Conserving historic streets in Hong Kong: a feasibility study using the case of Ladder Street

Abstract

Hong Kong has carried out heritage conservation since the late 1970s based on the Antiquities & Monuments Ordinance of 1976, but protecting individual buildings has been the main focus. This is a fragmented way to conserving tangible heritage and is neither to the best interest of the building nor to the visitor experience.

Designating a street as historical is common in countries such Britain, Canada and the United States. However, they normally conserve the area as a whole rather than a single street. For example, Cleveland Street in London, England, is listed but it is treated as an “Conservation Area” rather than a “conservation street”. As designating streets as heritage is not new to these countries. It is, however, a quite new concept to Hong Kong. 2009 marked the first time in Hong King’s history that streets were listed as Grade I built heritage, namely Pottinger Street and Ladder Street. Both are in the Central district. Is it a good way to conserving a street by just designating it as a heritage, but segregating it from its context? What other support measures are required to have it be really conserved?

This dissertation focuses on whether it works as conservation by designating a street as a built heritage without including its context. The scope covers one case-study street, Ladder Street in Sheung Wan, and tracks the changes of the area after its Grade I listing in December 2009. Ladder Street is one of the earliest streets constructed in Hong Kong. It is not only a “built heritage” in itself, it also cuts across several streets featuring other “built heritage,” such as Man Mo Temple, YMCA and the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences building. This study will attempt to evaluate if it is appropriate to designate a street.

The main objective of this research is to review the Hong Kong experience in conserving built heritage, the designation procedure in Hong Kong, the reasons of designating Ladder Street, the impact on the streetscape and its implications in Hong Kong. Overseas example will be examined and their applicability in the Hong Kong context will be discussed. Ultimately, possible areas for further investigation will be identified.