Scholars Abroad for Sustainability Solutions
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The True Reality of Sustainability

By Eric Rodriguez

A common misconception about sustainability is that it relates primarily to environmental issues. When I first interviewed to participate in the joint ASU/City University of Hong Kong Urban Sustainability Study, I already understood that environmental concerns are but one dimension of the study of sustainability. I knew that food and water supplies, medical needs and land use are other challenges that require sustainable solutions. Despite that understanding, when I arrived in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, the true reality of sustainability hit me right in the face.

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Feels like it was all a dream

By Eric Rodriguez

A little over two weeks ago we gave our final presentations and proudly displayed our posters. I still can’t believe that we were able to put everything together and crank out a finished product. I think often of the two days prior to our presentations and the day of. How far we all came. Those moments of doubt when I thought I’d never make it. The voice inside me and the voices of my colleagues and mentors assuring me that I WOULD make it. Flash forward two days later and it was over.

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Things That Make You Lose Sleep

By Eric Rodriguez

I barely closed my eyes last night. And not for the reason you’d expect. Our group has come a long way in two weeks but I still didn’t feel that we were anywhere near prepared to present. Yesterday we did a practice run of the presentation before Dr. Melnick, Professor Shi and Jenny. I was expecting to be raked over the coals but surprisingly we got some constructive feedback. The feedback was to focus more on our solution and make a case of it with evidence.

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But we just got here…I think…

By Eric Rodriguez

On Monday afternoon, we went to The Hong Kong Wetland Park. From a conservation and biodiversity perspective, it is great to see that Hong Kong has been so vigilant in protecting and conserving its open space. It is almost beyond comprehension how much diverse flora and fauna exist in such a small space in our world. I was hoping to see more wildlife. Other than the large indigenous spiders, who were not shy, and a few turtles, my sensory experience was limited to a plethora of sounds emanating from the flora.

The Wetland Park was a great excursion. We were able to see how small ecosystems have developed in Hong Kong and how they interact with one another.

As a public administration student a lot of my studies revolved around the part that stakeholders play in policymaking. A policy that solves a problem for one group often causes problems for other groups. The Wetlands Park illustrated an important policy discussion in Hong Kong: preserving these spaces comes into direct conflict with land use. Some of these spaces could be used to build more housing to ease demand. How does that weigh against the public value that these open spaces offer? Which is more important to the community?

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Trust me, you don’t have a problem!

By Eric Rodriguez

I am here in Hong Kong, studying Urban Sustainability in a joint course offered by ASU and City University of Hong Kong. I am in the MPA (Master of Public Administration) program at ASU and this is my last class before I graduate. I am thrilled to wrap up my studies by applying some of the tools I’ve acquired to a real-life scenario.

Hong Kong is the perfect place to study sustainability. Over seven million people are crammed into 426 square miles. The city is a vertical city. A forest of high-rise office and residential space that dwarves the Chase Tower in downtown Phoenix. Forty percent of Hong Kong’s land is reserved for country parks and open space, which consist of mountainous terrain, lush lowlands and wetlands teeming with rich, but fragile ecosystems. Under these circumstances, Hong Kong has had no choice but to build up.

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Start Your Engines

By Eric Rodriguez

I got to Hong Kong a few days early to do a little exploring on my own. Knowing that we’d be spending the majority of our time in Kowloon, I used my “pre-arrival” time to explore Hong Kong Island, on the other side of Victoria Harbour. I also used this time to familiarize myself with the MTR rail system, which would be our primary mode of transportation. I took in views of the Bank of China Building and Two IFC Centre. Note to self to re-watch “The Dark Knight” when I return to The States now that I’ve seen some of the buildings featured in the film.

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Who will I be when I get back?

By Eric Rodriguez

I have been fortunate to be able to travel the world, and each trip has enriched my life in one way or another. For most of my trips, preparation consists of throwing some clothes in a bag, grabbing my passport and credit cards, and rushing to the airport two hours before my flight. This trip is different because I am traveling for a longer period of time. This time I am going to study on the other side of the world and I don’t have the luxury of leaving everything to the last minute. I am traveling to Hong Kong to participate in an urban sustainability study. In one of the most densely populated cities in the world I will witness firsthand the challenges to keeping this metropolis thriving as the population continues to grow while resources diminish. The urban sustainability study will also be my last class before I earn my MPA (Master of Public Administration) degree, so preparation for this trip carries a little more gravity. Far more than a trip, these next few weeks will be a journey.

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