URA Develops New “3B” System Highlighting Local Character of the “Lung Shing” Area and Boosting the District’s Economy
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) recently launched the "City Walk" programme in Central and Sheung Wan, connecting its urban renewal projects within the district to the iconic buildings, streets and shops in the area. By collaborating with various stakeholders and organisations, the URA provides free docent tours for the public, promoting the unique character of the district while fostering community connections. These docent tours further create a favorable business environment, encouraging a business organisation to partner with merchants in Central and Western District to launch a discount programme.
This is an illustration of the synergy brought by the "3B" system, which intertwines the “Built environment”, “Business environment” and “local Bonding”. This collaborative system not only enhances the local characters, promotes a new urban landscape, increases foot traffic, and boosts the economy, but also marks an important step towards sustainable development and adding “warmth” to urban renewal. In response to the rich cultural heritage of Chiu Chow and Thai influences in the Kowloon City "Lung Shing" area, along with its bustling commercial landscape, the URA team plans to introduce the "3B" system into the "Lung Shing" area.
“Built Environment” - Highlight Unique Elements from the Former Kai Tak Airport, Chiu Chow and Thai Culture
To enhance the local character of the “Built environment”, the team will beautify streets and employ place-making strategies to further showcase unique elements from the former Kai Tak Airport, Chiu Chow and Thai culture in various forms, thereby elevating the area's vitality and appeal.
1. Create Large Murals on Building Facade
By adopting an "Integrated Approach" in the renewal of the “Lung Shing” area alongside place-making initiatives, the URA fosters a blend of the old and the new within the area. As part of the district-based building rehabilitation pilot scheme, the URA encourages building owners to properly maintain and repair their properties. Additionally, it has proposed enhancements to the facades of the seven participating buildings, inviting artists to design large murals featuring Chiu Chow and Thai characteristics, thereby integrating distinctive art into the old district, and infusing it with color and vitality.
The tender for the facade mural design contract received overwhelming response, with over 30 submissions from more than 40 artists worldwide, including those from Hong Kong, the Mainland, Thailand, Japan, and France. Notably, more than half of the submissions came from overseas artists, indicating a highly encouraging response.
The URA team is currently reviewing the proposals and will award the contract after carefully examining various criteria, including the artists’ styles and the relevance of the suggested mural designs to the local character. The first Thai-theme mural, expected to be completed by the end of this year, will be installed at the Jenford Building on South Wall Road.
2. Customise Storefronts and Signage for Shops
The "Lung Shing" area is home to numerous restaurants and shops that showcase Chiu Chow and Thai characteristics, and has been a popular grocery shopping destination for locals. However, as the streets and surroundings age, this distinct ambiance tends to fade.
To promote a fresh look for the old district and enhance “Built environment”, the URA team has commissioned an artist collective passionate about local community art to create customised storefront designs, including stickers and hanging decorations, for shops along Lung Kong Road. The design will theme around heritage of Chiu Chow and Thai, and the former Kai Tak Airport, based on the feedback collected from workshops and community engagement activities held earlier. The objective is to beautify the storefronts on both sides of the street to strengthen the bustling atmosphere and invigorate the neighborhood. With the shops’ approval, it is hoped that the storefront designs and installations could be completed by the second half of this year.
3. Recreate the Scene of Aircraft Flying Low over “Lung Shing” using AR
This year marks the centenary of the former Kai Tak Airport. The team is developing an idea of applying AR technology on the facades of buildings or streets in the "Lung Shing" area to recreate the unique sight of aircraft flying low over the neighborhood. This AR experience will allow the older generation to reconnect with their collective memory, while also enabling younger generations and visitors to learn about the former Kai Tak Airport.
“Business Environment” – Expand the "Backstreet Alliance" Programme into the "Lung Shing" Area
Promoting the local economy and providing a better “Business environment” for local merchants, increasing the value of the built environment, and fostering motivation for local self-maintenance are essential for the long-term sustainable development of the revitalised areas.
The URA-launched "City Walk" programme has received enthusiastic responses in Central and Sheung Wan. Many residents joined the free docent tours, while Mainland visitors explored various sites along the route, resulting in increased foot traffic in the Central and Western District. Seizing this opportunity, the HKSMEA initiated the "Backstreet Alliance" programme in Central and Sheung Wan, attracting participation from over 30 merchants in the area, offering consumers discounts, cashback on spending over a certain amount, and free drinks and gifts, among other promotions, to stimulate spending from residents and tourists and boost the local economy.
The "Backstreet Alliance" programme has garnered positive feedback from both merchants and consumers, with some businesses reporting a sales increase of 20 to 30 percent. Building on this success, the URA team plans to leverage this experience and discuss with the HKSMEA the possibility of expanding the "Backstreet Alliance" programme into the "Lung Shing" area, cover merchants along Lung Kong Road to South Wall Road.
“Local Bonding” – Cocreate Artwork with the Thai Community to Celebrate the Songkran Festival
Connecting neighborhood residents, ethnic minorities, and local organisations to maintaining “local Bonding” is essential for enhancing a sense of belonging and cohesion within the community, thereby fostering a warm and welcoming environment.
The Thai community in Hong Kong hosts the Songkran Festival in the "Lung Shing" area every April to celebrate the Thai New Year. Participants dress in traditional Thai attire to sing, dance, parade, and splash water on each other along Tak Ku Ling Road, South Wall Road, and Lung Kong Road, symbolising blessings of luck and welcoming the new year. Traditionally, the organisers set up an altar near Tak Ku Ling Road Rest Garden on the day of the festival to worship the Buddha and pray for a peaceful and prosperous new year, with Tak Ku Ling Road serving as the starting point for the Songkran Festival parade.
Given that the Tak Ku Ling Road Rest Garden has been temporarily closed since last year for revitalisation works, the URA team partnered with the Lok Sin Tong Social Service Supporting Centre for Ethnic Minorities to maintain the festive vibe during the Songkran Festival. An art creation workshop was organised last month, inviting over 50 Thai families, students, and seniors in the area to cocreate unique artworks themed around the Songkran Festival and Thai culture. The artworks were then transformed into murals displayed on the construction hoardings at the Tak Ku Ling Road Rest Garden. This initiative not only enhanced cohesion within the Thai community, but also added colour to the festival and enriched the unique character of the area.
In addition to maintaining local Bonding through activities, the URA will revitalise the Carpenter Road Park in phases as part of the Nga Tsin Wai Road / Carpenter Road Development Scheme. This revitalisation includes the construction of a covered multi-purpose plaza, which will serve as a community gathering point for small cultural and recreational events, thereby enhancing the park's functionality and promoting community cohesion.
During the revitalisation works, the team transforms the hoardings of the park into an outdoor art gallery with a theme of "Immersed Cityscape", aiming to preserve the unique character of the "Lung Shing" area. Local illustrators are invited to create a series of artworks that depict distinctive scenes from "Lung Shing" area such as planes flying over the area before the relocation of the former Kai Tak Airport, children playing hopscotch on rooftops of old buildings, and life in the squatter areas during the 1970s.
Furthermore, on another segment of hoarding measuring approximately 40 meters in length, the team collaborates with illustrators to include game elements in addition to the artworks. This allows residents and visitors to experience the unique Chiu Chow cuisine and culture.
The URA's efforts in the "Lung Shing" area go beyond simply improving housing standards and the built environment for residents. It also emphasises the preservation of local character, ensuring that every stakeholder in the community can experience the vibrant new face of the area following its renewal. By implementing the "3B" system in the "Lung Shing" area, the URA aims to foster interaction and connectivity among buildings, the environment, local character, residents, and merchants, with the goal of collaboratively creating a liveable, dynamic, and distinctive "Lung Shing” area.