Reflections on Emerging Public Space Design Approaches in Hong Kong

This chapter investigates new approaches for public space design, developed by cross-sectoral initiatives of different civil society actors in Hong Kong. Similar approaches have been observed internationally and interpreted as responses to neo-liberal policies by urban activists and third-sector organizations. While the observed initiatives in Hong Kong seem to resonate with such international tendencies, their relationship to neo-liberalism seems more complex due to the territory's specific historical and political conditions. Under the political setup of One Country Two Systems, civil society groups become the key driver of socio-spatial innovations. Public space design became one of their key concerns in negotiation with Hong Kong's administrative state and its dominant private sector. The chapter focuses on three such initiatives by different civil society actors to investigate their approaches to design: (1) the multi-staged Magic Carpet project, a project of a design school at CUHK co-developed with community partners and residents; (2) the MaD Social Lab, a non-profit organization, engaging with specific government departments and (3) Bishop Hill, a self-organized community project by residents. Based on the comparison of the different design domains of these approaches, the chapter concludes with reflections about their limitations and potentials in view of Hong Kong's current crises.