The research unit of Department of Architecture arranged a seminar 'Edge defining elements and vitality of public spaces' on March 29, 2006. The speaker Lecturer Iftekhar Ahmed through this study tried to establish the relationship between the elements that define the edge of public spaces and the vitality of public spaces, with a special focus on the urban context of Hong Kong downtown area. The aim of the study was to underpin the critical issues pertaining to edge and its elements ranging from the physical to nonphysical attributes and their overall impact on the adjacent public spaces and then establishes their role to impart vitality.