2018 is coming to an end. Looking back on the past year, the Development Bureau (DEVB) has been fully occupied with work but many of our colleagues have been enthusiastic volunteers, willing to spend their leisure time to care for the society. Various departments under the DEVB have set up different volunteer groups, big or small, to bring warmth to all corners of the territory. This time, I would like to introduce two volunteer groups respectively from the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) and the Land Registry (LR). Earlier on, about 30 volunteers of them visited an elderly home to celebrate Christmas with and extend New Year wishes to the elderly people......

When you look at the trees in the street, your attention is often only focused on the tree forms, whether they have beautiful flowers or cause any obstruction to the traffic and pedestrian flow, etc. In fact, you may not realise that the selection of tree species for street planting involves a lot of knowledge as every tree species has its unique “character”, and on top of that, they have to grow in the dense and compact city of Hong Kong. Thus, there are a series of considerations behind the decision......

While walking along the main streets and alleys, you may not notice the manhole covers that are lest remarkable under your feet. The fact is every manhole cover bears a different pattern and code. Manhole covers are an indispensable part of a city’s public facilities, serving as doors for drainage workers to open for inspection and clearance of manholes and drains when necessary. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of its establishment next year, the Drainage Services Department (DSD) earlier held a first ever Manhole Cover Design Competition. This time, I have invited “a manhole cover expert” to talk about the types and design features of manhole covers, and explore with you the meanings behind these codes on them......

In recent months, visitors to the Kwun Tong Promenade may cycle along the waterfront apart from running, strolling or picnicking on the lawn to enjoy the Victoria Harbour views. In July this year, the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) launched a six-month GreenWay Pilot Project at the Kwun Tong Promenade in the Kai Tak Development Area (KTDA). Under the pilot project, a footpath of approximately 1 kilometre (km) in length at the promenade was turned into the GreenWay for shared use by pedestrians and cyclists, with free rental of bicycles provided for adults and children alike......

The Sustainable Lantau Blueprint announced last year sets out the future direction of “Development in the North, Conservation for the South”. We will enhance the conservation elements in the predominant part of Lantau, in particular the southern part, and plan to optimise the use of the existing resources for leisure and recreational activities. This time, I have invited the Under Secretary for Development, Mr LIU Chun-san, to take you on a tour of south Lantau. There, the engineers of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) have provided details of the construction of a large-scale mountain bike training ground near Lai Chi Yuen Tsuen and the expansion of mountain bike trail networks in Mui Wo and Chi Ma Wan and shared with us a unique experience of cycling……