The Pride of Kaohsiung / 一個正在改變的城市高雄
Kaohsiung just gets prettier and prettier. New aesthetic touches to the city have beautified the cityscape. The residents of Kaohsiung are smiling with euphoria because of the availability of more open spaces.
In the year 2003, Kaohsiung has undergone more changes than ever before due to the newly completed city plan. Mayor Hsieh leads the administration to serve the residents and promises to make progress every month, thus recording the progress of Kaohsiung.
Clean Water
Clean water comes as the first exciting news to the residents. Central and Local governments work side by side, spending 150 million NT from the central government to run a tap water improvement project for the Greater Kaohsiung Area, and the project of building over water pipes connecting Nanhua Reservoir in Tainan County to the Kaoping River aiming to improve the quality and quantity of tap water. In addition, after completing three advanced water treatment facilities, Kaohsiung has become the only city that is using post-ozonation to oxide residual organics and disinfect. Moreover, the engineering project trying to eliminate the silt under Chengchin Lake has been set in progress. From now on, Kaohsiung has much cleaner water.
KMRT
Another significant breakthrough is the construction of Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit. All of the train stations, 25 of them, located in Kaohsiung, have already begun. Moreover, the five elevated stations, located in Tsoying and Nantzu areas, have started foundation construction. Meanwhile, there are 10 tunnel excavators working on underground tunnels. All the construction has already begun, and the accumulated progress is ahead of schedule. If everything goes as planned, this challenging mission would be completed within 6 years. Soon after underground stations have been implemented, most construction would be relocated to underground, which would greatly reduce the impact on traffic. KMRT also invited world- class designers to design stations, public art, and landscaping, These city plans would surely turn Kaohsiung into the most promising city on this island, with great potential.
Beautifying the cityscape
The third achievement that has successfully beautified the cityscape is the new aesthetics around the inner city area. Those magical sites, such as City Wind Chimes Pedestrian Path and phase 2 of Urban Spotlight, aim to breakthrough the distances and alienation between people and hopes to bring about positive interaction among the residents.
The beautifying cityscape promotes the concept of Pedestrian first and aims to provide more availability of space for the residents. Also, the newly completed Community Corridor in Hsiaokong, Yancheng, and Hsinhsing districts help to raise community awareness, which will encourage communities to get involved and take part in order to create an ideal living environment, where we can all live and love.
Among those significant urban constructions, the successfully dredged and renovated Love River has won public acclaim. In addition, there are coffee shops on the Banks of the Love River, and street artists will perform here. Thus, along the Banks of the Love River is filled with the aroma of coffee.
Other infrastructure includes expansion of road, installation of bridge lamps, and several connecting links. For example, the one connecting Dalinpu is expected to reduce traffic congestion. Moreover, there is a motorcycle path for the safety of the motorcyclists because it is considered a heavy traffic area, in particularly for huge trucks.
The residents of Kaohsiung are proud of where they live now due to many newly completed city constructions, and many are the first seen in the nation, such as, the first trial-run of light rail transit. The city government wants to transform Kaohsiung into a unique city by establishing its own style, and it is thought to be important to give the citizens a feeling of euphoria.
A friendly city
Kaohsiung characterizes itself as a marine capital and the city of hope. Moreover, the residents are as warm as the weather, and this makes the city a friendly place. Besides, there are many meaningful events all year around, from the 2003 Kaohsiung Lantern Festival, 2003 Love River festival, to the 2003 International Container Arts Festival. Finally, there will be a New Year party. These events are aimed to promote the image of the city and to heighten awareness of Kaohsiung as a world city. Kaohsiung sincerely and warmly welcomes everyone to join in these fabulous events.
高雄變得越來越美了，新城市美學為高雄帶來煥然一新的街景，迎接市民的是更開放的休閒空間，讓生活在這個城市的市民幸福地笑開了。
2003年是高雄變臉最多的一年，謝市長所率領的執政團隊承諾市政「建設有保證、月月有成績」，為進步中的高雄市做記錄。
高雄喝好水
首先是「高雄迎新水」的喜訊，在中央和地方政府的合作下，斥資150億興辦「大高雄地區自來水後續改善工程計畫」及「南化水庫與高屏溪攔河堰聯通管路計畫」，百分百改善大高雄地區自來水的質與量，而澄清湖、拷潭及翁公園三座高級淨水場完工，更使高雄地區的自來水成為全國唯一採用臭氧消毒的自來水，而「澄清湖底泥清除」工程持續進行中，高雄正式邁入優質水時代。
KMRT
另一項傲人成績是高雄的捷運工程，位於本市境內24座地下車站，已全部開挖施工，另外左楠5座高架車站也已經進行基礎施工，同時還有10部潛盾機於地下進行路線隧道施工，截至目前為止所有興建工程已全面展開，累計進度超前，其中施工進度最快的車站已完成車站結構體，且有3段地下潛盾隧道已經貫通，寫下捷運工程推動的新頁，可望順利完成這項只有六年工期的「不可能任務」，明年所有地下車站開挖後，大多數的工地將轉入地下施工，可以再降低捷運施工對市區到路交通的影響。
高雄捷運同時邀請國際知名的大師規劃車站、公共藝術、景觀設計，屆時本市將成為最具潛力的城市。
新城市美學
最明顯的改變是高雄的街道市容，一股新城市美學風正悄悄吹向本市，一場徹底顛覆傳統建築的空間革命，在都市景觀中引起神奇的化學變化，位於民權路雄商旁的「城市風鈴步道」首創以音景概念表達呈現令人驚豔，五福國中前的人行道及騎樓地景觀改善成「五福步道」令人眼睛為之一亮，文化中心廣州街段的「市民藝術大道」二期及讓民眾一再「觀看、聆聽、駐足」的「城市光廊」二期工程相繼揭幕啟用，如此優質的步道係採用空間穿透式設計，打破圍牆給予人的疏離感與隔閡，完全伸展道路的視野。
本市的「造街運動」喚回以行人為優先的理想化街道，還給市民舒適的人行空間與優質的生活環境，而小港、鹽埕及新興社區遊廊也相繼完工，真正達到落實社區參與及社區營造精神。
其他重要建設無法一一陳述，值得注意的是，愛河經美綠化後，將增設遊船賞河外，河堤兩岸更有委託民營的咖啡雅座及街頭藝人表演秀，是一道充斥著咖啡香的人文藝術空間。
再來是道路拓寬與橋樑照明，高鐵左營站聯外道路寬廣筆直，民俗技藝園區配合翠華路擴寬整地完工，高雄港區最重要的聯外道路新生路(前鎮橋至亞太路段)及漁港路皆已拓寬通車，大林蒲開闢第二條聯外道路疏解鄰近交通並改善中林路成為機車專用道，而前往哈瑪星渡輪站的濱海二路則舖上別於傳統的彩色瀝青路面，特別醒目且獨樹一格。
自從高雄火車站遷移後，取而代之的是「中博願景橋」、「高雄願景館」，前者連接前後驛的成衣採購街，後者則完整保存歷史的軌跡，「中博高架橋」則替代中博地下道完工通車。此外，元宵節「馳鶩寰宇」主燈則遷建楠梓陸橋入主北高雄，與小港獅子公園內新設計象徵海洋的「魚標型藝術高塔」兩者，完成高雄南、北入口的意象工程。
此外，其他重要建設包括啟動國內首創的「大氣能見度預報系統」，規模全國第一的「高雄花卉批發市場」開市及全國唯一的「鮪漁業文化館」啟用，中央公園則開闢「亞洲首座言論廣場」並引進全台第一台輕軌列車供市民朋友免費搭乘，並開辦全台唯一專為都市原住民設計的社區大學～「高雄市海洋民族大學」，楠梓高中、福山國中及新光國小校舍全部完工啟用，市府更開辦公設民營的遊民收容所，前金、鹽埕區委託民營垃圾清運，前金立體停車場則是市府第一個BOT簽約案。
友善城市
在本市活動舉辦方面，從元月除夕到過年期間推出「2003高雄過好年活動」及「十全大補」的十條年貨大街，持續高雄特色街魅力，元宵節的「2003高雄燈會」與「國際旗鼓節」，除備受國際矚目外，更提昇本市的都市形象。
四月舉辦「第一屆台灣國際動畫影展」、「2003台灣花囍年」，五月母親節推出為鹽埕區重振商機與提昇買氣的「返來阿娘ㄟ店走腳花」系列活動。
七夕情人節熱情登場的「2003永浴愛河祭」展開一段美麗浪漫的「高雄愛情故事」，八月的「縱情花海系列活動」讓民眾「花」現新高雄。
光輝十月除舉辦全國規模最大的「N-age新世代超猛迎新派對」及「2003高雄國慶煙火晚會暨全民飆舞晚會」外，更有充滿人文藝術風情的「愛河音樂祭」與以「舊情新意戲蓮潭」為主題的第二屆「左營萬年祭」。
十一月起陸續推出一連串老少咸宜的「逗陣來去看好戲」活動及「2003台灣海洋暨漁業博覽會」，而十二月隆重登場的「2003高雄國際貨櫃藝術節」及聖誕、跨年晚會，則是本市歲末年終的壓軸好戲，歡迎民眾共同參與。