Think of a Wall-E-esque sort of world (not the one that’s set on earth, but the one set in the spacecraft), and now imagine that’s Kowloon East.
If you’re unable to picture the scene, don’t worry. It’s all about to come true soon, as the Hong Kong government has put Kowloon East is on the road to becoming a “Smart City”, apparently.
The government has vowed to look into implementing area-wide free-for-all Wi-Fi, as well as updating the traffic signal systems to reduce waiting times for pedestrians.
According to The Standard, CY Leung said the government will be studying the pros and cons, costs and potential time that could be involved in a project that would use “technology to enhance pedestrian and vehicular accessibility and manage district facilities, and disseminate information to the public in digital format, with a view to making the area a better place for work and play”.
A government source also proposed the construction of elevated walkways and pimped-out back alleys (i.e. nicer looking, not full of ass peddlers) and connecting them to the pedestrian network.
Leung further hopes to place HKD5 million in the Innovation and Technology Fund in a bid to expand the role of technology in the average Hongkonger’s day-to-day life, as if any of us really need that.
With the potential to provide almost five million square meters of commercial and office space, Kowloon East is apparently giving Central a run for its money in the business district stakes.
The government even has plans to relocate to, or at least set up a second facility in Kowloon East in order to have its big fat feet in both of Hong Kong’s busy business districts.
We’re not sure how well that’ll go down. We’re keen for a “Smart City”, but we’d like a smart government too, please.
Photo: Arthur Caranta via Flickr
Reader Interactions