Loose space, inclusive life : a case study of Mong Kok pedestrian bridge as an everyday place in a densely populated urban area

People use urban public spaces for a variety of reasons: from relaxation and amusement, to commerce, or even protests and celebrations. The Mong Kok Pedestrian Bridge in Hong Kong is a space that successfully sustains all of the above mentioned urban uses, relieving vehicular traffic congestion below by allowing residents to appropriate the space above in numerous ways. The looseness of the bridge space accommodates a high capacity of inclusiveness in people’s everyday lives, effectively negating people’s differences that come from history, culture, and ethnicities. Following a critical literature review on the concepts of loose space, public space, and everyday life, this research uses Mong Kok Pedestrian Bridge as a case study which centers on the results of intensive field observations and photography of people’s everyday activities in the Mong Kok Pedestrian Bridge. This papear examines how different people appropriate the Mong Kok Pedestrian Bridge in their everyday lives, how the bridge works as an inclusive and vibrant urban setting for numerous activities, and how the inclusive public urban life is created and sustained even through the tensions of diverse people and diverse uses. This study elaborates an alternative approach in urban planning in a high-density city. Findings suggests that designers and regulators plan and manage more loose spaces to allow for more inclusive public life in densely populated urban areas.