Neighbourhood and building forms : a study of the Hong Kong public housing blocks

Hong Kong is currently undergoing a programme of massive public housing construction to improve the housing conditions of low income people. The first series of public housing blocks, called the Mark resettlement blocks, were built in 1954. Since then, the Hong Kong government has been developing different public housing forms. These include the Trident blocks in the 1970s and the Harmony blocks in the 1990s. However, these housing blocks were primarily designed to minimise the construction cost and to maximise the construction speed. There was little consideration for the social aspect of public housing. By comparing the neighbourhoods of the Mark resettlement blocks, Trident blocks and Harmony blocks, this thesis investigates the impact of physical planning on neighbourhood formation in public housing in Hong Kong. The thesis also exainines the factors that affected the different neighbourhoods. This thesis finds that the key factors affecting neighbourhood formation are communal opportunities, compatibility of social background, familiarity of living environment, social pride and social involvement. To encourage neighbourhood formation in Hong Kong, this thesis recommends the following housing planning principles. First, different building types need to be integrated in the same housing estate to meet the needs of different users and to provide greater choice. Second, encourage the formation of local neighbourhood niches by grouping residents with similar interests and social conditions. Third, more close-to-home communal spaces are needed in the public housing estates. These spaces can be integrated with commercial and community facilities at both ground level and upper level neighbourhood "sky" gathering places.Applied Science, Faculty ofArchitecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School ofGraduat