Mee Kam NgDepartment of Urban Planning and DesignFaculty of ArchitectureThe University of Hong Kong

What is Urban Renewal?What is Urban Renewal? ‘Urban renewal’ is not defined in the Urban Renewal

Authority Ordinance (URAO)Urban Renewal Authority has four priorities:

redevelopment, rehabilitation, preservation and revitalisation

But what is ‘renewal’? In Greek, there are two words for ‘renewal’:

◦ ‘Neos’: new, young in time (neo-)◦ ‘Kainos’: new in nature or quality

However, if we read the URAO carefully, the Ordinance is basically talking about ‘renewal’ as ‘redevelopment’ ‘Neos’!

‘‘Neos’—Destructive Renewal?Neos’—Destructive Renewal? ‘Neos’: new development, new buildings, new

community, new establishment, not rooted in the community, not sure if it will grow healthily, not weave well with existing urban fabric, too expensive… Who will benefit? Developers? The primary and the secondary property markets? Who pays? Tax-payers? People are displaced, business uprooted, community network shattered

‘‘Kainos’—Is Sustainable Renewal Possible?Kainos’—Is Sustainable Renewal Possible?Can we have ‘Kainos’, that is,

renewal as nature/quality? Just like some pretty women and men who seem to never grow old, they are always young, full of energy and good looking…

Old Buildings Make Great Shops & Streets:◦ Old buildings are welcome by

business because of cheap rent or land costs

◦ Not all old buildings are dilapidated◦ When put into good use, old

buildings contribute to diversities, local character, economic vibrancy and keeping a place alive!

‘‘Kainos’ RenewalKainos’ Renewal Improve Internal Living

Conditions:◦ If the internal living conditions are

poor in old buildings, this does NOT mean that the buildings need to be demolished

◦ To borrow from Jane Jacobs, ‘slums’ can be ‘unslummed’: lower the population density, improve the living conditions

‘‘Kainos’ RenewalKainos’ RenewalSocial, Economic & Cultural Functions of Streets:

◦ The social and economic functions of old buildings & streets go beyond what can be seen: invisible social networks, economic mutual support system, nurturing street smart kids, providing defensible space support the sustainability of a place, ‘Kainos’!

‘‘Kainos’ RenewalKainos’ Renewal If we want sustainable renewal:

◦ We should keep as many of the old buildings as possible◦ Unslum those ‘overcrowded’ ones and improve the internal living

conditions◦ Enact legislation to enforce responsible maintenance of buildings◦ Keep street level shops to sustain vibrant local economyCity districts will be diversified; Jobs will be available; Accumulation of

social and economic capital is possible; Sense of belonging can be increased

What is required: gradual changes, not ‘slash & burn’

When Should we do ‘Neos’ Renewal—When Should we do ‘Neos’ Renewal—Redevelopment?Redevelopment?Only when buildings are unsafe and too poor to

maintainHow can we make sure ‘neos’ renewal will be

sustainable (‘kainos’) then?

How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable? respecting the history of an existing place, adding

differences and diversities, enriching and perfecting it

How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?Creating lively and interesting streets, recognising their

economic and social functions

How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?Diversity breeds diversity: economic (local and beyond),

social mix (different classes) and built forms (old and new)

How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?Use the public realm (open spaces, public buildings) to

knit places together

How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?Fostering community networks, a sense of belonging and

local identity

How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?How to Make Sure ‘Neos’ Renewal be Sustainable?

The importance of a local perspective

Acknowledge the forces that exist for regeneration in the old districts

Recognise the social and economic functions of old areas and communities in urban sustainability

Why is the local/community dimension so important?Why is the local/community dimension so important?

Why Can be Done in Urban Renewal?Why Can be Done in Urban Renewal?Economic Analysis

Social Analysis

Environmental Analysis

APPLICATION TO APPLICATION TO AN INDIVIDUAL AN INDIVIDUAL

URBAN AREAURBAN AREA

APPLICATION TO APPLICATION TO AN INDIVIDUAL AN INDIVIDUAL

URBAN AREAURBAN AREA

External Drivers of

Change

Internal Drivers of

Change

Neighborhood Strategies

Training & Education

Physical Improvements

Economic Development Environmental Action

INPUTS

OUTPUTS

Roberts & Sykes, 2000, p.20

Why Can be Done in Why Can be Done in Sustainable Sustainable Urban Renewal?Urban Renewal? Rehabilitation (top-priority)Rehabilitation (top-priority)

◦ ‘Unslumming’, improving internal living conditions, lowering population density

◦ Material or monetary assistance◦ Legislative changes: mandatory maintenance of buildings by owners

RedevelopmentRedevelopment◦ Private sector based (‘Neos’) with ‘Kainos’ design, knitting the project

into the existing urban fabric◦ In order to produce ‘Kainos’:

Community based? (loans from the Government? Guarantor?) Community-private sector partnership? (legislative support) Community involvement and decision making

RevitalisationRevitalisation◦ Improve street layout to allow for growth of community-based

enterprises◦ Foster diversities◦ Knitting a place together with streets, public realm (open spaces, public

buildings), art display, interesting visual corridors, street furniture…◦ Building people’s sense of belonging to the district, a place they call

home, ready to defend it…

ConclusionConclusionCities are complex & intricately organized:

‘a creation of incredible numbers of different people and different private organisations, with vastly different ideas and purposes, planning and contriving outside the formal framework of public action’ (Jacobs, 1961, p.241).

Cities are inherently ‘organic’, renewing themselves constantly: ‘Kainos’!

If we bear this in mind, urban renewal has to be ‘Kainos’ renewal, continuous renewal as an innate nature/quality—multi-dimensional, community based, people-centred, place making and local identity fostering

Let’s not redevelop our cities as ‘Neos’ renewal as far as possible and when ‘Neos’ is inevitable, let’s plan it with ‘Kainos’ design.

And the local perspective is essential if we want ‘Kainos’ design and renewal…