True Light Middle School of Hong Kong

Transcription

1 TLMSHK p. 1 True Light Middle School of Hong Kong Urban Renewal Project of Lee Tung Street : Uncovering the viewpoints of different stakeholders F.3B Ruby Lai F.3B Wade Leung F.3B Ophelia Wong F.3B Cindy Yu F.7B Susanna Leung Supervisor: Ms Hui Chi Ching June 2009

2 TLMSHK p. 2 Contents Chapter 1 Introduction p. 3 Chapter 2 Background p. 4-6 Chapter 3 Methodology p. 7 Chapter 4 Data Analysis p. 8 Chapter 5 Findings from the case studies p Chapter 6 Discussion p Chapter 7 Prospects p. 19 Chapter 8 Conclusion p. 20 Chapter 9 Evaluation p. 21 Appendix I Questionnaire Sample (English Version) p.22 Appendix II Reference p.23

3 TLMSHK p. 3 Chapter 1 Introduction Changes are overwhelmingly emphasized in the 21 st century. America changes a lot. So does our beloved Hong Kong. To turn the city more modernized, our Government is keen on implementing urban renewal projects. It is claimed that renewed districts will become far more good-looking, energetic and sustainable. Thus, old districts are heading towards redevelopment, old buildings are inevitably going to be pulled down, and the good old days are melting away. The Lee Tung Street of Wan Chai is of no exception. In the past, this street is well-known for its wedding card industry. At present, most of the buildings and shops in the street are under demolition. In the past, the street only accommodates a thousand of people. Now, according to the renewal plan, the Urban Renewal Authority is boosting the total gross floor area of the street from 36,534 to 79, 697 square meters. In fact, the Government has begun to call on the urban renewal of Lee Tung Street since But it is not until a decade later the Street starts to be redeveloped. It suggests the project be a highly debatable one. And even during these days of sweeping changes, the viewpoints of different stakeholders still vary a lot, including the government who supports the plan, ex-shop owners of the street who are opposed to the plan, and the different opinions of the public. As a matter of fact, we would like to investigate: (1) What the viewpoints of different groups are on Lee Tung Street project respectively, (the Urban Renewal Authority, the H15 and ex-owners, plus the general public) (2) Why they are of such divergent opinions.

4 TLMSHK p. 4 Chapter 2 Background 2.1 History of Lee Tung Street Lee Tung Street, where known as Wedding Card Street, is located in Wan Chai of Hong Kong Island. It is famous for the wedding-card industry since 1980 because a cluster of wedding card companies can be found in the street. Most new couples in Hong Kong chose their wedding cards there owing to the wide variety of unique design. As for the old, short buildings with few flats, they were all built during 1950s to 1960s. Hence, similar architectural structure and linked-up rooftops result. The major land use pattern in Lee Tung Street is mixed land use. It is not uncommon to find shop owners usually working on the ground while living on the upper floors. This type of buildings is not common in today s Hong Kong. Picture 1 : Old building in Lee Tung Street

5 TLMSHK p Urban Renewal Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. The process of urban redevelopment will bring a great impact on the urban landscapes and the people living there. This ideology began in the late 19 th century in developed nations and became increasingly important after the late 1940s. According to the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), urban renewal projects of Hong Kong include 4Rs: Redevelopment, the demolition of old buildings; Rehabilitation, the prevention of further decay of built environment; Reservation, the preserving of old buildings which are of historical, cultural and architectural interests; and Revitalization, the revival of the economic and environmental fabric of the districts. 2.3 The Road of Disputes on Lee Tung Street s Renewal Time Events 1996 The Land Development Corporation announced Lee Tung Street to be one of the urban renewal projects The Urban Renewal Authority included Lee Tung Street in the H15 Urban Renewal Project. Property acquisition began. Great opposition arose from the residents and shop owners of the street The citizens in Lee Tung Street formed the H15 group (H15 關注小組 ) The H15 group submitted a self-designed renewal proposal (the Dumbbell) to the URA. However, it was rejected by the Metro Planning Committee The Government completed the acquisition of Lee Tung Street properties rights The Urban Renewal Authority announced the Garden of the Marriage ( 姻緣 )Plan The Appeal Board Panel (Town Planning) dismissed the appeal from H15 group on the Dumbbell Plan The H15 Group met with Mrs. Lam, the head of the Development Bureau. Demolition of buildings started The H15 Group members started a demonstration from 23 rd December. Miss Yip, one of the leading persons of the group, began to starve.

6 TLMSHK p Two renewal plans: the Garden of Marriage and the Dumbbell (A) The Garden of Marriage Plan: suggested by URA In this URA s proposal, Marriage will be the main theme of the street. There will be a museum set up in the street describing the culture of marriage of Hong Kong. Picture 2: Marriage B) The Plan of Dumbbell: suggested by H15 Group Picture 3: Dumbbell Under this plan, old buildings in the middle parts of the street will all be preserved and repaired. The two ends of the street will be developed into a plaza with wedding card shops and printing companies. Recreational amenities will be built

7 TLMSHK p. 7 Chapter 3 Methodology Research methods: Questionnaire and case studies A. Quantitative Analysis: Questionnaire A total of 30 questionnaires were distributed. First we sent a questionnaire to each parent of team members. By random sampling, we sent another 22 questionnaires to passers-by in the area near school, at the streets and in the residential area. Choice of Questionnaire Respondents Seemingly, they are not the direct stakeholders of Lee Tung Street. However, the researchers noticed that many citizens are placing high concern on urban renewal projects. Thus, it is important to listen to the public s opinion Background Information of Respondents Target Gender Number of questionnaires Location <18 M:4 F: M:2 F:5 7 School, Street, M:2 F:4 6 Residential area >50 M:2 F:5 7 B. Qualitative Analysis : Case Studies The researchers have selected four cases from online articles and books to study the viewpoints of the Government and the Lee Tung residents.

8 TLMSHK p. 8 Chapter 4 Data Analysis and Discussion The results of the questionnaire are as follows: Figure 1: Number of respondents know about the business of Lee Tung Street 30% yes no 70% Findings: 70% of the respondents know about the business of Lee Tung Street but still about 30% of them don t. Analysis: From the above findings, we can know that Lee Tung Street is famous for its wedding card industry and the nickname Wedding Card Street is well known within the Hong Kong people. This may due to the clustering effect of the printing wedding card shops located nearby and the promotional effect caused by the recent pop song Wedding Card Street of a pop star, Kay Tse, in Hong Kong. Figure 2: Number of respondents know the renewal project of Lee Tung Street 33% 67% Yes No Findings: The majority of interviewees (67%) know about the renewal project of Lee Tung Street. But 33% of them don t.

9 TLMSHK p. 9 Analysis: The above data shows that most of Hong Kong residents do care about the preserving of heritage in Lee Tung Street. That shows Hong Kong residents pay attention to the urban renewal project done by the government. The conflicting voices between the Lee Tung Street ex-owners and the URA draw media broadcast which may cause public concern on the issue. Figure3: Important aspect(s) the Government should consider in urban renewal social communication of the resident 21% 3% 35% economic development safety of the old buildings outlook of wai chai 26% 15% others Findings: 35% of the respondents think that social communication is the most important. The safety of old buildings wins the second-highest votes (i.e. 26%). The outlook of Wan Chai comes third (i.e.21%). Analysis: The results show that Hong Kong residents relatively emphasize the relationship and communication development in the society during the renewal project. It is because social community is built up with years and its value is inestimable. Besides, safety of the buildings is also important. Aged buildings may cost loss of life and money. It is needed to be considered during the renewal projects.

10 TLMSHK p. 10 Surprisingly, not many citizens focus on the economic development in a urban renewal scheme, which is only 3% of the respondents. This reflects the public s view that economic development is not always the most important priority under the urban renewal project. Figure4: The standpoint of the respondents on Lee Tung Street s renewal project 13% 40% 47% Support oppose 50/50 Findings: The survey showed that 47% respondents support the renewal project of Lee Tung Street and 40% of them do not support. 13% of them is indifferent on this issue. Analysis: The above data shows an even distribution of the number of citizens who support and oppose the project while 13% of them can t define that. It is expected that respondents who are concerned about the social community as shown in question 3 will oppose the project as it will interrupt the close social tie of Lee Tung Street s residents and ex-shop owners. The 47% of the respondents who support the renewal project may be concerned with the safety problem of the old buildings in the street. Since the buildings were built before war-time, so it is sensible to doubt whether they are still safe for accommodation.

11 TLMSHK p. 11 Figure 5: The value of Lee Tung Street in the eyes of the respondents 25% 21% 28% 26% historical collective memory economy wedding card shops Findings: The result showed that 28% of the respondents believe Lee Tung Street has a high value of collective memories. In contrast, the economic value of the street comes the least important value (i.e.21%). Analysis: Figure 5 shows the value of Lee Tung Street in the mind of respondents. The highest rank is the collective memory. Lee Tung Street is the memory of the new couples. Historical value of the street is also high because Lee Tung Street witnessed the development of Hong Kong. The buildings are unlike those that has been built recently as it can represent the history of Hong Kong during war-time. Apart from that, the respondents think wedding card shops shows the unique feature for the street. This shows Lee Tung Street is famous, where is needed to be preserved, is because of the wedding card shops. If there weren t so many wedding card shops, the value of the street would have been debased. Respondents gave lowest mark for the economic value of Lee Tung Street as wedding cards industry cannot make high profits at all. And it is also not the economic mainstay of Hong Kong. As a conclusion, value of Lee Tung Street is partial on the memory of the citizens and the street.

12 TLMSHK p. 12 Figure 6: whether the Government is doing enough work on heritage preservation 13% 30% yes 57% no can do better Findings: More than half of the respondents (57%) think that the government has not done enough work to preserve the heritage in Hong Kong. But 30% think that there is already enough preservation work. A few of them (13%) believe that the government can do better. Analysis: The above data shows most of respondents are dissatisfied with the preservation work done by the government at present. From figure 3, the general public thinks that social communication is the most important element the Government needs to consider in an urban renewal scheme. Therefore, it is predictable that the reason why recent preserving work done by the Urban Renewal Authority cannot gain much support of citizens is due to the disparagement of social communication the scheme brings.

13 TLMSHK p. 13 Chapter 5 Findings from case studies We have found four cases to study the viewpoints of the Lee Tung Street s residents plus ex-shop owners as well as the Government. The background information of the four cases is as follows: Profiles of the Interviewees (1)Mrs. Kam ( 甘太 ) - A resident as well as a shop owner of the street - Has been living in Lee Tung Street since 1950s - One of the H15 Group leaders (2)Brother Chiu - A resident of the street ( 超哥 ) - Has been living in Lee Tung Street from 1957, for 48 years - One of the H15 Group members (3)Mr. Ng - A resident of the street - In his sixties now (4)Mrs. Lam - The Head of the Development Bureau - Representative of the Government (A) The view of Lee Tung Street s residents and ex-shop owners In Lee Tung Street, there are four groups of people, including the proprietors of flats, the tenants of flats, the proprietors of shops, and the tenants of shops. The former two are grouped as residents while the latter two are grouped as ex-shop owners. In the first case, Mrs. Kam is opposed to the Government s renewal project of Lee Tung Street, owing to the lost of the close social tie with her neighborhood. She regards Lee Tung Street as a part of her life and she does not want to leave this place. She and quite a lot of residents are also very frustrated with the Government s unreasonable rejection of the Dumbbell Plan. In her eyes, the Government is not sincere in reaching agreement with the people in Lee Tung Street. 我與灣仔密不可分的關係. 上世紀 50 年代, 甘太的爸爸開始在灣仔打工, 從事 手作 鐵器工作 當時我與家人一起搬到了灣仔, 開始上居下舖的生活 經營方式 他 / 她們租的第一個舖位, 樓底高, 連著一個 自由閣, 就成為一家六口起居所在 ; 閣樓下的舖位, 前面做陳列室放置家具成品, 後面是工場, 再往後連著後巷的一條窄道, 就是霍媽媽為家人 ( 有時包括夥計 ) 一天三頓忙碌的地方 而我們現在稱為舊區的區域, 正好為甘太及類似的家庭 小本經營者提供了一個集中的便利網絡, 容許他 / 她們自行衍生出生存 生活的方式 ( 悲情時候 2007)

14 TLMSHK p. 14 In the second case, brother Chiu is one of the proprietors of Lee Tung Street as well. He, like many other proprietors, is opposed to the renewal plan. He is very much impressed by the close social tie among the neighbors whom he views as even closer than his relatives. Therefore, it makes him even sorrowful about the disappearance of this harmonious relationship owing to the redevelopment of the street. 由於住在利東街都差不多半個世紀, 超哥認識很多在這裡住的老業主, 這些老業主都是見証著超哥長大的老街坊 在利東街唐樓由細住到大的超哥, 對利東街這條唐樓街有著很強烈的感覺 重感情 親切, 街坊就像同住在一條村內, 人與人之間有聯繫有關係 當有街坊的下一代出世, 大家也會幫忙湊細路 ; 亦試過經歷上一代的老街坊與世長辭 ; 樓上樓下會互相幫助, 無驅無束, 大家關係很好, 會互相照顧 超哥與街坊的感情濃厚深深經歷和體會 遠親不如近鄰 的真實 ( 傳統歷史文化旅遊, 2009) As for the third case, from Mr. Ng s description, the researchers can tell that the residents of Lee Tung Street, both proprietors and tenants, are mostly the elderly aged over 50. In Mr. Ng s opinion, he agrees to the renewal project but not the unreasonable demolition of the street carried out by the Government. He also believes that the residents in the street are not properly treated according to their rights. Moreover, he is very much concerned about the future of Lee Tung Street, which further illustrates the point that the people in Lee Tung really see the street as a part of their life. I (Mr. Ng, a 62 years old man) am a resident of Lee Tung Street. Out of my expectation, I m not mostly concerned about the compensation of the removal. My focus is the future development of Lee Tung Street. I have been living in the Lee Tung Street since I was a child. Working for the residents right in Lee Tung Street is already my responsibilities because I cannot see a blind eye on it. For me, it is a very memorable place since it is not only my childhood but even the place I have my own family. Lee Tung Street marked my footprinst all along. I agreed to renew the building but not demolish. (Source: Mr. Ho Luan (2007) < 連線 > Hong Kong, Home Affairs Department]

15 TLMSHK p. 15 (B) The View of the Government The Government, who is very much concerned about the safety of the old buildings in the street, does not think that those buildings are safe to live in anymore. As a result, the Government supports the renewal plan and demolition takes place. However, the Government is making effort to preserve some of the features of Lee Tung Street, such as the use of Marriage as the theme of the street.

16 TLMSHK p. 16 Chapter 6 Discussion To begin with, let s summarize the opinions of different stakeholders. For the citizens, we observe that some of them agree with the renewal plan while some do not. But they are in general very much concerned with the social relationship with neighborhood and the safety of buildings. Last but not least, in their opinion, Lee Tung Street has its own historical value and is a collective memory of many Hong Kong people, especially those who grew up there. As for the people of Lee Tung Street, their opinions vary. In fact, according to the Research Report (Wan Chai District Council, 2004) on the Lee Tung Street/McGregor Street Renewal Scheme done by the Wan Chai District Council together with the University of Hong Kong, majority of the residents or ex-shop owners of the street support the urban renewal plan (i.e.>80%). Yet, there are still a number of people disagree with the entire urban renewal idea. However, whether or not they agree to the plan, they are discontented with the Government s compensation and settlement scheme. In fact, a lot of residents or ex-shop owners demand a flat for a flat and a shop for a shop but the Government does not promise them. Meanwhile, they are all extremely worried about the loss of familiar friends and neighbors, the undermined business and the inconvenience due to the move out. Concerning the last major stakeholder, our Government, its view is obviously supporting the renewal scheme. The Government believes that urban renewal is an effective means in increasing the sustainability of the city as it can provide better urban planning and more efficient use of land, like the construction of more high-rise buildings. Besides, the Government is of the opinion that the old buildings in Lee Tung Street have not utilized the precious land.

17 TLMSHK p. 17 Nor are they safe. That s why it starts quickly the demolition work once it collected all the property rights. Since different stakeholders are of divided opinions, conflicts began. For instance, some citizens, especially those who disagree with the project, criticize the Government of neglecting Lee Tung Street s historical and cultural value; while the Government doubts why the public are not considerate enough. An example is that the H15 Group leader, Miss May Yip started to starve from the 23rd of December, 2007 after the Government s calling on the demolition of the Lee Tung buildings. Miss Yip was even sent to the hospital after several days starving as a demonstration to the Government s act. After studying, the researchers believe that there are two possible reasons contributing to the conflicting and divided views of the three groups of stakeholders. Firstly, it is due to the different interests of the stakeholders. The Government is looking into the matter from a macro perspective whereas the Lee Tung residents and ex-shop owners plus the general public are focusing on a rather micro perspective. No wonder the Government finds it unacceptable to settle these people in the same place at the price of economic interest of the whole city while the Lee Tung people and the public may regard the Government s pulling down of all traditional buildings that full of their memories unbearable. Secondly, it is due to the different expectations of the stakeholders. The Government expects to boost Hong Kong s economy and tourism through the renewal of old districts. Therefore, we can find in the Government proposal that the street will be turned into a commercialized one.

18 TLMSHK p. 18 In contrast, the residents and ex-shop owners of Lee Tung Street expect the renewal scheme is only a plan to improve their living standard in the street. Never have they thought of the moving out. As a matter of fact, they think the Government breaks its promise of improving the living quality of the people in the district. As for the public, most of them focus on the collective memories, believing that things with memorable historical and cultural value to the entire community should be kept. That s why the some of the citizens oppose the project.

19 TLMSHK p. 19 Chapter 7 Prospects Due to the limited land area of our city, it is understandable that our Government needs to carry out urban renewal projects to redevelop some deteriorating districts or buildings. Such a renewal trend is irresistible. Therefore, we Hong Kong people should be more aware of these projects. Although we may not be able to stop the redevelopment process, we can in fact become more proactive in it, like the precedent bottom-up Dumbbell Plan from the H15 Group, to fight for our own rights. Today, the Lee Tung Street issue seems coming to an end. But the lessons we learn just begins. As a responsible government, she has to provide enough channels for different stakeholders to air their grievances and opinions. Consulting different viewpoints beforehand can minimize the occurrence of misunderstandings and conflicts.

20 TLMSHK p. 20 Chapter 8 Conclusion Every person has his own concerns and expectations. When these vary, conflicts emerge easily. In the Lee Tung issue, the Government is trying hard to strike a balance between numerous points of views. It also needs to make careful planning in order to make the city more sustainable. Unfortunately, the Government this time is unable to satisfy the Lee Tung residents and the general public, whose priorities are social tie, impressive reminiscences and the pillar of livelihood. After all, reaching the common target of a project is a key to success. It is no use discovering the difference between people. What really matters is to find out the unanimous aspects through various listening to the viewpoints of different stakeholders, and produce a WIN-WIN situation. For instance, the Government may consider longer consultation period, discussion with scholars and professionals, and allowing higher degree of social participation in the urban renewal projects.

21 TLMSHK p. 21 Chapter 9 Evaluation Limitation and Difficulties Due to the limited time and human resources, it is hard to conduct a research with convincing sample size. The limited sample base may influence the objectiveness of the questionnaire. For example, even within the Lee Tung residents, there are someone do agree to the renewal scheme. However, we are unable to reach those. Thus, the research may not reveal the present situation comprehensively. Recommendation To enhance the validity of the research, future researchers are highly recommended to launch a larger interview with extended sample size, like 200. It can thus ensure the collection of sufficient data and so, a more all-rounded result.

22 TLMSHK p. 22 Appendix I : Questionnaire Sample (English Version) Hong Kong citizens views of Lee Tung Street (Wedding Card Street) Objective of the interview: We try to understand the general opinion of Hong Kong citizens about the Lee Tung Street from different age groups and attitude of citizens protecting the street Personal Data: Age group: below above50 Sex: female male Questions: 1. Do you know what business does Lee Tung Street famous of? Yes No 2. Do you know about the renewal project of Lee Tung Street? Yes No 3a.Which of the following aspect(s) you think is the most important that the government need to consider during the renewal project? Social communication of the resident economic development Safety of the old buildings outlook of Wan Chai Other: b. Why the choice you chose is so important? 4. Do you support the renewal project of Lee Tung Street? Why? 5. How is the value of Lee Tung Street in your mind? (5 is the most) Value Mark very low low moderate high very high a. historical b. collective memory c. economy d. Wedding card shops Do you think Hong Kong government has done enough work to preserve heritage in Hong Kong? Thank you for your co-operation

23 TLMSHK p. 23 Websites Appendix II: Reference 1. 利東街唐樓 見証街坊幾代情 載於傳統歷史文化旅遊網頁, 下載於 2009 年 6 月 8 日 2. 市區重建局 4Rs 策略, 載於市區重建局, 下 載於 2009 年 6 月 9 日 3. 發展局局長談利東街重建項目 載於政府新聞公署網頁, 下 載於 2009 年 6 月 9 日 4. 廈門街上, 寧做一棵樹, 載於悲情時候網站, 下載於 2009 年 6 月 10 日 5. 灣仔區議會, 利東街 / 麥加力哥街市區重建項目研究, 載於黃英琦太平紳 士網頁, 下 載於 2009 年 6 月 9 日 Pictures 1. 利東街唐樓 見証街坊幾代情 載於傳統歷史文化旅遊網頁, 下載於 2009 年 6 月 8 日 2. < 姻園 >, 載於市區重建局網頁, 下載於 2009 年 6 月 10 日 3. Dumbbell Plan, 載於 H15 關注小組網頁, 下載 於 2009 年 5 月 25 日 Conference Papers Mr. Ho Luan (2007) < 連線 > Hong Kong, Home Affairs Department