May 20 2009
Hong Kong the organic city
Hong Kong is a fascinating place for me at a personal as well as professional level.
I grew up ‘bombarded’ with popular culture from the island in the late 70’s and the entire 80’s, throughout my teenage years. The entrepreneurial nature of the people from the island was reflected strongly in the many cultural creations originated from the island- pop songs, movies, comic strips, just to name a few. The success of Hong Kong is strongly related to its people because that is fundamentally the only resources they have.
I am fascinated with the urban context and architecture in Hong Kong; not the many high-rises and contemporary architecture that have been sprouting up, but the organic nature in which the city grows, the way people adapt and survive to the surrounding with limited space; and come out prospering. This is epitomised most appropriately by the famed Kowloon Walled City (九龍城寨). The Walled City was torn down in 1993 but you can still see glimpses of its existence throughout the island, as illustrated in this series of pictures taken in a recently trip to the island.
I used to hear stories from my elders about living in cramped spaces with 3 generation of a family - as many as 30++ members in a 20×70ft 2 storey terrace shop houses. Although this was a scenario in the 40s and 50s in the Chinatown area of Kuala Lumpur, I believe it would not be out of place compare to the famed Kowloon Walled City.
More about the Walled city @ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City
Hong Kong is a good example of a successful city where urban planning can only do so much to promote development. I believe urban planners from around the world who envisage about their utopian cities, should take a look at this island and contemplate about their work. It may not be the ideal way to live, but it will definitely give a few pointers about how human adapts, survives and prosper with limited natural resources; the perseverance of mankind (organism) work against/in tandem with the city (habitat)…
