Cultivating a Participatory Design Practice in Architecture – A Case Study of Hong Kong Housing Authority

Community participation in urban design and planning is slowly emerging in Hong Kong as the Government increasingly adopts and recognizes the importance of bottom-up community values in the practice of informing, consulting and involving the community. This paper provides a framework that emphasizes the importance of collaboration and community-based initiatives to reconcile different interests and achieve a balanced vision for the design of the city. The fundamental objective is to ensure an increase sense of community belonging, responsibility and civic pride in improving the overall quality of life. The Lam Tin Estate case study not only demonstrates how the Government is becoming more responsive to the need of consulting with the public and relevant stakeholders to build a consensus prior to the implementation stage, but also illustrates how community participation empowers key stakeholders to take ownership in designing and planning their built environment.