Curating Smithfield

Project Period

December 2020 - ongoing

Location

Smithfield, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong

Project Lead

Community Engagement Committee (CEC) of The Hong Kong Institute of Planners (HKIP)

Project Background & Inspiration

Smithfield - an artery of Kennedy Town stretching from Victoria Harbour to Mount Davis - and its neighbouring area have transformed from city fringe to a muse filled with interesting planning stories, hopes and charm; through this project, planners are telling a good story of city transformation with town
planning flavour, taking inspiration from and in collaboration with artists and IT start-ups, district councilors, and the locals.

What happened in the project?

A Code Map drawn by local artists and sponsored by the Central and Western District Council to showcase the unique checkpoints and planning stories of Smithfield and its vicinity, based on research and interviews conducted and collected by planners through a series of community engagement exercises.
A self-guided tour mobile app powered by Insider Tour, with planners’ voice-over, to guide visitors through various checkpoints along and around Smithfield to discover the hidden treasures and stories.
A photography competition to invite photographers to capture the gems and urban landscape of the Smithfield neighbourhood, while sharing the behind-the-scene community stories; winning entries to be featured in a calendar for public distribution

Project Impact and Key Takeaway

Crossover of planners with artists and IT experts in the community engagement and place-making exercises to curate interactive experiences for visitors to better understand and appreciate the interesting planning stories of a local neighbourhood
Closer relationships are fostered between planners and the local communities through direct exchanges and dialogues

INNOVATION

Leveraging on planning expertise, artist talent and state-of-the-art technology in city storytelling and promote community engagement in the city transformation process

COLLABORATION

Apart from collaborating with artists, IT experts, district councillors, and the locals, HKIP has also engaged students from the HKU and the Caritas Mok Cheung Sui Kun Community Centre

The Code Map project has received funding support from The Central and Western District Council

EMPOWERMENT

Aligned with their vision of “planning for the people”, urban planners, particularly young planners, are given a unique opportunity to directly engage communities that their profession aspires to serve; the project conveys a positive message of progressive city transformation through town planning and community empowerment