The Vein Reconnection : To Build Kwun Tong Teens’ Resilience for Melancholy
LAU Ting Ting, Una
BA (Hons) in Landscape Architecture
I’m Una, a final-year Landscape Architecture student at THEi, dedicated to creating design that bridges the gap between spaces and people. I believe landscape architecture is far more than aesthetics; it is a profound expression of care for the urban environment. My goal is to create more sanctuaries where people can freely express themselves, recharge, and find solace during difficult times. Ultimately, I believe the true value of my work lies in its ability to bring a sense of ease and a smile to someone’s face after an exhausting day.
In Kwun Tong, where dense industrial legacy and urban pressures converge, the youth face a mental health crisis of urgent proportions. This landscape project proposes a restorative intervention designed to combat rising rates of melancholy by reconnecting nature directly into the city’s veins.
The design strategy functions as a three-tier ecological network. First, it starts with Green Corridors across the district, transforming daily commutes into therapeutic journeys. Second, it carves out Pocket Gardens within industrial and commercial zones, providing immediate, accessible spaces for decompression. Third, it transforms Ma Yau Tong, a former landfill site, into a new forest park.
By converting a space of former landfills into a sanctuary of future vitality, the park offers a space for movement, play, and quiet introspection. Through the integration of forest-bathing walkways, nature-based skate zones, and sensory gardens, this project restores the land use to foster emotional resilience. It is not only a landscape design but also a vital urban infrastructure intended to buffer against stress, nurture the emotional well-being of Kwun Tong’s youth, and provide the space they need to breathe, recover, and flourish.
Tutor: Ms Sylvia Ng