司馬文：沒有欄杆的街道 人車關係更融洽｜Paul Zimmerman：The Harmonious Balance of People and Cars without Fences
在中環蘭桂坊最繁忙的德己立街，駛入的汽車一輛接一輛，行人偶爾走出馬路，在車之間穿來插往——因為辦公室在附近，司馬文每次經過，也覺得這裏的人車關係很融洽：「你看這裏沒有欄杆，人人都走出車路，但司機因為知道人多，所以都把車速減至很慢。北角的春秧街也一樣，電車、汽車、行人混在一起，但那並不是交通黑點，行人與汽車互相都格外小心，空間可以分享運用得很好。」
2007年創立非牟利團體「創建香港 Designing Hong Kong」的司馬文（Paul Zimmerman），多年來以「可持續發展、美好設計」為核心，推動城巿規劃。去年有大量欄杆在社會運動中被拆去，反而引起不少人開始討論 ----- 拆了欄杆的城巿其實更方便。司馬文說，他的辦公室在上環，平時若要穿過德輔道中，需走一段路才能找到正式的過路處，因此很多人選擇繞過欄杆、直接橫過馬路。「移除欄杆後，反而更方便，沒有欄杆的阻擋，過路後更快回到行人路上。」數個月後，創建香港去信政府，提議運輸署不必急於裝回欄杆。「我們指出這是一個難得的契機，希望當局不要重裝圍欄，反正最後或許也會被示威者拆除。如要防止違例泊車，亦可以選擇換上圓柱。就讓我們看看市民的反應，或許發現一條圓柱已經足夠區別行人路及行車路。」
早在十八前研究維港海濱的時候，司馬文已發現香港的欄杆太多，阻礙步行。「那時候，香港不斷填海、建樓、再填海，我們的重點其實是想保護海岸線、如何讓海濱成為一個更好的公共空間，才發現巿民要去海濱是很困難的，從內陸走到海邊，沿途是天橋、欄杆，通通都是障礙。」
司馬文來自荷蘭，1984年初到香港，在一間銀行做實習生，每天黃昏下班，走遍大街小巷，用雙腳去認識這個城巿。後來他任職跨國公關公司，也成立了自己的設計和顧問公司，40歲左右賣掉公司，決心留在香港，為這個他熱愛的城巿做多一點事。
「我留意到香港的可步行度（walkability）是個很大的問題，於是在香港大學修讀運輸政策與規劃碩士，畢業論文是寫尖沙嘴半島酒店外的斑馬線突然不見了，行人若要到太空館，必須鑽進地底的行人隧道橫過梳士巴利道。我很討厭行人隧道，令人像老鼠一樣不見天日，為什麼不能讓人在街道上行走？街道有陽光、有雨水、可以看見路上的其他人。」
2010年，他當選南區薄扶林區議員，上任後開始把自己的理念逐步在南區實踐，改善社區的步行環境，接連提出移除欄杆的建議，例如在域多利道，原本以欄杆防止汽車違法泊車，司馬文成功爭取，用地區小型工程的矮柱（Bollards）取代欄杆。「在很多地方，路邊欄杆都非必要。移除它們釋出更多空間，防止他人在路邊儲物，更能方便行人過路，善用有限的路面空間。」
以他理解，政府一直認為街道有幾種原因需要安裝欄杆：行人路與車路的高度有較大的差距，行人若從行人路跌出行車路面會造成危險；違法泊車問題嚴重的地方；人多擠迫的鬧巿，防止行人任意走出車路、需用欄杆引導行人至恰當的過路處等。但司馬文認為，香港的行人路太狹窄，有不少地方的情況是，欄杆把所有人流導向至轉角路口，令轉角路口太擠，兩邊的人流又迎面相撞。「有人說欄杆令街道更安全，我覺得未必，反正有沒有欄杆，人們都會走出車路，一旦意識到有危險，欄杆反而令他們無法重返行人路。」
多年來，司馬文與政府部門溝通不少，雖然試過成功改善街道，但也有失敗的例子。所謂失敗，不是指政府部門不同意他的意見而原地踏步，而是結果反令事情更糟。「在坑口，有一條馬路，兩邊行車線中間有個大花槽，原本的道路設計是引導行人走上天橋過馬路，但顯然這並不方便，於是很多行人寧願跨過花槽過馬路。我們當時建議政府在這裏開闢正式的過路設施，但結果他們在花槽上再加欄杆。」
他認為，要讓政府部門同意移除欄杆，是很困難的事。即使如今不少欄杆被人除，政府部門也傾向重新安裝。「他們回覆我時，說會逐個地點重新檢視有沒有重新安裝的需要，但現在看來他們傾向回到過往的做法，因為這樣最方便，他們不需要解釋原因，反而若要在本來有欄杆的地方決定不安裝，那他們就要找原因合理化，萬一將來出意外，他們更要負上責任了。」
司馬文倡議十多年，推動到的小修小補是有的，不過實則的改變還未見，而且進展很緩慢。「政府是多了討論，近年也開展『香港．好易行 Walk HK』，但聽說仍在研究的階段。」政府步伐太慢，那麼民間又如何可以出一分力推動？「現在很多被破壞的欄杆，政府用紅色膠鏈圍起，但你可看到，不少紅鏈被人剪掉，又重新連起。我認為，我們可以記錄這些地點，這正是最好的意見表達：這些重複被剪的位置，行人其實很討厭被圍起，他們真的很渴望在這裏過馬路。」
相片來源：zoom.in.hongkong
地點 : 香港
It is another ordinary day in Lang Kwai Fong, crowds of people are venturing through the sidewalk amidst the busy traffic as usual. ‘There is no fence here, everybody can weave in and out of the sidewalk as you see. That alerts the drivers and they all drive very slowly,’ said Paul Zimmerman, who has experienced again and again the balance of life between pedestrian and cars on D'Aguilar Street on his way to work.
A similar balance can be found in North Point’s Chun Yeung Street, he said, where tram, cars and pedestrian are crammed in one space in organized chaos of the street market. As pedestrian and drivers are being extremely cautious, it is never a black spot of traffic accident.
A new wave of social movement and protests have rocked Hong Kong for months since last year. Subsequently, huge amount of pedestrian railing was dismantled by protesters, breaking new grounds for discussion on whether these railings are necessary in the city. Paul Zimmerman, the co-founder and CEO of ‘Designing Hong Kong’, finds his way to work to Sheung Wan more walkable and safer. As formal crossings on the Des Voeux Road were far between, pedestrians used to cross the road from everywhere and it was not easy to get back onto the sidewalks as it was fenced off. Now it is more convenient and safer for pedestrians to cross the road swiftly and get back onto the sidewalks.
With the core values of promoting sustainability, quality of life and good design, Paul founded the non-profit organization ‘Designing Hong Kong’ in 2003 to advocate for better city planning in Hong Kong. Recently, he grasped the opportunity to suggest the Government not to reinstall the railings for the moment. “We see this as a rare opportunity. The protesters may dismantle the railings again even if you reinstall them. Why not just leave it as it is and see how the street life would become?” Paul further suggested alternatives, “You can use bollards instead to stop illegal parking.”
Paul has been advocating for a more walkable Hong Kong for long. Since he joined the Government’s Harbourfront Commission as a member, he started arguing that pedestrian railings are taking over Hong Kong. “My main objective at the time was to protect Hong Kong’s coastal shore line, turn it into a better public space to facilitate people to enjoy the waterfront. Yet, I found that people need to venture through numerous footbridges, countless metal fences before even reaching the waterfront. It was difficult to access.”
Dutch-born Paul Zimmerman first arrived in Hong Kong in 1984. Being a Bank intern back then, Paul got to know the city through his every single step as he walked through the narrow winding streets in the evenings after work. He further developed his career in a multi-national communications firm, and later set up his own design and consultancy company. At the age of 40, he sold his company and was determined to stay in Hong Kong. He is keen to make contributions to the city that he loved.
“I came to realize that Hong Kong’s walkability is problematic, then I decided to study a master degree from the University of Hong Kong on Transport Policy and Planning.” Paul’s dissertation was about the disappearance of a zebra crossing outside the Peninsula Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. “If there is no street level crossing in Salisbury Road, everyone would be forced to go underground to reach the Space Museum. I hate underground tunnels, as it made me feel like a rat. Why can’t I walk on the road and enjoy sunshine, rain, and meet people?”
Paul was voted into the Southern District Council for Pok Fu Lam in 2010 and started to implement his ideas, making the neighbourhood more sustainable and walkable. He successfully advocated to replace the pedestrian railings on Victoria Road with bollards. “Metal fences are not necessary in most of the places. Removing the railings will give the space more flexibility and prevent street obstruction.”
According to Paul’s understanding pedestrian railings are installed for several reasons, including controlling and guiding pedestrians to the formal crossing, to deter illegal parking, and to prevent people from falling down from height. As Hong Kong streets are narrow and crowded, the railings are counterproductive and creating bottlenecks to the formal crossing in this context, “In this way, the railing is not giving us safer roads. People are crossing from anywhere anyway, the railing is making it less flexible for people to return safely to the sidewalk when traffic demands.
Paul experienced both success and backfires in his campaign and advocacy. He shared a situation of irony in Hang Hau where the authority decided to put more metal fences after his work. “I saw that people are walking through a huge planter placed in the middle of the road instead of using the footbridge. I suggested that the government should enable a formal crossing, only to find extra fences were being put on top of the planter instead!”
To Paul, it is almost impossible for authorities to quit their ‘obsession’ with pedestrian railings. Even now, as Hong Kong’s metal fences are being dismantled in a large scale, the Government is not giving up reinstalling. “They like to keep the status quo, the usual practice, as no extra workload and explanation is needed for reinstalling the railings. Not to mention the fear of potential responsibility for traffic accidents in future.”
Advocating for walkability for more than a decade, Paul witnessed changes in bits and bobs. The real, structural change is yet to come. “I see more discussion among the government, and a new initiative of ‘Walk in HK’ is in place. However, I heard things are still under research right now.” If the Government is slow, how should the community push forward a change? “Since the disappearance of railings, the sidewalks are being sealed off with plastic tape. These are cut off by pedestrian again and again showing where people really favour to cross the road. We should observe and document these spots and respond positively to the public opinion.” GUTSMAN, time to take action!
Photos source: zoom.in.hongkong
Location: Hong Kong
你可能對以下吉人吉事有興趣:
You may also be interested in these GUTS Stories:
