Arcadia Reborn - Sustainable Remediation Design for Closed Landfill Brownfield in Northeast New Territories, Hong Kong

Hongyu Weng，Yanxi Lai，Yi chen Liu
Guangqiang Wang
Bachelor of Arts in Art Design(Landscape Design)
Landscape Design
2025-04-10
Color
Sustainable brownfield renovation design
Mixed medium
This design is grounded in addressing the spatial and functional conflicts between landfill operations and urban expansion, serving as the foundation for urban brownfield regeneration. The vision strategically integrates two axes: the vertical axis aligns with the Hong Kong Government's Northern District 2030 Planning White Paper and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Development Strategy, while the horizontal axis leverages ecological connectivity through the East Asia-Australasia Flyway (a critical migratory bird corridor) and the New Territories North Ecological Corridor. The implementation framework adopts a three-phase landfill closure process for the Northern District, structured into sequential stages: (1) the ‌Preliminary Phase‌ (Social Sustainability), focusing on mitigating NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) effects and community apprehensions; (2) the ‌Intermediate Phase‌ (Environmental Sustainability), prioritizing ecological network reconstruction, biodiversity enhancement, and the establishment of an ecological matrix via corridor spot-connections; (3) the ‌Post-implementation Phase‌ (Economic Sustainability), dedicated to revitalizing circular economic models, restoring community vitality, and creating multifunctional public spaces. Aligned with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (SDGs), this integrated approach systematically addresses social equity through conflict resolution, environmental resilience via habitat restoration, and economic viability by fostering regenerative urban systems. The methodology ensures compliance with international brownfield redevelopment standards while balancing localized socio-ecological priorities in Hong Kong’s Northern Territories.
  • Start For grass Through preliminary information collection, field research, questionnaire surveys, and similar design field investigations, we have established the basic framework for the transformation. We have customized different plans for each stage to address the different pain points in the three stages of landfill restoration. In the early stage of laying and repairing herbs, the landscape of the site was poor and outsiders were not allowed to enter. Instead, we added light and shadow public art to create a "space interaction" between the site and residents, gradually dissolving the mentality of avoiding neighbors. In terms of energy, prepare for resource recovery in the early stage, and carry out harmless treatment and resource reuse of waste gas and wastewater；
  • Hid In bushes In the mid-term of the transformation, the soil has been transformed and irrigated extensively, reaching the standard of being open to the public. At this point, we consider introducing and cultivating local ornamental insects. Insect pollination can effectively improve the survival rate of shrubs, while also attracting birds from the bird corridor into the site, gradually restoring the local food chain and connecting the ecological corridor. At the same time, we have also equipped lighting facilities and bird watching corridors to encourage residents to get close to nature, create eco-tourism projects, and turn the site into a city card that combines education and entertainment；
  • Play Into forest In the later stage, a large number of trees were planted on the site to completely restore the landfill site to forest. At this time, the construction of the northern urban area in Hong Kong has landed, and we have opened some areas to the public as mountain parks, injecting new vitality into the new urban area. At the same time, it will also provide job opportunities for surrounding residents, repair the "old scars" buried by landfills due to urban development, and reconstruct the community ecology. At the same time, attracting new young people to settle down to enhance the cultural atmosphere of development and drive the introduction of a new chapter in surrounding construction.