Staunton Street/Wing Lee Street Project (H19)

Project Period

2018 – 2024

Location

Central, Hong Kong

Project Lead

Urban Renewal Authority
Social Ventures Hong Kong

Project Background & Inspiration

At the old “Thirty Houses” neighbourhood, located along the century-old Shing Wong Street and Staunton Street, a few two to three-storey high tenement buildings can be found.

In response to the public desire to preserve buildings within the area, as well as Chief Executive’s 2018 Policy Agenda that asked the URA to revitalize the area with consideration to its “special character and urban fabric”, the URA decided to carry out further study to promote place making and synergise it with nearby revitalisation project(s).

This is the first time the URA had commissioned a study on community making to collect and generalize residents’ views and stakeholders’ expectations through a systematic, in-depth exchange and analysis.

What happened in the project?

Community Making Study

SVhk conducted a four-month study to gather views and opinions from residents and community stakeholders via street surveys, focus group gatherings, community outreach events and exchange sessions with District Councilors
With reference to the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs model, the SVhk team developed the Rainbow Lens framework to categorize common needs and map out future possibilities for the neighbourhood
Four Urban Progressing Visions and six Community Making Directions were proposed to move the revitalization project forward, in accordance with community needs and characteristics

Quick win initiatives were implemented to realize the visions, after the completion of the Community Making Study:

1. Community Mural

With the help of primary school students, parents and teachers, a mural was painted under an artist’s guidance on part of the hoarding at Shing Wong Street; it depicts the past streetscape in the area and students’ playful imagination of the street

2. Community Farm

Located at a former building site, the farm was set up with the assistance from the Water Supplies Department; 27 volunteers, including elderly centre residents, neighbourhood residents and URA staff members were recruited to manage the farm; volunteers were given training and technical support as they started farming, and they got to select the plants to be grown at the site, giving them a stronger sense of ownership; in the long run, the farm would be self-managed by the residents as they become more familiar with the day-to-day operation details and the community itself

3. Tour around the Community with Students

A group of 16 primary five students from Catholic Mission School were recruited to become junior docents to help visitors explore the neighbourhood and pass on the historical and cultural knowledge about the Thirty Houses to the younger generations; residents were invited to share oral history about their daily lives and traditions of the Yu Lan Festival to the students during the training workshops

Project Impact and Key Takeaway