Change or die : cultural mapping of the tangible and intangible changes of hawker stalls on Graham Street

Abstract

With the Urban Renewal Authority’s H18 redevelopment project, buildings within its project boundary, except those to be preserved, will be demolished and redeveloped. Since the study area is outside the project boundary, the street itself and hawker stalls on the street will continue exist. With the new structures and land use pattern behind, there will be impacts on the hawker stalls, the hawkers, as well as the Street Market.

The outbreak of a serious fire incident at Fa Yuen Street on 30 Nov 2011 had called up the public concern on the fire risk induced by hawker stalls and its sustainability over time.

By cultural mapping of the Cabinet-type fixed pitch on Graham Street Market, a heritage inventory is prepared for identification and analysis of the changes of hawker stalls as resulted from the above two transformative events. Further analysis on the sustainability of the hawker stalls and the Street Market has been made with consideration of historic cultural landscape approach in preservation of this hundreds year old Street Market.