"Hi, My name is Mohammad Noor Uddin and I am from Bangladesh. I am a Year-1 Master of Science in Urban Planning (MUP) student at HKU. Recently I completed an incredible field trip to Shenzhen as a requirement of the Strategic and Community Planning Studio.
My first impression of Shenzhen? The expansive boulevards and meticulously landscaped road side gardens- the urban juxtaposition was beautiful!
I had the opportunity to deep dive into Shenzhen Smart City Governance with the Digital Twin Model, the prospect of San Tin Technopole development in relation to Hetao Shenzhen Science park, Drone and High tech development at Liuxiandong Headquarters Base, Revitalization and Heritage conservation of Nantou Ancient Town and Inspection of Shenzhen's evolution from special zone to megacity at the Museum of Art. I was amazed by the extensive database created by the Shenzhen Smart City group which included almost every physical aspect of the city like roads, buildings, utility network lines and even individual building floors. Beyond the modern city, I also learned about the rich history of Southern China from Nantou Ancient Town. It was fascinating to discover how Hong Kong ('Fragrant Harbour' in Chinese) got its name from exporting agarwood, and to trace the ancient trade routes in the region with European and Arab merchants.
I believe strategic thinking is essential while dealing with problems of real world complex urban dynamics. By combining this study tour to Shenzhen and site visit to the Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis and along with brainstorming of the theories of strategic and community planning, I am now better equipped to understand the viability, opportunity and challenges of a successful technology hub development. The critical location of the Northern Metropolis- situated between Shenzhen in the North and Harbour Metropolis in the South- presents a unique opportunity to be incorporated into an iconic territorial corridor plan."