Public open spaces in private developments in Hong Kong: new spaces for social activities?

ABSTRACT

Private ownership of publicly-accessible space is a phenomenon that is increasingly being adopted in new urban developments in many cities around the world. The purpose and role of these spaces, especially in Hong Kong, has been widely criticised for failing to effectively engage with the public realm of the city, a fact which, in addition to being a cause for concern for the Hong Kong government, has raised questions about the benefits of the programme.

Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, this study examines 28 public open spaces in private development (POSPD) in the financial district of Hong Kong with the aim of both evaluating the spatial characteristics as well as understanding their potential contribution to the multilevel structure of this dense urban area. The research further establishes a new evaluation index as an alternative theoretical framework to assess other critical aspects which may affect their capacity to encourage social activities.

The results of the study suggest that, although a large percentage of the POSPDs analysed are not providing positive impact to the district, they hold significant potential which, with new strategies in place, could greatly enrich the pedestrian and social experience in Hong Kong’s dynamic and complex urban environment.

KEYWORDS:

• POSPD
• Hong Kong
• urban spaces
• high-density

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Francesco Rossini

Francesco Rossini is an architect and urban designer and is an Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). In 2020 he also taught in the Columbia GSAPP’s Urban Planning program as Adjunct Assistant Professor. Francesco graduated with honours from the faculty of Architecture of University of Napoli Federico II obtaining a master’s degree in architecture. In 2014, he completed (cum laude) his Ph.D. in Urbanism from Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Barcelona Tech UPC), where he explored the role of public spaces in private developments in Hong Kong. During his doctoral studies, he was awarded a grant by the Ministry of Education of the Government of Spain. Before joining CUHK, Francesco Rossini has participated in different research programs, collaborating with the University of Napoli Federico II, Politecnico di Milano, Barcelona Tech UPC, and Tongji University in Shanghai. At CUHK, Francesco is currently working on the establishment of urban design guidelines to enhance the spatial and social conditions of Hong Kong’s open spaces in old urban areas; his work focuses on the relationship between formal and informal urban processes and how the spontaneity of informal spaces can be coded and injected into dysfunctional spaces generated by rigid, top-down planning approaches. In the last five years, he realised different placemaking interventions in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila exploring how temporary urban actions influence the behaviour of the people by provoking new social interactions.

Melody Hoi-lam Yiu

Melody Hoi-lam Yiu is an urban designer active in both practice and research. Graduated with a bachelor degree in architecture and master diploma in urban design, she has worked on award-winning masterplan and urban design projects in China and abroad, with focus on compact city and sustainable development. After 15 years of practice, she integrates the professional knowledge in urban design with personal interest in cultural industry, taking it into the field of research in urbanism and cultural development. Since 2015, Melody has been teaching design studio and advising master thesis at the University of Nottingham (Ningbo), China Academy of Arts (Hangzhou), and the University of Hong Kong, also serving on expert panel for planning bureau workshop in Ningbo and Shanghai.  After completing an executive master’s degree at the London School of Economics in 2018, Melody is currently lecturer and PhD candidate at the Chinese University of Hong Kong researching on institution and public space formation at cultural buildings.