paper, non-woven and woven) using life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) technique in two stages. The first stage (baseline study), comprised the study of the impact of different types of shopping bags in the manufacturing phase, without considering their usage and disposal phases (cradle to gate stage). The LCIA was accomplished by the IPCC 2007 method, developed by the Inter Panel on Climate Change in SIMAPRO 7.2. The GWP (Global Warming Potential) values calculated by the IPCC 2007 method for 100 years were considered as a directive to compare the carbon footprint made by the different types of shopping bags under consideration. The next stage was the study of the carbon footprint of these bags including their usage and disposal phases (cradle to grave stage) and the results derived were compared with the results derived from the baseline study, which is the major focus of this research work. The values for usage and end-of-life phases were obtained from the survey questionnaire performed amongst different user groups of shopping bags in China, Hong Kong and India. The results show that the impact of different types of shopping bags in terms of their carbon footprint potential is very high if no usage and disposal options were provided. When the carbon footprint values from different disposal options were compared, the carbon footprint values were lower in the case where a higher percentage of reuse is preferred to recycling and disposing to landfill. The results indicate that a higher percentage of reuse could significantly scale down the carbon footprint. Once the shopping bags reached the point where they can no longer be reused, they must be forwarded to recycling options, rather than being disposed to landfill. At this juncture, consumer’s perceptions and behaviours in connection with the respective government’s policies in promoting & facilitating recycling systems could be critical in reducing the carbon footprint of various shopping bags. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports the investigation results of the energy payback time (EPBT) and greenhouse-gas payback time (GPBT) of a rooftop BIPV system (grid-connected) in Hong Kong to measure its sustainability. The 22kWp PV array is facing south with inclined angle of 22.5°. The hourly solar irradiance and ambient air temperature from 1996 to 2000 were used as weather data input. The annual power output was found to be 28,154kWh. The embodied energy for the whole system in the lifespan was 205,816kWh, including 71% from PV modules and 29% from balance of system (BOS). The percentage of embodied energy for silicon purification and processing reached 46%. The EPBT of the PV system was 7.3years, and the GPBT was estimated to be 5.2years considering fuel mixture composition of local power stations. This paper also discussed the EPBTs for different orientations, ranging from 7.1years (optimal orientation) to 20.0years (west-facing vertical PV façade). The results show that the ‘sustainability’ of a PV system is affected by its installation orientation and location. Choosing locations and orientations with higher incident solar irradiance is one key for the sustainability of BIPV technology applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reports on a study conducted during 1992–1995 on the progressive movement of a slope in Sai Kung, Hong Kong. In spite of the fact that significant downslope movement was triggered during the rainy seasons, the field data show that remarkable rebound in the uphill direction was mobilized during dry season when the groundwater level dropped. This paper focuses on such rebound deformation which is due to the drying of the soils. To investigate the mechanism of the rebound deformation, a two-dimensional finite element model of the slope was established and a series of hydraulic and mechanical analyses were conducted. It is found that the volumetric contractive behaviour caused by the increase in suction within the unsaturated soil zones and the reduction in pore pressure in the submerged soils due to the lowering of groundwater level induced the rebound deformation. Moreover, the water retention properties of the unsaturated soil zones can also strongly influence such deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Governmental tolerance of illegality is a common but poorly understood phenomenon. While illegal housing is well studied in poorer cities, its prevalence and operation in rich cities is much less examined. A comparative perspective is necessary to uncover the variety of ways in which illegal housing is tolerated and regulated. This paper compares two different forms of illegal housing in two rich cities with very distinct histories: rooftop squatters in Hong Kong and basement suites in Calgary. As well as considering these irregular housing forms at opposite poles of the vertical spectrum, the paper examines the structuring forces emerging from both the top and the bottom of the social structure, and how they interact to produce the persistence of these housing types. Overlapping and conflicting interests of various groups and limits on governmental actions make toleration of illegal housing useful, in part precisely because of its provisional nature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper discusses the historical background, structure and enforcement of the ‘2009 Hong Kong International Convention on the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.’ the 2009 Hong Kong Convention establishes control and enforcement instruments related to ship recycling, determining the control rights of Port States and the obligations of Flag States, Parties and recycling facilities under its jurisdiction. The Convention also controls the communication and exchange of information procedures, establishes a reporting system to be used upon the completion of recycling, and outlines an auditing system for detecting violations. The Convention, however, also contains some deficiencies. This paper concludes these deficiencies will eventually influence the final acceptance of this Convention by the international community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes how the leaders of a group of English language teachers in a Hong Kong public education institute constructed various personal identities for themselves through the discourse of the request e-mails they sent to their subordinates. The request e-mails were analyzed at both clause and discourse levels to reveal the strategies the leaders employed for constructing desirable personal identities and ultimately achieving request compliance. At the clause level, first, the lexico-grammar was analyzed by drawing upon systemic functional grammar; and second the leaders’ management of the relationship with their subordinates was analyzed with reference to the constructs of rapport management and relational work. At the discourse level, the way the authors supported their request was analyzed by drawing upon the influence tactics framework. It is argued in the paper that the e-mail authors’ legitimate or position power intrinsically associated with their capacity as leaders was not sufficient in obtaining request compliance – additional elements like desirable personal identities were necessary in getting their subordinates to comply with the requests made via e-mails. The identities constructed included those of (1) an accountable leader, (2) a rational leader, (3) an authoritative leader, (4) an understanding, considerate and polite leader, and (5) a capable leader. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Expressions of gratitude often occur as functional lexical chunks such as thanks and thank you (). In this paper, I will focus on the use of such units and longer formulaic sequences of gratitude such as thanks a lot and thank you very much, relying on data from the Hong Kong component of the International Corpus of English (ICE-HK). The results show that Hong Kong speakers of English do not employ the wide variety of thanking strategies that has been investigated in previous literature. Their expressions of gratitude are usually brief, with thanks and thank you being the commonest forms of gratitude expression. These forms are frequently used as closing signals; they often constitute a complete turn. Repetitive gratitude formulae and expressions of appreciation of the interlocutors (both in a single turn and across turns) are exceedingly rare, which suggests that the Chinese may be too reserved to express their gratitude openly and explicitly. Responses to an act of thanking seem to be infrequent in ICE-HK and only a few strategies are represented. The paper also considers the pedagogical implications of the way this function can be acquired in a second/foreign language with the help of the corpus findings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The construction of buildings has a very important impact on the environment, and the process of manufacturing and transporting of building materials, and installing and constructing of buildings consumes great energy and emits large quantity of greenhouse gas (GHG). The present paper defines four sources of GHG emissions in building construction, which are: manufacture and transportation of building materials; energy consumption of construction equipment; energy consumption for processing resources; and disposal of construction waste, and then establishes the calculation method of GHG emissions. This paper presents a case study of GHG emissions in building construction in Hong Kong. The results show that 82–87% of the total GHG emissions are from the embodied GHG emissions of building materials, 6–8% are from the transportation of building materials, and 6–9% are due to the energy consumption of construction equipment. The results also indicate that embodied GHG emissions of concrete and reinforced steel account for 94–95% of those of all building materials, and thus the use of recycled building materials, especially reinforced steel, would decrease the GHG emissions by a considerable amount. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the literature, studies on real estate market were mainly concentrating on the relation between property price and some key factors. The trend of the real estate market is a major concern. It is believed that changes in trend are signified by some jump points in the property price series. Identifying such jump points reveals important findings that enable policy-makers to look forward. However, not all jump points are observable from the plot of the series. This paper looks into the trend and introduces a new approach to the framework for real estate investment success. The main purpose of this paper is to detect jump points in the time series of some housing price indices and stock price index in Hong Kong by applying the wavelet analysis. The detected jump points reflect to some significant political issues and economic collapse. Moreover, the relations among properties of different classes and between stocks and properties are examined. It can be shown from the empirical result that a lead-lag effect happened between the prices of large-size property and those of small/medium-size property. However, there is no apparent relation or consistent lead in terms of change point measure between property price and stock price. This may be due to the fact that globalization effect has more impact on the stock price than the property price. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Access to in-building wiring for buildings with multi-dwellings is crucial for local fixed network competition. Otherwise the first operator servicing consumers in a building will obtain a de facto monopoly since it is very doubtful that there will be more than one rolling out of in-building wiring because of costs, lack of space in cable trays and refusal of co-ownership property representatives to grant access to more than one operator. In this paper, Hong Kong''s experience regarding access to in-building wiring of the local fixed network is used to illustrate the importance of regulatory action. Since sharing of in-building wiring is crucial for facilitating the roll-out of fibre-to-the home, this is an issue that is of continuing importance even in an NGA (next generation access) environment since it could constitute a formidable ‘last-link’ barrier to competitive entry for delivery of high-speed broadband if the first operator deploying fibre becomes the de facto monopoly. The layered model consisting of three types of interconnection, which is proposed in this paper, makes the regulation of access to in-building wiring to facilitate local fixed network competition explicit and flexible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rapid suburbanization in Hong Kong has been driven by the government''s public housing-led new town program and interactions between the transport system and land markets. Failure to self-contain the new towns has resulted in long travel distances to employment for new town residents. This paper investigates these issues by focusing on the Tin Shui Wai new town. Commuting variables such as mode choice, travel time, and travel affordability for workers are used to measure the impacts of long travel distances and the jobs-housing imbalance on access to employment for workers. Route tests, a survey, and interviews were conducted. The results indicate that spatial mismatch and serious jobs-housing imbalance increase travel time and fare costs, and that a lack of freedom in the choice of travel mode increases transfer times during work trips and restricts the options that workers have to search for different types of jobs. Finally, the combination of a high unemployment rate and weakened social networks has caused residents to lose contact with relatives and friends, and has deterred them from seeking jobs a long distance away. This paper suggests that the government should avoid resettling a high percentage of poor households in a single new town and should focus on devising a transport policy that increases residents'' access to a wider range of employment opportunities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is well recognised that a significant amount of solid waste is produced from construction work. The increasing generation of construction waste such as used timber formwork, obsolete concrete and packaging, has caused significant pollution to the environment and risen public concern particularly in densely populated cities, such as Hong Kong. The minimization of construction waste has therefore become a pressing issue in pursuing the practice of sustainable construction. This paper shows the betterment of replacing in situ concreting with precast slabs for temporary works to improve sustainable construction performance. Construction waste from the obsolete concrete constitutes a large part of the construction solid waste in a typical building project. The reduction on the obsolescence by using precast slabs can significantly contribute to improving sustainable construction performance. This study identifies cost saving and the betterment of environmental performance by using precast concrete slabs over the in situ concreting. The data used for analysis in the paper were collected from statistics reports and a case study in Hong Kong construction practice. From the case study results, about 43.93%, 64.01% and 70.70% of the cost of using cast in situ concreting can be saved by reusing precast slabs once for temporary works, twice and three times respectively. The findings provide evidence for promoting the use of precast slabs for temporary works, and contribute to the improvement of sustainable construction performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Unlike most developed jurisdictions around the world, Hong Kong has not yet adopted a general competition law. However, starting in the 1990s, the city developed a ‘sector-specific’ competition law regime for the telecommunications sector, but in recent years, the effectiveness of such a regime has been challenged. In response, in March 2006, the government issued a consultation paper proposing the adoption of a unified Communications Authority and a unified Communications Ordinance. Then, in May 2008, another consultation paper was issued advocating the introduction of a general competition law. Thus, Hong Kong is moving away from the existing ‘sector-specific’ competition law in its telecommunication regulation. This article traces the development of the ‘sector-specific’ competition law regime and evaluates its limitations. It then considers the government proposals for the establishment of a unified regulator and a unified law for the entire communications sector. It also assesses whether these proposals of regulatory consolidation can improve competition in the local telecommunications sector. Finally, it argues that the current ‘sector-specific’ regulatory regime has become increasingly ineffective in regulating competition in the Hong Kong telecommunications sector, which can only be remedied by the introduction of a general competition law as advocated by the government in its latest consultation paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates authentic writing through the use of wikis by Year 7 ESL learners in a secondary school in Hong Kong. The wikis were used as a collaborative writing platform to produce – with minimal input and support from their teachers – wiki content that describes the different facilities and features of their school. Over a period of two months, as an integral part of their ESL homework, groups of students designed and put together, through a series of successive drafts, a description of their secondary school which they had joined from primary school a few months previously. After an initial overview of how wikis function in terms of editing and revision, the paper describes the process one group of learners went through. Samples are provided of the students’ intermediate and final drafts, as well as snapshots of the amount and the types of writing produced at each stage. The students’ final draft became a printed brochure of their ‘new’ school to be distributed to parents. In the light of this real ‘outcome’, the paper discusses the place of authentic writing, situated within the domains of creativity and task-based learning, in a school’s ESL programme. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the stock return performance of the IPO stocks which are listed on the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) in Hong Kong. By using several benchmarks, over 3 years, this paper finds that the results produced are sensitive to the benchmark employed. The two factors causing the underperformance of GEM stocks are the ‘technology boom’ and ‘IPO effects’. This suggests that appropriate benchmarks are very important for assessing the performance of newly issued stocks. The results of the cross-sectional analyses suggest that the Hong Kong GEM is a unique market. Since at least 70 percent of the IPO stocks listed on the GEM are technology stocks, the ‘technology’ factor outweighs the various hypotheses advocated by previous researchers to explain the poor performance of newly listed stocks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The complementary processes of globalization and regionalization have resulted in the proliferation of cross-boundary regions in the world since the 1980s. Existing studies have primarily concentrated at supranational paradigms or nation-based level of analysis in some specific regions, such as European Union (EU), North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), etc. This paper presents a salient sub-national cross-boundary region under “one country, two systems” in China, taking the Pearl River Delta (“the PRD” hereafter) and Hong Kong as a case. It argues that the PRD and Hong Kong have been evolving into a cross-boundary region, as a result of intensified socio-economic interaction between them over the past two decades. Previous studies have identified the role of Hong Kong as the largest source of foreign investment and entrêpot during the process of the dramatic economic development of the PRD in the 1980s and the mid-1990s. However, the changes of their relationship after Hong Kong returned to the Chinese sovereignty in 1997 are still poorly understood and analyzed. The paper attempts to update and fill the gap in the literature with the investigation of the transformation of the cross-boundary interaction between the PRD and Hong Kong in the post-1997 period. Particular attentions are paid to the paradigm shift and evolving patterns of the PRD-Hong Kong cross-boundary region under the unique framework of “one country, two systems”. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper critically examines the discourse of the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, Tung Chee-hwa, during his first five-year period of office, following the return of Hong Kong from British to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Based on a large corpus of primarily speeches, but also interviews, press conferences and other pronouncements, and a parallel corpus of media reports and commentary, the analysis demonstrates that, in the interests of a smooth handover and the policy of “one country, two systems”, Tung’s discourse, in its basic configuration, mirrors that of the last British colonial Governor, Chris Patten. However, there are certain notable variations; in particular, there is a new emphasis on the need for a knowledge-based economy, the importance of Chinese values and identification with China, and a downplaying of democratic development. As did a previous article on Patten [Discourse Soc. 8 (4) (1997a) 493], the present paper focuses on four discursive strategies: the transformation of old political genres and the creation of new ones, presupposition, the use of indexicals, and lexical structuring and reiteration. The paper is presented as a case study of an attempt by a political leader to develop a communal/political identity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nearly 60% of electrical energy use in Hong Kong is for space conditioning during summer months. The paper investigates the impact of design-related variables on outdoor micro level daytime heat island effect in residential developments in Hong Kong. The paper hypothesizes that the differences in outdoor temperatures within and between residential developments can be explained by the impact of design-related variables on the overall environment. Case studies of three large housing estates reveal urban heat island effect (UHI) in the order of 1.5 °C within an estate, and 1.0 °C between estates. The results indicate that energy efficient designs can be achieved by manipulating surface albedo, sky view factor and total height to floor area ratio (building massing) while maximizing cross ventilation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A procedure for the simultaneous estimation of an origin–destination (OD) matrix and link choice proportions from OD survey data and traffic counts for congested network is proposed in this paper. Recognizing that link choice proportions in a network change with traffic conditions, and that the dispersion parameter of the route choice model should be updated for a current data set, this procedure performs statistical estimation and traffic assignment alternately until convergence in order to obtain the best estimators for both the OD matrix and link choice proportions, which are consistent with the survey data and traffic counts.Results from a numerical study using a hypothetical network have shown that a model allowing θ to be estimated simultaneously with an OD matrix from the observed data performs better than the model with a fixed predetermined θ. The application of the proposed model to the Tuen Mun Corridor network in Hong Kong is also presented in this paper. A reasonable estimate of the dispersion parameter θ for this network is obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hotel business in Hong Kong has been badly affected by the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) since March 2003. Medical reports suggest that a direct contact with the secretion or respiratory droplets from a patient through a short distance is very likely to be the possible way of transmitting the disease. World Health Organization (WHO), hence, has advised international travellers to avoid visiting several regions that have the most number of SARS cases, including Hong Kong. Since then, the number of hotel guests has largely dropped to a level that Hong Kong has never experienced before. As a totally new experience to the hotel industry in Hong Kong and elsewhere, hoteliers basically do not have enough knowledge to respond to epidemic crisis. In view of the lack of published articles in the hospitality literature that examine the issue, this paper investigates the impact of the SARS outbreak on the hotel industry in Hong Kong. In addition, this paper addresses the issue of SARS crisis management in risk identification, assessment and alleviation. The paper is expected to benefit the entire hotel industry from better understanding and planning to face the mysterious illness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]