URBAN RENEWAL Destructive Vs Sustainable Renewal Mee Kam

URBAN RENEWAL: Destructive Vs. Sustainable Renewal Mee Kam Ng Department of Urban Planning and Design Faculty of Architecture The University of Hong Kong

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’: 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? � 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’ 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’ Renewal � Social, 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’ 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 economy City districts will be diversified; Jobs will be available; Accumulation 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— Redevelopment? � Only when buildings are unsafe and too poor to maintain � How can we make sure ‘neos’ renewal will be sustainable (‘kainos’) then?

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? � Creating lively and interesting streets, recognising their economic and social functions

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? � Use the public realm (open spaces, public buildings) to knit places together

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? � 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 � Local knowledge is essential local districts need to build up capacity to plan, coordinate and manage at an understandable scale � Then, local districts need to identify the appropriate renewal mechanisms: ◦ Need for economic renewal—fostering diversities? Branding? ◦ Improving living conditions—internal? Population density? Groupspecific such as better housing for elderly? ◦ Redeveloping unsound buildings? ◦ Fostering social networks? ◦ Rejuvenating historic and cultural resources? � And to carry out SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS for these options: Promoting Social Equity, Preventing Social Exclusion, Avoiding or Mitigating Negative Impacts

Why Can be Done in Urban Renewal? Economic Analysis Social Analysis Environmental Analysis INPUTS External Drivers of Change APPLICATION TO AN INDIVIDUAL URBAN AREA Internal Drivers of Change OUTPUTS Neighborhood Strategies Training & Education Economic Development Physical Improvements Environmental Action Roberts & Sykes, 2000, p. 20

Why Can be Done in Sustainable Urban Renewal? � Rehabilitation (top-priority) ◦ ‘Unslumming’, improving internal living conditions, lowering population density ◦ Material or monetary assistance ◦ Legislative changes: mandatory maintenance of buildings by owners � Redevelopment ◦ 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 � Revitalisation ◦ 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…

Conclusion �Cities 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—multidimensional, 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…