Everyday Practice in Public Living Environment: Contesting Space in an Ever-transforming Urban Area in Hong Kong

 Huang Yi Hua (2017)

The emerging processes of globalisation and privatisation of urban space trigger debates on the right to the city. With regard to the context of Hong Kong, the spatial differentiations between modern urban areas and traditional living areas deprive authentic everyday life that has been characterised by alienating behaviour in multiple ways. This research develops a conceptual framework which investigates the wide range of micro-spatial practices (struggle, conflict and negotiation) in public space of the city. Utilising the findings from an empirical study of Wan Chai District in Hong Kong, the study explicates how urban reclamation and multimodal urban spaces result in a hybrid regime. Through an analysis of street-life rhythms and the themes of reconstructing public space, four quadrants are suggested following the city's segmented urban fabric: the definitive modes of space of transudation, transference, translation, and transgression. The result provides a valuable narrative for understanding the production of space and the practice of planning.