'Nano parks' boost for 20 open spaces in Mong Kok

A "Nano Park System" will be introduced at around 20 open spaces in Mong Kok in four years, with renovated park facilities and toilets, said Urban Renewal Authority managing director Wai Chi-sing.

Wai said the project will be launched at Shantung Street first, targeting six open spaces in two URA development projects.

The nano park will revitalize the six parks at once, applying coordinated styles alongside linking isolated resting spaces to create a merged park.

The trial project is the latest move following the publication of the district study for Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok in September, 2021, which mapped out the concepts, plans and recommendations for the district renewal.

The study discovered three major issues of the small resting spaces in Mong Kok.

The first issue was the lack of accessibility to the spaces. It was hard for the public to discover the parks, which were scattered within the towering buildings of the residential area and some were concealed by complexes. Some entrances were blocked by shops nearby.

The expanse of the parks also limited facility diversity. Ranging from 100 to 250 square meters, the parks were often equipped with only benches, gazebo tents and planters, which could not fulfill residents' needs to exercise and socialize.

The design of the parks was also a point of concern. As the current open spaces were established during different periods, they lacked distinctive and unified design features compared with contemporary ones, which might not attract young people to the area.

The revitalization program will introduce appealing and consolidated styles, color schemes and other creative components based on local characteristics to distinguish the different parks.

The layout will be arranged according to three major functions - including play, rest and socialization - and bring in appropriate facilities based on the size and traits of the space.

The URA will also apply the concept of "smart park" and introduce innovative technologies such as 5G, big data and internet of things.

The project has referred to similar parks in mainland cities including Shenzhen, which have fitness equipment to record body data such as height, weight and sports records.

"I hoped the public can gain a better understanding of the upgrading program, instead of comprehending the project as 'tear down and rebuild'," Wai said.

The pilot program of the renewal of the 6 parks will begin in the first half of next year.