Introduction:
The concept of the post was to derive interconnections between how Hong Kong is perceived by external stakeholders (visitors, global investors) and what Hong Kong quite possibly means at the regional level for its internal stakeholders (the residents, government, urban developers)
Outward Perception: External Stakeholders
Hong Kong has been portrayed multiplicitely through mass media including movies, music videos, books and images. The city's many cultural narratives and the overlaps can be observed through this.
This connection is made by decoding the urban transformative processes in the city. The book titled, 'The Ecology of a City and Its People: The Case of Hong Kong', which is based in the 1950s provides a comprehensive view of the evolution of the city and the intrinsic systems that make Hong Kong, a global culture today. These perceptions create the Image of Hong Kong as follows:
1. The Urban Skyline: The basic setting of the city, within the mountain ranges, is accentuated by Pearl River. The mountains form a nested backdrop for the view.
Urban Skyline, Image of Hong Kong
Street Image: Hong Kong's street aesthetics are very popular with especially, the visitors. Narrow streets and crowded neon signages display the names of the commercial establishments in Mandarin.
L: A typical street in the city & R: An urban canyon effect
Considering the city's necessity of accommodating its high population density, the high built forms with multiple stories flank main streets. This creates an interesting street phenomenon called the urban canyon. Its hilly terrain adds to variety in movements, including staircases and ramps.
2. Transport: The double-decker tram, rail and bus systems have been incorporated into a public transit network. The street designs allow provisions to integrate with these networks. Some design considerations include wider pavements, narrow inner streets, commercial or recreation use on the lower floors, and activity continuity with the built forms
Considered as one of the most advanced in the world, the city's transport systems include interesting varieties: tramways, buses, and ferries
3. Pedestrian Connectivity: This is one of the features that define the city. The city's integrated public transport system and its permeable urban fabric make the city pedestrian-friendly. Walkable transition zones, wayfinding elements such as street signages and the interconnectivity within the many transport systems existing in the city.
L: Central Mid-levels Escalator & Walkway System, R: A narrow, staircase alleyway connecting street levels & fostering local business
4. Aspiration: Many pop culture references describe the protagonists' central theme as working through all odds to reach high positions in society.
5. Pop Culture Inspiration: Many books, movies, music videos and fashion aspirations are inspired by the interconnected narratives of the city.
Some well-known pop culture references to the City. Left: Kowloon & R: Chungking Mansion
6. Street Food: Hong Kong's street food culture is well known and suggested as a mandatory experience. Hong Kong street food is a part of permanent structures with seating spillover onto the street sides.
Late-night street-side eats
7. Storefront designs and heritage buildings: Many images displayed through visual media, tend to characterize the city by elaborating on these architectural elements. Efforts have been expended to diffuse activities with the streets. The narrow street alleys with cosy cafes and the grocery or fruit stalls bring out temporal aesthetics specific to the city.
L: Blue House, later restored, R: Temporal Activities add to vibrant streets
8. Street Life: Aesthetic building fronts, provisions for safe pedestrian movements, street food, and informal commercial activities enliven the streets. Many elements contribute to the street vibrancy. This includes active street use policies, ramp connectivity, safe staircases, public use amenities and the design consideration for optimizing the street as a functional element within the urban fabric.
Streets as commercial & recreation zones
9. Service Economy - The universally well-known 'Made in China' products, varied ethnicities, the popularization of export activity zones such as Chungking Mansion and the functional utility of its harbour highlights Hong Kong's role in the global arena.
Hong Kong's Port Activities
10. Cultural Symbol: All the pointers above collectively merge to form the city, as a uniquely cosmopolitan culture in itself. Although politically, it is a part of China, its autonomous government (Special Administrative Region, SAR) makes the city stand out from its Chinese identity.
Intrinsic Associations & Actions: Internal Stakeholders
1. Service Economy & Regional Systems: Hong Kong plays its role in the global economy by highlighting its service networks & manufacturing processes. This also accommodates the city's role as a driving force for the city's ecology.
2. A City for its Inhabitants:
The master plan for 2030 provides a comprehensive view of the development visions for the city. The planning process considers the interests of the internal stakeholders (the residents, neighbourhood communities), especially the ageing population of 60 years and above.
Integrated Development
3. Cultural Revival & Community Associations
The urban development firms provide a broad overview of the specificity of urban development and planning in the city. This includes heritage preservation, community-based neighbourhood planning & ideating public space networks.
Extracting Value & Promoting Social Cohesion
Source: The Oval Partnership
4. The City as a Cultural Experience:
The tourism board brands the city similar to its global perception. It idealizes the city experience through street art, food culture, encourages self-guided tours and nature excursions. Most of the activities are also based on pop-culture popularity.
L: Quality Tourism Services, QTS Scheme & R: Services for the visitors' easy accessibility within the city.
Administred by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), the QTS Scheme accredits establishments to meet high standards of product quality and service.
5. The Hong Kong Image:
The city's 'Sense of Place' experience continues to be based on the mainstream image created by global perceptions & visual media
Bright, Colourful and Vibrant Spaces
Image Building: Overall, the city government prioritizes providing quality of life to its inhabitants. Tourism is a secondary avenue of revenue generation for the city. The city's image-building approach strives to integrate these two aspects towards their popularization.
Aligning City Image with Stakeholders’ interests: Using a City-wide integrated approach.
Historically, Hong Kong did not have any resources of its own. This is why the city at the time, capitalized on its strategic location to grow into a service economy. Not only does it still play this role within the global setting, it also further invests into the global perceptions/image of the city as its secondary economy.
City Based Cultural Organizations
Other than this, the cultural strategists in the city are already pulling out historical sources, identifying and strategizing with the everyday scene to make Hong Kong intrinsic to the internal stakeholders. Some of these local organizations include Urban Diary, Very Hong Kong and INTEGER.
Complementary Literature & Resources:
Boyden, S., Millar, S., Newcombe, K., & O’Neill, B. (1965–1991). The Ecology of a City and its People: The Case of Hong Kong. Australian National University
Ding, Yajuan 1969-, "Hong Kong's cultural identity reflected in Jackie Chan's films." (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 352.
Hong Kong Master Plan 2030
Hong Kong Archival Maps: https://www.hkmaps.hk/
Hong Kong Tourism Website: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/
Commentaires