欄道如此?｜Railing Talks?
明明在街角過路的路程最短，長長的欄杆卻又強逼人繞路——這時候的欄杆，的確很討厭。不過，城巿內有些地方的欄杆，或許反而讓你覺得欄杆也不錯，例如石梯中央色彩繽紛的欄杆、例如在等巴士時可以讓人倚坐的欄杆。若然城巿始終無法擺脫欄杆，除了要保障安全、把人車隔開之外，欄杆是否可以有更多讓人喜愛的用途、與行人更好地相處、成為城市景色的一分子？
1. 欄杆作為營造社區的元素
在西營盤的常豐里，是一條在山上連接第二街和第三街的樓梯巷里，寬闊的石梯中央，有一道欄杆讓行人當扶手，近年民間團體把它髹上有趣的顏色，還在欄杆上掛滿用膠樽盛載的小盆栽，給這個社區增添了一個讓人心情愉快的空間。雖然不是大街，又處於高樓大廈之間，但它卻會讓穿越第二街和第三街的人，願意專程繞路到來使用這裏的石梯。
2. 欄杆作為私人空間的延伸
除了營造更好的社區空間，在鬧巿之中，欄杆與人的生活最普遍融合，就是成為街道上店舖的延伸空間，我們經常看到欄杆被人繫上不同物件，例如單車、手推車、石油氣罐、地拖。
3. 欄杆作為有機社交場所
2018年，「拓展公共空間」 舉辦了「街道欄杆裝置設計比賽」，嘗試邀請更多吉人一起發掘欄杆更多的可能性。比賽前，他們曾在尖沙嘴做試驗，在欄杆擺放咕𠱸坐墊，的確有路人會拿來在街道坐下歇息、聊天，而在欄杆掛上的過三關，則很受小朋友歡迎。沒改動現有的欄杆，只加添新元素，就可以營造人們停留、交流的場所。
拓展公共空間研究總監單懷亮William說：「有些餐廳會在門外的欄杆放置坐椅，讓人在店外等位；在彌敦道的一些轉角位置，正是因為有欄杆，才有人靠著欄杆開小檔。我們覺得，欄杆未必是一件很理想的街道元素（street element），但當它融入人的生活，欄杆也可以有更好的用途。」比賽的參加者包括建築系學生、設計師，最後得獎的四件作品，花了三個月製成實物，去年於西營盤山道展出並進行實驗，其中一件作品的創作者為一名小學生。「那是一塊哈哈鏡，很簡單地掛在路邊，好奇的路人看見自己的身型突然變了，覺得有趣，會站在哈哈鏡前擺動身體，讓街道增添有趣的畫面。」
「人類害怕改變，因此我們選擇定居。」一位朋友近日提醒吉人。
要改變一般巿民對欄杆的既有想法，也許並不是想像中困難。但不少人都不想安於舊式的欄杆思想，就讓我們始於足下，先從小吉事小改變開始，逐點把新想法帶到大家眼前 ﹗
吉人認為欄杆的討論可從三個方面入手 - 功能、外形、地點。以下這十個吉想，你曾想像過多少個？
吉想#1 食得 Edible Barrier
有些地點，樹木也可以發揮欄杆的功能，若樹木結出果實，甚至可成為「食得」的欄杆﹗「食用花園Edible Garden」的研究反映，食得的欄杆除可增加城市內的種植，它可以提升行人和社區的互動和傾談。
吉想#2 睇得 Lighting & Wayfinding
香港是一個不夜之城，晚上的街道上仍有各種人在活動，但有很多地區晚上的燈光都偏暗，配合路面照明的欄杆，或可打造更好的不夜之城？
吉想#3 行得Posts with Art
欄杆立柱中的鐵欄沒有防撞功能，如果把中間鐵欄拆掉，是否可把立柱變成藝術裝置，既方便行人，亦可增加藝術感？
吉想#4 聽得 Sound Assistance
雖然在斑馬綫位置已有協助視障人士的裝置，吉人在沿路、特別是在轉角或分岔路口，或可利用欄杆再幫點忙？
吉想#5 睇得用得 Art & Bike Lock
欄杆作為一個有藝術感又能短暫存放單車、手推車等物品的正式空間延伸，又是否可行？
吉想#6 行得坐得 Post & Seating
在夏天或斜坡路段，欄杆位置有一張椅、一張摺凳或許已是最佳拍檔？
吉想#7挨得玩得 Backing & Games
欄杆若可增加行街樂趣，減少行人煩躁心情，豈不是很好？ 一個簡單遊戲已可讓人心曠神怡？
吉想#8 揀得試得 Removable & Trial
一下子要把所有欄杆拆掉或許並不實際，不過到底哪些地方需要欄杆確實需要測試，欄杆測試又是否可行？
吉想#9 漲得縮得 Inflatable
行人路未必二十四小時都一樣擁擠，想多一步，用吹氣的形式，令繁忙時間做好一點人車分隔又何嘗不可？
吉想#10變得攔得 Fabric & Shading
遮蔭擋陽光的裝置應是各購物朋友最關心的一環，若在欄杆局部位置加高、加入布飾，清新又遮蔭，你又覺得是否吸引？
繪圖：Sherene Ng
地點 : 香港
Pedestrian railings may not be the most favorable element for walkability’s sake, yet it is impossible for streets to completely get rid of them. With a creative GUTS mind, here are some ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas to transform this street necessity into a fun and indispensable part of the cityscape. Read on!
1. A Placemaking Tool
In Sai Ying Pun, you can find a series of rainbow-colored railings which also serves as a community garden in Sheung Fung Lane. A community group voluntarily decorated the space and grow plants with recycled bottles, giving a new life to the previously humble little street.
2. An Extension of Private Space
Pedestrian railings can be easily intertwined with people’s day-to-day lives as they begin attaching their personal belongings such as bikes and trolleys onto it.
3. As an Organic Social Space
With some small touches of genius, railings can be spiced up and become a tool to facilitate social interactions and encourage pedestrians to mingle on the streets. William Sin, Research Director of the Hong Kong Public Space Initiative, said, ‘We may think that railing is not a perfect street element, but if we could better incorporate it with people’s daily life, it can be another story.’ On Hill Road, a primary school student once put a funhouse mirror on the railings as an entry for the ‘Street Railing Add-on Competition’. This simple act has a magical uplifting effect for the street scene. By reflecting the whimsical and distorted images of the pedestrians, this small intervention has successfully put smile onto the faces of many passersby.
‘Humans are inherently afraid of changes, it is why we choose to settle,” reminded a friend of GUTS.
Having said that, we at GUTS believe that removing people’s negative preconceptions on railings might not be as challenging as it seems, perhaps we could spark new discussions on railing through the following directions: function, appearance, and location.
GUTS thought #1 Edible Barrier
Who said railing can only be man-made? Trees can be the natural and edible railing as they bear fruits! Research from ‘Edible Garden’ shows that edible railings not only can green the city, but also encourage interactions between pedestrians!
GUTS thought #2 Lighting & Wayfinding
Hong Kong is a busy city with vibrant street life even after dark. As some of the streets are lacking adequate lighting, how about incorporating lights with railings to further brighten up the city?
GUTS thought #3 Colonnade of Art
As railing currently cannot function properly as crash cushion as it is, why not take the fences away and transform the vertical posts into a colonnade of art installations?
GUTS thought #4 Sound Aid
Besides providing audio traffic signal at the existing zebra crossing, how about enhancing pedestrian facilities for the disabled through railings near street junctions and corners?
GUTS thought #5 Art & Bike Lock
Railing as an arty, stylish temporary parking rack for bicycles and trolleys. How does that sound?
GUTS thought #6 Post & Seating
Who is there to support us as we drag ourselves up the mountainous slope in the summer? What if benches or chairs can be folded out and added onto existing railings?
GUTS thought #7 Backing & Games
Having a bad day? If railing is designed with some simple games incorporated, perhaps it can be something that lifts you up?
GUTS thought #8 Removable & Trial
While it is not possible to dismantle all the railings in the city, can we perhaps introduce removable railings at different locations to test its effectiveness with the ambition to one day removing them permanently?
GUTS thought #9 Inflatable
Sidewalks are mostly crowded only during peak hours. Perhaps inflatable, reactive railings that appear only at certain times can be the perfect solution?
GUTS thought #10 Fabric & Shading
Sun is probably the biggest deterrent to lady shoppers to spend time on the streets in the summer. If railings can be transformed into shading devices decorated with fancy fabric, would that encourage you to stay outdoor for longer?
Illustration by: Sherene Ng
Location: Hong Kong
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