DOCSLIB.ORG

Global Report on Human Settlements 2003

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

REFERENCES Abate, G, W Kogi-Makau et al (2000) rental housing in Nairobi’ in Economic policies and external Political Weekly 35(10): 795–802 ‘Health seeking and hygiene UNCHS (Habitat) Rental Housing: performance in South-east Asia and Banner, G (2002) ‘Community behaviours predict nutritional Proceedings of an Expert Group sub-Saharan Africa 1998’, Paper governance and the new central- status of pre-school children in a Meeting. UNCHS (Habitat), presented at the United Nations local partnership’ International slum area of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’ Nairobi, pp86–96 University-African Economic Social Science Journal 54(172): Ethiopian Medical Journal 38(4): Amis, P (1995) ‘Making sense of urban Research Consortium Conference 217–231 253–265 poverty’ Environment and on Asia and Africa in the Global Barasa, F S and E S M Kaabwe (2001) Abbott (2002) ‘A method-based Urbanization 7(1): 145–159 Economy, Tokyo, 3–4 August 1998 ‘Fallacies in policy and strategies of planning framework for informal Amis, P (2002a) ‘Municipal Asian Development Bank (1995) skills training for the informal settlement upgrading’ Habitat government, urban economic Involuntary Resettlement, ADB sector: Evidence from the Jua Kali International 26(3): 317–333 growth and poverty reduction: Policy Paper R1-79-95, August. sector in Kenya’ Journal of Abrams, C (1964) Man’s Struggle for Identifying the transmission Asian Development Bank, Manila Education and Work 14(3): Shelter in an Urbanizing World. mechanisms between growth and Asian Development Bank (2001) Cities 329–353 MIT Press, Cambridge, MA poverty’ in C Rakodi and T Lloyd- Data Book for the Asia Pacific. Baross, P and J Van der Linden J (eds) Acioly, C C Jr (2000) ‘Can urban Jones (eds) Urban Livelihoods: A Asian Development Bank, Manila (1990) The Transformation of Land management deliver the People-centred Approach to Atoh, M (2000) ‘The coming of a hyper- Supply Systems in Third World sustainable city? Guided Reducing Poverty. Earthscan, aged and depopulating society and Cities. Avebury, Aldershot densification in Brazil versus London, pp97–111 population policies: The case of Barr, A (1999) Familiarity and Trust: An informal compactness in Egypt’ in Amis, P (2002b) ‘Thinking about Japan’, Expert Group Meeting on Experimental Investigation. Centre M Jenks and R Burgess (eds) chronic urban poverty’, CPRC Policy Responses to Population for the Study of African Compact Cities: Sustainable Urban Working Paper 12. University of Ageing and Population Decline. Economies, University of Oxford, Forms for Developing Countries. Birmingham, United Nations Population Oxford Spon Press, London and New York, www.chronicpoverty.org/pdfs/urba Division, October Barter, P A (2002) ‘Transport and pp127–140 nareas.pdf Augé, M (1999) An Anthropology of Housing Security in the Klang Ackroyd, P (2000) London, The Amis, P and S Kumar (2000) ‘Urban Contemporary Worlds. Stanford Valley, Malaysia’ Singapore Journal Biography. Chatto and Windus, economic growth, infrastructure University Press, Stanford of Tropical Geography [Singapore] London and poverty in India: Lessons from Aurejac, P and Y Cabannes (1995) 23(3): 268–287 African Economic Research Bulletin, Visakhapatnam’ Environment and ‘Accompagnement et financement Baulch, B (1996) ‘The new poverty Financial, Economic and Technical Urbanization 12(1): 185–196 d’initiatives communautaires agenda: A disputed consensus’ IDS Series (1997) 36: 7 Amis, P and C Rakodi (1995) ‘Urban locales. Enseignements des Bulletin 27: 1–10 African NGOs Habitat II Caucus (1996) poverty: Concepts, characteristics expériences en Amérique latine et Baum, S (1997) ‘Australia: A global city? Citizenship and Urban and policies’ Habitat International en Asie des opérations de Testing the social polarisation thesis’ Development in Africa. Popular 19: 403–405 construction ou d’amélioration de Urban Studies 34: 1881–1902 Cities for their Inhabitants. Amole, B, D Korboe et al (1993) ‘The l’habitat menées à l’initiative ou Baumann, T (1998) South Africa’s Prepared for Habitat II, Istanbul family house in West Africa: A avec le concours d’associations Housing Policy – Construction of Agbola, T and A M Jinadu (1997) forgotten resource for policy populaires de quartier’, GRET-PSH, Development or Development of ‘Forced eviction and forced makers?’ Third World Planning Paris Construction? Report to Homeless relocation in Nigeria: The Review 15(4): 355–372 Auyero, J (1999) ‘“This is a lot like the International experience of those evicted from Andersson, R (1999) ‘“Divided Cities” Bronx, isn’t it?” Lived experiences Baumann, T (2001) ‘Shack/Slum Maroko in 1990’ Environment and as a policy-based notion in Sweden’ of marginality in an Argentine Dwellers International and banks’ Urbanization 9(2): 271–288 Housing Studies 14(5): 601–624 slum’ International Journal of Environment and Urbanization Aitken, B, A Harrison and R Lipsey Angel, S (1983) ‘Land tenure for the Urban and Regional Research 13(2): 139–143 (1996) ‘Wages and foreign urban poor’ in S Angel et al (eds) 23(1): 45–69 Bayart, J-F, S Ellis and B Hibou (1999) ownership: A comparative study of Land for Housing the Poor. Select Azizi, M M (1995) ‘The provision of The Criminalization of the State in Mexico, Venezuela, and the United Books, Singapore urban infrastructure in Iran: An Africa. Indiana University Press, States’ Journal of International Angel, S (2001) ‘Comments on empirical evaluation’ Urban Studies Indianapolis/James Currey, London Economics 42: 345–371 Hernando De Soto’s “the Mystery 32: 507–522 Bazoglu, N and D Biau (2001) Albert, M (2000) ‘A Q&A on the WTO, of capital”, round table discussion’ Azuela, A (1995) ‘La propriété, le ‘Measuring slums: A composite IMF, World Bank, and activism’ Interplan, June, logement et le droit, in index’, Paper presented at the Znet, January, http://interplan.org/pdf/Solly.pdf Régularisations de propriétés’ Les Cities Alliance Consultative Group www.zmag.org/zmag//articles/jan20 Ansari, J H and N von Einsiedel (eds) Annales de la Recherche Urbaine Meeting, Kolkata, 11 December 00albert.htm (1998) Urban Land Management. 66: 5–11. Plan Urbain, Ministère Beall, J (2002) ‘Globalisation and social Alcock, P (1997) Understanding Improving Policies and Practices in de l’Equipement, des Transports et exclusion in cities: Framing the Poverty, second edition. Macmillan, Developing Countries of Asia. du Tourisme debate with lessons from Africa and Basingstoke Urban Management Programme, Badcock, B (1984) Unfairly Structured Asia’ Environment and Urbanization Ali, S M and S Sirivardana (1996) IBH Publishing, Oxford and New Cities. Basil Backwell, London 14(1): 41–51 ‘Towards a new paradigm for Delhi and Calcutta Badcock, B (1986) ‘Land and housing Becker, C M, A M Hamer and A R poverty eradication in South Asia’ Appadurai, A (2001) ‘Deep democracy: policy in Chinese urban Morrison (1994) Beyond Urban International Social Science Journal Urban governmentality and the development, 1978–86’ Planning Bias in Africa. James Currey, 48(2): 201–218 horizon of politics’ Environment Perspectives 1: 147–170 London Amaral, M R (1994) ‘Community and Urbanization 13(2): 23–43 Bahl, R W and J Linn (1992) Urban Benton, L (1994) ‘Beyond legal organisation, housing Arandel, C and M El Batran (1997) ‘The Public Finance in Developing pluralism: Towards a new approach improvements and income informal housing development Countries. Oxford University Press, to law in the informal sector’ generation’ Habitat International process in Egypt’, DPU Working New York Social and Legal Studies 3: 18: 81–97 Paper 82. Development Planning Baldacci, E, L de Mello and G Inchauste 223–242 Amis, P (1984) ‘Squatters or tenants: Unit, University College, London (2002) Financial Crises, Poverty Berger, M (1996) ‘An introduction’ in M The commercialisation of Arblaster, L and M Hawtin (1993) and Income Distribution. Buvinic (ed) Women’s Ventures: unauthorized housing in Nairobi’ Heath, Housing and Social Policy. International Monetary Fund WP Assistance to the Informal Sector in World Development 12: 87–96 Socialist Health Association, 02/4 Latin America. Kumerian Press, Amis, P (1990) ‘Administrative control London Banerji, R (2000) ‘Poverty and primary West Hartford, CT or market mechanisms: The Aryeety, E and M Nissanke (1997) ‘Asia schooling: Field studies from Berry, B (1991) Long Wave Rhythms in economics of commercialised and Africa in the global economy: Mumbai and Delhi’ Economic and Economic Development and References 291 Political Behavior. Johns Hopkins, Briggs, X D S (1998) ‘Brown kids in Training. Pact Publications, New Malaysia’s Cagamas Berhad’, Baltimore white suburbs: Housing mobility York Financial Sector Development Berry, B J L and J D Kasarda (1977) and the many faces of social Caplan, K, S Heap, A Nicol, J Plummer, Department, World Bank Contemporary Urban Ecology. capital’ Housing Policy Debate 9(1): S Simpson and J Weiser (2001) Choe, S-C (2002) ‘The promise and Macmillan, New York 177 ‘Flexibility by design: Lessons from pitfalls of public-private Berry, S (1995) ‘Stable prices, unstable Bromley, R and C Gerry (1979) Casual multi-sector partnerships in water partnerships in Korea’ International values: Some thoughts on Work and Poverty in Third World and sanitation projects’, Water and Social Science Journal 54(172): monetization and the meaning of Cities. John Wiley and Sons, Sanitation Cluster, Business 191–204 transactions in West African Chichester Partners for Development, London, Christiensen, S F and P D Hoejgaard economies’ in
Recommended publications
  • Hong Kong Final Report

    Hong Kong Final Report

    Urban Displacement Project Hong Kong Final Report Meg Heisler, Colleen Monahan, Luke Zhang, and Yuquan Zhou Table of Contents Executive Summary 5 Research Questions 5 Outline 5 Key Findings 6 Final Thoughts 7 Introduction 8 Research Questions 8 Outline 8 Background 10 Figure 1: Map of Hong Kong 10 Figure 2: Birthplaces of Hong Kong residents, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 11 Land Governance and Taxation 11 Economic Conditions and Entrenched Inequality 12 Figure 3: Median monthly domestic household income at LSBG level, 2016 13 Figure 4: Median rent to income ratio at LSBG level, 2016 13 Planning Agencies 14 Housing Policy, Types, and Conditions 15 Figure 5: Occupied quarters by type, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 16 Figure 6: Domestic households by housing tenure, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 16 Public Housing 17 Figure 7: Change in public rental housing at TPU level, 2001-2016 18 Private Housing 18 Figure 8: Change in private housing at TPU level, 2001-2016 19 Informal Housing 19 Figure 9: Rooftop housing, subdivided housing and cage housing in Hong Kong 20 The Gentrification Debate 20 Methodology 22 Urban Displacement Project: Hong Kong​ | ​1 Quantitative Analysis 22 Data Sources 22 Table 1: List of Data Sources 22 Typologies 23 Table 2: Typologies, 2001-2016 24 Sensitivity Analysis 24 Figures 10 and 11: 75% and 25% Criteria Thresholds vs. 70% and 30% Thresholds 25 Interviews 25 Quantitative Findings 26 Figure 12: Population change at TPU level, 2001-2016 26 Figure 13: Change in low-income households at TPU Level, 2001-2016 27 Typologies 27 Figure 14: Map of Typologies, 2001-2016 28 Table 3: Table of Draft Typologies, 2001-2016 28 Typology Limitations 29 Interview Findings 30 The Gentrification Debate 30 Land Scarcity 31 Figures 15 and 16: Google Earth Images of Wan Chai, Dec.
  • Urban Forms and the Politics of Property in Colonial Hong Kong By

    Urban Forms and the Politics of Property in Colonial Hong Kong By

    Speculative Modern: Urban Forms and the Politics of Property in Colonial Hong Kong by Cecilia Louise Chu A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Nezar AlSayyad, Chair Professor C. Greig Crysler Professor Eugene F. Irschick Spring 2012 Speculative Modern: Urban Forms and the Politics of Property in Colonial Hong Kong Copyright 2012 by Cecilia Louise Chu 1 Abstract Speculative Modern: Urban Forms and the Politics of Property in Colonial Hong Kong Cecilia Louise Chu Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture University of California, Berkeley Professor Nezar AlSayyad, Chair This dissertation traces the genealogy of property development and emergence of an urban milieu in Hong Kong between the 1870s and mid 1930s. This is a period that saw the transition of colonial rule from one that relied heavily on coercion to one that was increasingly “civil,” in the sense that a growing number of native Chinese came to willingly abide by, if not whole-heartedly accept, the rules and regulations of the colonial state whilst becoming more assertive in exercising their rights under the rule of law. Long hailed for its laissez-faire credentials and market freedom, Hong Kong offers a unique context to study what I call “speculative urbanism,” wherein the colonial government’s heavy reliance on generating revenue from private property supported a lucrative housing market that enriched a large number of native property owners. Although resenting the discrimination they encountered in the colonial territory, they were able to accumulate economic and social capital by working within and around the colonial regulatory system.
  • Right to Adequate Housing There Were No Recommendations Made on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (HKSAR) in the Second UPR Cycle

    Right to Adequate Housing There Were No Recommendations Made on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (HKSAR) in the Second UPR Cycle

    Right to Adequate Housing There were no recommendations made on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (HKSAR) in the Second UPR Cycle. Framework in HKSAR HKSAR is the most expensive city, worldwide, in which to buy a home. Broadly, housing is categorized into; permanent private housing, public rental housing, and public housing. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) has been extended to HKSAR and its implementation is covered under Article 39 of the Basic Law. The middle income group is squeezed by the rocketing prices, relative to low incomes; particularly given that there is no control to prevent public rental rates being set against the wider commercial property market. The crisis in the affordability of housing in Hong Kong has been noted by successive Chief Executives since 2013. For example, the current Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, said in her Policy Address in October 2017 that “meeting the public’s housing needs is our top priority”. However, despite these statements, since 2013 there has been a continued surge in property prices, rental prices and an increase in the number of homeless. Concerns with the lack of affordable and adequate housing were raised by the ICESCR Committee in their 2014 Concluding Observations on HKSAR. Challenges Cases, facts and comments • The government has not taken • Median property prices are 19.4 times the median sufficient action to protect and salary. promote the right to adequate housing • In the years 2007-2016, property prices in HKSAR under Article 11(1) of ICESCR, including increased by 176.4%, compared to a 42.9% rise in the right to choose one’s residence the median monthly income.
  • Public Housing in the Global Cities: Hong Kong and Singapore at the Crossroads

    Public Housing in the Global Cities: Hong Kong and Singapore at the Crossroads

    Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 11 January 2021 doi:10.20944/preprints202101.0201.v1 Public Housing in the Global Cities: Hong Kong and Singapore at the Crossroads Anutosh Das a, b a Post-Graduate Scholar, Department of Urban Planning and Design, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Hong Kong; E-mail: [email protected] b Faculty Member, Department of Urban & Regional Planning, Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET), Bangladesh; E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Affordable Housing, the basic human necessity has now become a critical problem in global cities with direct impacts on people's well-being. While a well-functioning housing market may augment the economic efficiency and productivity of a city, it may trigger housing affordability issues leading crucial economic and political crises side by side if not handled properly. In global cities e.g. Singapore and Hong Kong where affordable housing for all has become one of the greatest concerns of the Government, this issue can be tackled capably by the provision of public housing. In Singapore, nearly 90% of the total population lives in public housing including public rental and subsidized ownership, whereas the figure tally only about 45% in Hong Kong. Hence this study is an effort to scrutinizing the key drivers of success in affordable public housing through following a qualitative case study based research methodological approach to present successful experience and insight from different socio-economic and geo- political context. As a major intervention, this research has clinched that, housing affordability should be backed up by demand-side policies aiming to help occupants and proprietors to grow financial capacity e.g.
  • Privatising Management Services in Subsidised Housing in Hong Kong

    Privatising Management Services in Subsidised Housing in Hong Kong

    The research register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www.mcbup.com/research_registers http://www.emerald-library.com/ft Privatising Privatising management management services in subsidised housing services in Hong Kong Ling Hin Li and Amy Siu 37 Department of Real Estate and Construction, The University of Received August 1998 Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Revised June 2000 Keywords Tenant, Property management, Housing, Privatization, Hong Kong Abstract Privatisation of services from the public sector is topical currently mainly because of the potential savings and efficiency to be gained. In the aspect of property management, the Hong Kong Housing Authority owns more than 600,000 units of public housing flats and the requirement for good and efficient property management services is enormous. The current policy of privatising these services to the private management agents has proved to be a correct direction in terms of retaining the growth of the public sector, and also improving the level of services to the tenants. While the privatisation scheme might bring in more opportunities for growth of the property management companies in the private sector, it is more important for the government to forge a proper transitional arrangement to switch to full private management in order not to endanger the already low morale in the public sector. 1. Introduction Privatisation is a general term describing a multitude of government initiatives designed to increase the role of the private sector in the provision of the conventional public services. The principles behind privatisation represent an ideology that puts larger emphasis on the efficiency of the market forces than on the public sector.
  • Affordable Social Housing: Modular Flat Design for Mass Customization in Public Rental Housing in Hong Kong

    Affordable Social Housing: Modular Flat Design for Mass Customization in Public Rental Housing in Hong Kong

    AFFORDABLE SOCIAL HOUSING: MODULAR FLAT DESIGN FOR MASS CUSTOMIZATION IN PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING IN HONG KONG Irene Cheng Assistant Director Development and Construction Division, Hong Kong Housing Authority, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. Irene.cheng@housinga uthority.gov.hk Connie K. Y. YEUNG, Chief Architect, Development and Construction Division, Hong Kong Housing Authority, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, [email protected] Clarence K.Y. FUNG, Senior Architect, Development and Construction Division, Hong Kong Housing Authority, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. [email protected] Wilfred K.W. LAI, Architect, Development and Construction Division, Hong Kong Housing Authority, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. [email protected] Summary Since 2008, the Hong Kong Housing Authority has been developing a new design strategy: adopting modular flat design for mass customization in public rental housing in Hong Kong. The Modular Flat Design (2008 Version) has been optimized to strike a better balance amongst various factors including valuable land resources, buildability and cost effectiveness and user-friendliness including responses to the findings from Residents Survey. This is a product of cumulative experiences over years. By applying modular flats to the building design in affordable social housing developments, Hong Kong Housing Authority can assure quality and sustainability while at the same time achieving consistency in standards.. Keywords : Public Rental Housing, Modular Flat Design, Standardization & Modularization, Universal Design, Sustainability 1. Public Housing Design Development The Hong Kong Housing Authority is a statutory body established in April 1973 under the Housing Ordinance. The Hong Kong Housing Authority plans, builds, manages and maintains public housing in Hong Kong.
  • Jun 2 0 1997 N

    Jun 2 0 1997 N

    Hong Kong: City of Edges South East Kowloon Development by Wai-Kuen Chan B.S. Arch, City College of New York, 1992 B. Arch, City College of New York, 1993 SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE STUDIES AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, JUNE 1997 c 1997 Wai-Kuen Chan. All rights reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part. Signature of Author: Wai-Kuen Chan Department of Architecture May 9, 1997 Certified by: Julian Beinart Professor of Architecture and Planning Thesis Supervisor Accepted by: Roy Strickland Associate Professor of Architecture Chairman, Department Committee on Graduate Students JUN 2 0 1997 N -C CO Readers Reader: John DeMONCHAUX Title: Professor of Architecture and Planning Reader: Michael Dennis Title: Professor of Architecture lil O O) Hon g Kon g: City of Edges South East Kowloon Development by Wai-Kuen Chan Abstract Submitted To The Department Of Architecture in Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements For The Degree Of Master Of Science In Architecture Studies At The Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, June 1997 Many extraordinary cities are developed along the edges of water into different directions. Yet, the city of Hong Kong has been formed along narrow strips of scarce flat-land around the harbor and from reclamations of land-fills. Urban fabrics are stretched along water edges of the Victoria Harbor with distinct characters. For the rapidly developing cities, these urban fragments are elemental and essential to sustain.
  • Lantau Tomorrow Vision: to Reclaim Or Not to Reclaim?

    Lantau Tomorrow Vision: to Reclaim Or Not to Reclaim?

    LANTAU TOMORROW VISION: TO RECLAIM OR NOT TO RECLAIM? Case ID: 2020008B Introduction Housing is one of the most challenging livelihood issues in Hong Kong. In fact, current Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor considers housing a formidable and complex problem. A direct cause of the housing shortage is the limited supply of land for housing. As the demand for housing as well as commercial and office space continues to increase, the need to find or create land for development is becoming all the more pressing. Adopting a multi-pronged approach, the government set up the Land Supply Task Force that conducted a study that included a public consultation on the various potential sources for land. Among these options is the creation of artificial islands off the coast of Southeast Lantau. Lam has made this a priority policy area of her government, launching the Lantau Tomorrow Vision proposal in her 2018 Policy Address. The plan is envisioned to provide as many as 400,000 residential units by the year 2032, of which 70 per cent will be public housing, with some units planned to be released earlier for occupancy. Various concern and environmental groups such as the Save Lantau Alliance oppose the development plan. According to these groups, the plan is wasteful and unnecessary, since there is still sufficient existing land that can be utilised, provided there is sufficient political will on the part of the government. Other groups such as Our Hong Kong Foundation support this plan, with some even proposing an enhanced version of the development plan.
  • The Hong Kong Housing Authority and Its Financial Arrangement Over the Past 50 Years Eddie C.M

    The Hong Kong Housing Authority and Its Financial Arrangement Over the Past 50 Years Eddie C.M

    The Hong Kong Housing Authority and its Financial Arrangement over the Past 50 Years Eddie C.M. HUI and Francis K.W. Wong Department of Building and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University HKSAR, China Abstract Hong Kong is renowned for its extensive public housing programme. Since 1973, the restructured Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has had the overall responsibility for building, allocation and managing public housing. In the past decades it has performed its tasks with great success. However, in recent years it has met with serious challenges due to economic downturn and changes of aspirations to housing among the people of Hong Kong. Therefore, it will be of value to review the financial arrangement of HA and its predecessors over the past 50 years to provide insights to the future of HA. This paper will analyse three aspects of HA’s financial arrangements. Firstly, the change in financial tools and financial terms between the government and the HA in the past decades will be examined. Secondly, the trends and patterns in the HA’s income and expenditure are scrutinized. Lastly, the financial sustainability of the HA is evaluated. 1. Introduction Since 1953, the Hong Kong government has supported public housing development through the direct injection of capital and indirect subsidies of land. It has financed the construction of over 1.3 million domestic units under public rental housing (PRH) and various subsidised-ownership programmes, which now accommodate about half of the population in Hong Kong. The dimension of such development is no doubt very impressive by international standards and these subsidised housing units have benefited many households in the last fifty years.
  • The Challenges of Urban Renewal and Housing in Contemporary Hong Kong

    The Challenges of Urban Renewal and Housing in Contemporary Hong Kong

    The Challenges of Urban Renewal and Housing in Contemporary Hong Kong Wooyoung Lim Luce China-Environment Program Summer 2015 Occidental College Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Lim 2 INTRODUCTION Hong Kong is a quickly evolving city that is often characterized by its density and rich culture; it supports the life, work, and play of seven million inhabitants. The city’s built environment is constantly evolving due to urban renewal, which involves the redevelopment of poor or deteriorating areas through agencies like the Urban Renewal Authority (URA). The Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance instated the Urban Renewal Authority in 2001 “to undertake, encourage, promote and facilitate the regeneration of older urban areas of Hong Kong.”1 The Authority, however, faces criticism for placing profit above its mission for social betterment in their projects. THESIS My research will critically examine and analyze the opaque legalities and inequities surrounding urban renewal and redevelopment in contemporary Hong Kong. I will specifically scrutinize urban renewal projects and plans after the founding of the Urban Renewal Authority in 2001 to the present day. I will answer questions such as: “What is the connection between urban renewal and affordable housing in Hong Kong,” “what is the role of Hong Kong’s government in these planning issues,” “how can agencies like the Urban Renewal Authority produce more equitable and sustainable redevelopment plans,” “what are some of the best housing practices and redevelopment strategies from other cities or countries,” and finally, “is housing affordability related to the ‘Umbrella Movement?’” Ultimately, I propose that unsustainable urban renewal and redevelopment plans exacerbate housing affordability and displacement issues, which are already serious concerns in Hong Kong.
  • Kowloon Walled City

    Kowloon Walled City

    Land Use Policy 76 (2018) 157–165 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Land Use Policy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/landusepol Quality of life in a “high-rise lawless slum”: A study of the “Kowloon Walled T City” ⁎ Lau Leung Kwok Prudencea, , Lai Wai Chung Lawrenceb, Ho Chi Wing Danielb a Department of Cultural and Creative Arts, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong b Department of Real Estate & Construction, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Informed by the ‘quality of life’ model with specific reference to Chinese culture, this article uses reliable and Kowloon Walled City publicly available information seldom used in historical or heritage study to identify the designs of flats and Quality of life builders of the “Kowloon Walled City” (hereafter the City) and reliable oral testimonies to refute some myths Builders about the quality of life within it. This settlement has been notoriously misrepresented by some as a city of Housing unit darkness that was razed from the face of the Earth before 1997 to fulfill a pre-war dream of the colonial gov- Life satisfaction ernment. This article confirms the view that this extremely short-lived concrete jungle, mystified as a horrifying, disorderly-built, and unplanned territory, was a product of un-organised small builders that had been hitherto unreported. The layout and designs of the housing units were different from that prescribed by the Buildings Ordinance, but were, in fact, developed within a consciously planned boundary that was a result of international politics. Although the City’s overall built environment was poor due to a lack of natural light penetration, the designs of its individual flats were comparable, if not better than, typical units in contemporary public rental housing blocks, many of which had to be demolished less than 20 years after their construction due to structural defects.
  • State Tolerance of Illegal Housing in Hong Kong and Calgary

    State Tolerance of Illegal Housing in Hong Kong and Calgary

    Habitat International 34 (2010) 478e484 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Habitat International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/habitatint Tops and bottoms: State tolerance of illegal housing in Hong Kong and Calgary Alina Tanasescu a,1, Ernest Chui Wing-tak b,*, Alan Smart a,2 a Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada b Department of Social Work & Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China abstract Keywords: Governmental tolerance of illegality is a common but poorly understood phenomenon. While illegal Illegality housing is well studied in poorer cities, its prevalence and operation in rich cities is much less examined. Toleration A comparative perspective is necessary to uncover the variety of ways in which illegal housing is Squatters tolerated and regulated. This paper compares two different forms of illegal housing in two rich cities with Irregularity very distinct histories: rooftop squatters in Hong Kong and basement suites in Calgary. As well as considering these irregular housing forms at opposite poles of the vertical spectrum, the paper examines the structuring forces emerging from both the top and the bottom of the social structure, and how they interact to produce the persistence of these housing types. Overlapping and conflicting interests of various groups and limits on governmental actions make toleration of illegal housing useful, in part precisely because of its provisional nature. Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Introduction in Calgary. While comparing these spatial opposites, the study will simultaneously examine illegal housing from the “top” perspectives Calgary and Hong Kong, both prosperous urban centres, may not of government agents as well as those from the “bottom,” including be obvious places for illegal housing.