PolyU Jockey Club Operation SoInno Project holds “One from Hundred Thousand” Social Innovation Symposium, looking forward to community making and development in the Northern Metropolis

The Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation (J.C.DISI) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today hosted the “One from Hundred Thousand” Social Innovation Symposium. The Symposium, part of the PolyU Jockey Club Operation SoInno Project funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, featured distinguished speakers from Hong Kong and Shenzhen, who shared their insights on community making and development in the Northern Metropolis from a social innovation perspective.

Ms Bernadette LINN Hon-ho, Secretary for Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and Prof. LING Kar-kan, PolyU Interim Vice President (Campus Development and Facilities) and Director of J.C.DISI, served as keynote speakers. They were joined by representatives from academia, non-profit organisations and business sectors to discuss urban planning, community development, and social services, in relation to coordination between urban and rural areas, planning of living facilities, and social service models in the Northern Metropolis, addressing the diverse needs of new communities and promoting co-existence and integration of existing and new communities that help shape sustainable and inclusive communities and create a cohesive and vibrant Northern Metropolis.

In his welcoming remarks, Dr LAM Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman stated, “The seminar is themed around the Northern Metropolis, envisioning the future of community making to create liveable communities for the benefit of Hong Kong. PolyU is grappling with significant challenges due to severe land and space shortages and hopes to receive strong support from the HKSAR Government in terms of increased land supply. This includes the possibility of establishing a new campus in the Northern Metropolis, featuring a medical school and a large teaching hotel with a conference and exhibition centre. By leveraging PolyU’s strengths in ‘medical-engineering integration’, the new campus aims to address the healthcare service needs of the anticipated 2.5 million population in the Northern Metropolis and the very much larger population of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), while also fostering the development of the tourism, conference, and exhibition industries in the region.”

Ms Bernadette Linn delivered a keynote speech “Northern Metropolis: A Strategic Growth Area Ideal for People to Live, Work and Travel”. She highlighted that, as a major hub for Hong Kong’s ongoing development as well as its role in contributing to the overall development of the country, the Northern Metropolis will become a key collaboration platform for Hong Kong and other GBA cities, a new engine for Hong Kong to scale new heights and a major source of land supply for the City. Under a new industrial pattern of “South-North dual engine (finance - innovation and technology)”, the process of transforming the northern parts of Hong Kong from a traditional rural area into a new zone for economic growth, ideal for people to live and work in and travel to, comes with many challenges but also boundless opportunities.

Prof. Ling Kar-kan delivered a keynote speech “Northern Metropolis Development — Community Making Opportunities and Challenges”. He stated that Hong Kong is an aging city and the Northern Metropolis will be its youngest area due to the influx of a large number of young families. The Northern Metropolis and Shenzhen are in proximity, numerous innovative community interactions will materialise. He added, although the Northern Metropolis is abundant in ecological and heritage resources, it currently lacks the educational, medical, business, cultural, sports and recreational facilities of a metropolitan standard. This presents both challenges and opportunities for developing sustainable and inclusive communities.

At the Symposium, PolyU scholars along with representatives from various sectors, gave their valuable insights into “Urban-rural Integration”, “Creating 15-minute Neighbourhood”, “Integrating Community Services” and “Visions and Insights of Northern Metropolis Community Makers”.

The “One from Hundred Thousand” Social Innovation Symposium, organised by the PolyU Jockey Club Operation SoInno Project, was successfully held.

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