19/F One Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay Hong Kong
Tel (852) 2511 6323
hkiasec@hkia.org.hk
Places For Community
社區空間
《「未．共研社」: 從「小」玩到「大」》回顧了2017年及2018年信言設計大使旗艦計劃「未．共研社 」的創意合作歷程，以及隨後四座微型公園：二陂坊遊樂場、砵蘭街休憩花園、山道天橋底休憩處和咸美頓街休憩花園的建造過程與持續思考。基於超過五年的公共空間創意合作經驗，總結公、私營機構和社區合作的經驗，為香港未來公共空間發展提出建議。
Small space, big impact:
From pilots, prototypes to protocols
“Micro” can have a negative connotation, especially in the context of the intense pressure on land use and living space in Hong Kong. But the term also contains the seed of growth: small actions that can have a big impact on our communities.
The inaugural Design Trust Futures Studio theme “Small is Meaningful” seemed to spark the public’s imagination in its exploration of micro-housing and the future role of micro-parks in Hong Kong. At the end of 2017, we launched our final prototype exhibitions: the Skip-Park mobile park in Sai Ying Pun and Sham Shui Po, and the Park Starter mobile truck delivery in Causeway Bay. With innovations like pop-up seats hanging on streetside railings, they turned out to be provocative and inspiring enough to generate public dialogue.
In 2018, we looked closer at compact spaces like Gary Chang’s well-known Domestic Transformer project for inspiration. Other projects we looked at included Mimi Hoang’s competition-winning bamboo pavilion for MoMA P.S.1 in New York, as well as her Boston promenade designs. Stanley Wong was an inspiration for his multi-disciplinary works and especially his commitment to spend a third of his time teaching and mentoring, a third doing commercial work and a third as a practising Buddhist and philosopher. We also looked at the design strategies of Shenzhen V&A gallery designer Sam Jacob, international world-renowned mentors like McArthur Genius Award winner Elizabeth Diller of DSRNY — designers of the seminal High Line in New York — and Richard Hassel of Singapore-based WOHA.
That year, we also expanded the conceptual micro-park designs into built parks across Hong Kong. Emphasising cross-disciplinary collaboration between experts from different backgrounds, our work caught the attention of local communities, media and government officials and agencies. Live studios helped raise and address community concerns about the micro-parks and their issues.
With a lot of behind-the-scenes meetings, we were lucky to engage with the Central Policy Unit that was in the process of becoming the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office (PICO), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD). We discussed and confirmed sites that were shortlisted from a large pool, narrowing them down to four sites notable for their distinguishing features and urgent need for revitalisation.
What may have been most important in this process was changing mindsets. It’s easy to become comfortable with the status quo, so it takes a lot of gentle persuasion and collective work to open minds. With the aim to foster practical and innovative designs for different communities in the city, the teams share and collaborate with members of the public, district councils and design agencies in both public and private sectors. Most importantly, they test the potential — and the limits — of volunteerism from grassroots concern groups. We needed to hone our own communication skills during closed door advocacy presentations and public facing forums alike — and we did this during the most challenging months during the pandemic.
The schedules were challenging, so we put in place a clear fact sheet for all parties to understand their roles, the scope of the project, to create clear definitions and to act as a document of understanding. We defined ourselves as concept designers while the PICO members were project coordinators, with ArchSD translating the concepts into reality with contractors. The LCSD was the official client and manager of the parks. Today, we have all gone above and beyond our scope of participation to collectively shape the outcomes.
To kick off our official workshops in February 2018, we set up a brief for the four teams to consider and engage with:
We were particularly passionate about challenging generic playgrounds stocked with catalogue purchased play equipment and manicured potted plants; designed to be maintenance-free, these parks always seem uninspiring and uninviting. How can we challenge this cookie-cutter formula? To answer this question, we needed to answer several others:
Yi Pei Square was completed in April 2021, Portland Street in September 2021, Hill Road in December 2022 and Hamilton Street in July 2023. As I reflect on this today, I think back to what defined the process that created them: the iterative phasing nature of each project and programme, which allowed us to achieve the brief with sensitivity, rigour and reflection of site, while also transforming our understanding of our heritage and the innovative collaborations that made this possible.
Infectious enthusiasm: the catalytic impact of smallness and playfulness for our community
When people ask me how you can measure the impact of this process, I tell them that KPIs and data analytics are important, but ultimately it is anecdotal evidence that reveals the impact you see measured on the ground. Li Fai is an eight-year-old who participated in Yi Pei Square workshops with our designer mentee Kay Chan. When the playground was finished three years later, Li Fai came up to me and smiled, telling me, “I am a designer too.” I remember Jon Mak’s infectious smile when he told me that, as a graphic designer, he could not believe how much the years of collaborating with Stephen, Kay and their mentors and fellow mentee Chris, could improve his understanding of design’s true impact for the community. Our foundation raised funds to support his journey to New York City to meet with Pentagram’s design director to inspire the design teams.
The creative tension of the micro-parks design process has led to enduring friendships to this day. Mentee designers continue to work on other projects together, and there continues to be exchanges within our grantee and mentee community. One of the biggest outcomes was the policy announcement in 2019 by the former Chief Executive to modify more than 170 public play spaces managed by the LCSD over the following five years. To make facilities more innovative and fun, while meeting the needs of residents, LCSD would encourage and promote community participation and public engagement in the process of modifying these facilities. Along with Design Trust another NGO called Playright is working with ArchSD on a park in Tuen Mun, focusing on inclusive playgrounds. This builds on earlier efforts such as the Hong Kong Design Centre’s involvement in revamping the Cornwall Street Park in 2012. These efforts are collective — and hopefully they have inspired and impacted ongoing efforts by the government and LCSD to involve the community in the design of playgrounds and parks in the city.
There have been other innovations revealed by the micro-parks, including use of recycled glass pavers, water dispensers and integrating design of recycling bins. The selection of plant species is another area with potential for change. In the past, plants have usually been selected for ease of maintenance, planted in formulaic patterns without regard to seasonality. The same approach has informed the choice of public seating, with anti-homeless measures chosen without concern for the human dignity of people from all walks of life. The micro-parks demonstrate creative will power in the process. In Hill Road, for example, a historical timeline is imprinted on recycled glass pavers to preserve the collective memory of the Shek Tong Tsui area. In Hamilton Street, the team worked with local community craftspeople to tailor-make objects — including signage and lampshades — for use in the park. This shows how local communities, including artisans who have craft skills, can be involved in the fabrication of park materials, which also builds a sense of district and neighbourhood identity. Each micro-park has different typologies reflecting Hong Kong’s rich and inspiring culture, welcoming not only local Chinese residents but also ethnic minorities and visitors to enjoy the public space.
Recently in November 2023 we launched the publication to document more than 250 plus meetings with over 362 people behind these four micro-parks. They are still a work in progress and we remain hopeful the larger public understands the sincere intention, ambition and the positive momentum they represent. In particular, they speak to the importance of public, private and community partnerships to create public spaces that are uplifting, inclusive, sustainable and unique in ways that reflect the distinctive neighbourhoods in which they are located. It is about the need for a process that delivers authentic change in our communities.
