Why so many barriers on Hong Kong's pavements?

Hong Kong hems you in. Tall buildings loom over narrow pavements; long work hours keep us cooped up in cramped cubicles; and the police herd us through makeshift pens during public holidays.

But one of the biggest barriers to our freedom of movement, and also the most unnecessary, is the pavement railing; that galling metal barrier that so often forces us to walk five minutes in the wrong direction.

One of Hong Kong's great assets is its walkability. We may have small apartments but our concentration is empowering. While the denizens of other cities lose their lives to long commutes, traffic jams and urban sprawl, most of us live close enough to our friends and offices to walk to social events and work.