The seminar-cum-workshop “Absorbent Landscapes Design” was held on 12 Oct 2019 (Sat) in THEi Chai Wan Campus. It was the first of series “Knowledge Exchange Programme for Enhancing Urban Horticulture Industry: Expediting Technologies and Sustainability Mindset Series”. It is hoped that the series can help exchange urban horticulture technology between overseas and local professionals, advocate current urban horticultural practice with sustainable measures, and explore Hong Kong urban horticulture market in term of international level.

More than 60 participants attended the morning seminar, including students and people from the industry and academia. Dr. Allen ZHANG, Programme Leader of BA (Hons) in Horticulture and Landscape Management (HLM) and Project Co-ordinator of the series, kicked off the seminar by delivering the welcome speech. Prof. Nian SHE, Director of the Institute of Smart Sponge City Construction and Planning in Tsinghua University Innovation Center in Zhuhai, was our first seminar speaker. He shared his experiences of retrofitting a low income community in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Providence into a climate resilient neighborhood by using green stormwater infrastructure. The next seminar speaker Prof. HO Chia-Chun, Associate Professor of Department of Civil and Construction Engineering from Taiwan Tech University, demonstrated the application of absorbent landscapes in campuses.

Over 40 participants joined the outdoor visit tour held in the afternoon. Mr. Peter POW, Director of L. F. Sam (H.K.) Ltd., led a tour at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal Roof Garden and presented how the use of water management products and techniques can provide onsite stormwater treatment. The day was ended with the visit at Kowloon City No. 1 Sewage Pumping Station of Drainage Services Department (DSD). Mr. Paul CHENG, Senior Engineer of Landscape Unit of DSD and his colleague, Mr. Peter LAM, Landscape Architect of DSD, explained the various green features adopted for stormwater management.

The next seminar-cum-workshop "Native Ornamental Plants Utilization in Urban Landscapes" of the seminar series will be held in March 2020. If you have any enquiry to the seminars, please contact Ms. Jade HUI at 3890 8490 or at jade.hui@vtc.edu.hk.

The event is funded by the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Regions (Project ref. no.: PS183005).

Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material/any event organised under this project do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or the Vetting Committee of the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme.