Density obliterates figure-ground in the city, and in turn re-defines public-private spatial relationships.

Without a ground, there can be no figure either. In fact, Hong Kong lacks any of the traditional figure-ground relationships that shape urban space: axis, edge, center, even fabric.Hongkong’s three-dimensional circulation networks join shopping malls, train stations and public transport interchanges, public parks and private lobbies as a series of spatial models and drawings. These networks, though built piecemeal, owned by different public and private stakeholders, and adjacent to different programs and uses, form a continuous space of variegated environments that serves as a fundamental public resource for the city. The emergence of the shopping malls as spaces of civil society rather than of global capital— as grounds of resistance— comes as a surprise.

This continuous network and the microclimates of temperature, humidity, noise and smell which differentiate it constitute an entirely new form of urban spatial hierarchy. The benefits of these systems are manifold: firstly, they alleviate street traffic and pedestrian congestion. This is especially true when many main thoroughfares or expressways cuts through the city, effectively disconnecting neighbourhoods; the elevated walkways relink them, greatly increasing pedestrian flow and convenience. Also, almost all the overhead walkways are covered, protecting pedestrians from both sun and rain, something that can be helpful in a city
with over 100 inches of rainfall annually. The walkways also provide a relaxing and safe environment to walk in, free from worry about vehicle traffic. And for
the most part they lead to popular destinations: MTR and other transport exchanges, office buildings, shopping malls or residential developments, and of
course they are all eminently safe as they are well lit at all hours.

The city’s overhead walkways also transform conventional notions of public space. Rather than competing with motor traffic and essential calls on the public realm at ground level, these quintessentially Hong Kong public spaces liberate movement in their own maze-like world, providing an organic connectedness that redefines urban existence.