From policy to practice : integrating heritage for cognitive-cultural capitalism in Hong Kong

Abstract

Heritage conservation, inherently, is contradictory to development. However, it does not mean that they are conflicting against each other. In this dissertation study, it was found that both tangible and intangible heritage within a city are valuable tools and assets for cultural development, which is considered to be essential for sustainable urban development. Heritage is not just the linkage between the past, present and future, it is also the source of inspirations and can satisfy the needs of people and the growth of a city. With many developed cities stepping forward to a post‐industrial era and transforming into a cognitive‐cultural economy, a unique city culture cultivated through integrating heritage in all walks of life becomes crucial for a city to maintain its competitiveness in the global world. To understand how heritage can be effectively and efficiently integrated into city development and what Hong Kong can do, the successful Singaporean regime on heritage conservation and the city’s attitude towards heritage within the urban planning system were studied. Base on a four P’s (i.e. policy, planning, project, and personal/people) analysis, a comprehensive analysis was conducted on both cities. The study would be concluded with a discussion on the opportunities and challenges faced in Hong Kong if applying some of the Singaporean strategies to integrate heritage into the contemporary city life.