Rethinking the mechanism of the social impact assessment with the ‘right to the city’ concept: a case study of the Blue House Revitalization Project in Hong Kong (2006–2012)

ABSTRACT

Over the past two decades, urban renewal has become a major means to increase the efficiency of land production in Hong Kong (HK). Although the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) have introduced the social impact assessment (SIA) mechanism to mitigate the social impact of renewal projects, social conflicts have intensified between affected residents and the URA/HKHA. To what extent can SIA effectively mitigate the social impacts of urban renewal in HK? To answer this question, the author draws on a mixture of empirical and secondary materials to analyse the development, assessment procedures, and report format of SIA in HK as a basis to evaluate the challenges of this mechanism. Then the author goes on to critically analyse how thinking on ‘right to the city’ and affected residents’ comments come together to inform reflections on SIA in HK. The author argues that the SIA mechanism in HK remains technocratic in nature because it does not function effectively in addressing the needs of affected residents and resolving the deep-rooted conflicts between residents’ right of living and pro-growth development.

KEYWORDS:

• Social impact assessment
• right to the city
• urban renewal
• Hong Kong
• Blue House Revitalization Project

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Yeung Chi Wai, Alan Smart, Tang Bo Sin, Byron Miller, and Janice Tse for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. I would also like to thank Gareth Enticott, Tang Wing Shing, Martha Cook, and Maria Lam Lai Ling, for encouragement and Wong Sau Ping for assistance with data collection in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Thanks also go to reviewers and editors to provide insightful comments for this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Kin Wing Chan http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7729-6098

Notes

1. The CAIR survey also investigates the re-housing needs and preferences of the residents and tenants. It assists in the work of the associated authorities such as the Housing Authority and the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) during the acquisition and re-housing stages.

2. According to the Conserve and Revitalise Hong Kong Heritage (2016), Community Cultural Concern is a charitable institution established in 2006 (https://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/rhbtp/ProgressResult2_Blue_House_Cluster.htm).

3. According to the Conserve and Revitalise Hong Kong Heritage (2016), Heritage Hong Kong Foundation Limited is a charitable institution which was established in 2006 aiming at raising public concerns on heritage and cultural concerns (https://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/rhbtp/ProgressResult2_Blue_House_Cluster.htm).

4. The St. James’ Settlement is a non-government organization and provides social services, in Wan Chai District. Social workers in the community development team in St. James’ Settlement actively participated in the Blue House preservation campaign and facilitated affected residents to draft out alternative development proposals for the Blue House development.

5. The aim to conduct CAIR survey is to determine eligibility for ex gratia allowance and re-housing. This survey can prevent and deter imposters from taking residence in the project area afterwards and abusing the re-housing scheme (Housing, Planning, and Lands Bureau 2001, 9).