Harmonious redevelopment : meeting redevelopment and conservation needs in a historical urban landscape in Central, Hong Kong

Abstract

Hong Kong is well known for its street market culture. You can dress a bride, redo a house and amuse a child one street at a time. The South China practice of grouping similar business in one street means you can do much more. As described by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, street markets and shopping streets are part of the Hong Kong cultural characteristic reflecting the South China daily life as an attraction. Ironically the oldest surviving market streets in Hong Kong, Graham Street was not being carefully consider for sustainable conservation and development in the Living City of Hong Kong. In 1999, Peel Street and Graham Street Development Scheme (known as H18) was submitted by the Town Planning Board and approved by the Chief Executive in Council under the section 9(1)(a) of the Town Planning Ordinance. This plan would affect 287 households, including 39 buildings and 361 physical properties. However, under this urban renewal project, the historic market street that recognized by many Hong Kong people as an important heritage of the city, is completely ignored for its heritage significance. The project therefore poses a major threat to a popular heritage place. This thesis focusses in conservation issues resulting from the Urban Renewal Authority’s (URA) redevelopment projects in the Graham Street Market Area (GSMA) in Hong Kong defined as a ‘continuous landscape’ at the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach. The purpose of the research is to find out whether the conservation issues can be resolved by incorporating conservation with the redevelopment and recommended a sustainable “Harmonious Redevelopment” concept.