Hong Kong is an affluent city, but her Gini coefficient (0.54) is among the worst of developed economies, suggesting that inequality is a significant issue. Rocketing house prices and the prolonged queuing time for public rental units have triggered the demand of an informal housing sector – sub-divided units (SDUs) – for the less privileged. Most of them face high unit rent, poor indoor quality, and very limited living space. By visiting those units and talking to the residents / non-governmental organizations directly, the participants not only can experience the unique living environment but also explore possible solutions to housing problems of this kind in densely populated cities.
The second part of the excursion is a visit to Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate, a public housing estate in Kwun Tong, Kowloon East. In Hong Kong, 30% of the Kong population reside in public housing and this estate provides homes to 4,800 households. Through this visit, participants will get to know the formal and public housing sector, which is a major housing component of Hong Kong.
Brownbag Workshop
Speaker: Douglas Harris
Title: Anti-Social Behaviour, Expulsion from Condominium, and the Reconstruction of Ownership, and
Douglas Harris holds the Nathan T. Nemetz Chair in Legal History at the University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard School of Law in Vancouver. He teaches and writes on property law, legal history, and Aboriginal law, and is currently embarked on a multi-year study of property within condominium.
Date: February 21, 2017 (Tuesday)
Locations: Sub-divided units in Western District and public housing estate in Kwun Tong District, Kowloon East (Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate)
Pick-up point: Junction of Queen’s Road West and Water Street
Cost: Free
Inquiry: rec.mandyl@gmail.com (Mandy Leung)
Time |
Details |
Location |
| 9:45 am | Pick up point | Junction of Queen’s Road West and Water Street |
| 10:15 am – 10:45 am | Briefing section | Caritas Mok Cheung Sui Kun Community Centre (27 Pokfield Road) |
| 10:45 am – 11:45 am | Visit | Sub-divided units (SDUs) in western District |
| 11:45 am – 12:00 nn | To The University of Hong Kong (HKU) | From visit locations to LG2, Library Extension, HKU |
| 12:00 nn – 1:30 pm | Lunch | HKU |
| 1:30 pm | Pick up point | LG2, Library Extension, HKU |
| 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm | Visit Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate | Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate, Ngau Tau Kok, Kowloon |
| 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm | Return to HKU | From visit locations to LG2, Library Extension, HKU |
Map
Welcoming reception
Right after the visit, a welcoming reception will be hosted on 4/F, Knowles Building, The University of Hong Kong. A talk about the planning system in Hong Kong will be delivered by Prof. Kar Kan Ling, the immediate past Director of Planning in Hong Kong.
