Assessment of Public Engagement Approach in Various Project Stages: The Case Study of Central Market, Hong Kong

The present research evaluates the public engagement approach in various project stages. Hong Kong had long been criticized as top-down and executive-led jurisdiction by overlooking the importance of cultural heritage and public concerns on public projects. It was suggested to the government to engage public and provide sufficient public consultation. Thereby, the government announced a series of revitalization and conversion measures in Policy Address in 2008. To carry out the measures, there were voices, because of diverse and sometimes conflicting interests, over the effect of revitalization project. On the other hand, studies reveal that there are benefits of revitalization and enhancement of public engagement approach. In pursuit of the subject, the present research aims at studying the Central Market as a case study pilot project. In October 2009, the Policy Address announced that the Central Market be revitalized. Tasked to implement the project, Urban Renewal Authority (URA) continued to adopt the people-oriented approach as the guiding principle in its core business and in heritage preservation and revitalization so as to create a sustainable development. Between government and the public, URA acts as a bridge for communication. As between URA and the public, URA conducted public consultation, set up an ad-hoc committee in January 2016 to be in charge of the project and will continuously inform the government and public with the updates and project progress. The main objectives of the present research are to assess the advantages and challenges in different stages of public engagement approach, to evaluate the engagement system, to give a comprehensive view for participation of stakeholders, and to find out effective strategies to enhance civil engagement. Research was achieved through interviews to key persons in the project, questionnaire that was distributed to community and experts in the field. Case Study of the Central Market was studied and investigated using different sources, such as newspapers, journals, etc, to evaluate the degree of public engagement in the project. Both detailed qualitative methodological approaches of interview, questionnaire, and case study, act as a synergy to demonstrate the research objectives and provide the comprehensive perceptions on the revitalization project. The results show that public participants in revitalized project have generated considerable value enhancements to social-cultural, environmental, political and economic aspect. This study provides valuable insights that the public participation can make positive contribution to sustainability in the city. The findings indicate that no any single system is flawless therefore seeking both public opinions and professional advices are also important as a comprehensive approach to achieve higher sustainability of the building.