Transport methods such as cars are becoming increasingly difficult to use in dense inner city urban areas. To combat this issue, Hong Kong introduced the 'Mid Levels escalator' in 1993,"it stretches a horizontal distance of 800 meters through the centre of the city". This system of moving sidewalks is popular, carrying "more than 55,000 passengers each day".
Although the initial cost was high, since 1993 the escalator has proved to have numerous benefits.
"Private developers and entrepreneurs began developing the “second level” that the escalator system had created. New restaurants, shops, bars and cafes flooded into the area and sparked a new wave of vertical development. With more trendy stores and the pedestrian capacity of the transport network increased, the standard of living in the area rose substantially. This, in turn, caused a jump in real estate value and drew the eyes of developers seeking to increase the vertical density and living capacity around the escalator". (http://sustainablecities.dk/en/city-projects/cases/hong-kong-re-discovering-escalators-as-public-transport).
The positive consequence of this transport system is that vertical spread has been seen as more desirable for developers than horizontal, thereby saving the integrity of the nearby parkland's and harbour.
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