92Graham Street market is due to be redeveloped. While <strong>the</strong> URA plans to recreate an “old shopping street” and has agreed to allow some stallholders to return, it is uncertain whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> marketwill be viable after redevelopment.
Social ImpactSocially sustainable development fulfils people’s social and cultural needs in addition to <strong>the</strong>ir economic and environmental ones. The concept <strong>of</strong> social sustainability is applied to urban designthrough <strong>the</strong> goal <strong>of</strong> creating urban environments that enhance a society’s social capital, which is defined as <strong>the</strong> value brought to society by social networks. Such environments meet people’scultural aspirations, foster a sense <strong>of</strong> community, and provide inclusive and accessible places which encourage, ra<strong>the</strong>r than repel social interaction.The following section will look at <strong>the</strong> social aspects <strong>of</strong> urban design produced by <strong>the</strong> URA. It is not an analysis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> URA’s public consultation processes, its compensation and rehousingpolicies, or its social impact mitigation policies. While <strong>the</strong>se are important and worthy topics, <strong>the</strong> focus and methodology <strong>of</strong> this project is limited to <strong>the</strong> built environment.The Loss <strong>of</strong> Character StreetsIn Hong Kong, it is said that land uses and patterns <strong>of</strong> street activity define places morethan <strong>the</strong> architecture. 186 Character streets full <strong>of</strong> small businesses selling specialized goodsand services are a distinctive feature <strong>of</strong> Hong Kong’s urban ecology. Yet a surprising number<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m have been targeted by <strong>the</strong> LDC and URA for redevelopment. These include WingOn Street in Central (“Cloth Alley”); Hong Lok Street (“Bird Street”), part <strong>of</strong> ShanghaiStreet (“Bridal Gown Street”) and Fa Yuen Street (“Sneaker Street”) in Mong Kok; and LeeTung Street (“Wedding Card Street”) in Wan Chai. The Graham Street market in Centralwill be severely disrupted. This can be explained because <strong>the</strong> URA needs to select sites witha large redevelopment potential, meaning that it usually targets areas <strong>of</strong> thriving but lowrentcommerce ra<strong>the</strong>r than economically depressed areas with little commercial activity(i.e. obsolete industrial areas). It is exactly <strong>the</strong> former sort <strong>of</strong> site that is home to HongKong’s character streets because <strong>the</strong>y <strong>of</strong>fer a combination <strong>of</strong> relatively low rents and highaccessibility.While <strong>the</strong>re have been efforts to relocate or recreate some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se shopping experiences,<strong>the</strong>se attempts are usually less vibrant than what existed originally. Cloth merchants whowere relocated to Western Market (a refurbished historical wet market) reported a significantdecline in business. 187While shop owners and commercial tenants are compensated by <strong>the</strong> URA, 188 <strong>the</strong>y <strong>of</strong>ten facedifficulties re-establishing <strong>the</strong>ir businesses elsewhere. Firstly, <strong>the</strong>re are practical and financialdifficulties in finding suitable shop spaces at comparable rents because re-developmentdecreases <strong>the</strong> supply <strong>of</strong> affordable shop spaces. Secondly, redevelopment disrupts <strong>the</strong>irbusiness model. Character streets depend on <strong>the</strong> agglomeration <strong>of</strong> similar businesses in onelocation, which enables <strong>the</strong>m to collectively attract a wider customer base. Dispersing <strong>the</strong>mdestroys this effect.While <strong>the</strong>re have been cases where <strong>the</strong> URA won praise for displacing socially undesirablelocal economies (i.e. <strong>the</strong> red light district on Portland Street), <strong>the</strong> disappearance <strong>of</strong> characterstreets is widely perceived as a net loss for <strong>the</strong> city. A purely economic viewpoint would holdthat failing to maximize <strong>the</strong> development potential <strong>of</strong> any given site is inefficient, but thisfails to take into account <strong>the</strong> social and cultural benefits that are produced by <strong>the</strong>se streets.Despite <strong>the</strong>ir poor physical condition, Hong Kong’s older buildings perform functions thatcontribute towards <strong>the</strong> city’s sustainability. They provide a stock <strong>of</strong> housing for low-incomeearners in urban areas close to jobs and services. Relocating low-income tenants to publichousing estates in <strong>the</strong> New Territories reinforces <strong>the</strong> city’s spatial inequalities and imposeslong commutes on people who are less able to afford <strong>the</strong>m.Older buildings also provide flexible and affordable incubation space for small businesses,which if successful, might invest in repairing <strong>the</strong> buildings <strong>the</strong>mselves. Street markets <strong>of</strong>fervery low barriers to entry for tiny businesses, enabling people who might o<strong>the</strong>rwise rely onsocial assistance to make a living.Some urban <strong>the</strong>orists argue that a mixture <strong>of</strong> buildings <strong>of</strong> different ages is necessary to fostervibrant and diverse local economies. 189 Vibrancy reinforces a city’s cultural capital, whichmight turn into an economic asset by enhancing a city’s international image and attractingvisitors. In recent years, LegCo has passed motions calling for <strong>the</strong> preservation <strong>of</strong> local colourand character: in 2005, it asked for a review <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> government’s policy towards dai pai donglicense holders, 190 and in 2007 it called on <strong>the</strong> government to promote street markets andbazaars to “to enhance <strong>the</strong> attractiveness <strong>of</strong> tourism in Hong Kong, as well as to fur<strong>the</strong>rrevitalize on-street economy”. 19193
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The Local Context:Evolving Communit
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Hong Kong Urban Design ConcernsHong
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12In 1998, the Planning Department
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Part I:14The URA —A Redevelopment
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Version 2:The Urban RenewalAuthorit
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URA Ordinance vs.Urban Renewal Stra
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How The URA WorksThe Cycle ofResump
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PART II:22The PoliticalEconomyof th
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The Institutional ContextNationaliz
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26traditionally given the Lands Dep
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28maximum allowable plot ratio —
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Left: Multi-ownership with inadequa
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Weak building maintenanceregulation
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Lack of FinancingOne significant pr
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Left: Graham Streetrequirement. 137
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Left: Graham Streetthe 1970s to ind
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- Page 112 and 113: 112Wan Chai Market. Built in 1937,
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- Page 126 and 127: 126Endnotes1 HKSAR Planning Departm
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