ARCH4131A Rural Revitalisation
Target Students BSSc4
Course Term 1
Course Type Electives
Teacher HO, Jimmy
Countryside revitalization has been increasingly emphasized in academia in the discourses of architectural conservation. Architecture can operate as a place-making tool between the complementary urban and rural sides and the countryside becomes the site for a hybrid identification when one is situated in the ambiguous boundary between the urban and rural areas (Semprebon, 2022). In China, revitalization strategies were set in 2017 to achieve basic modernization of rural and agricultural areas through cultivating affluent farmers, establishing strong agricultural industries and shaping beautiful countryside. In Hong Kong, a rural cultural landscape in Lai Chi Wo village has also been revived using a nature-based solution highlighting the Hakka settlement's agricultural identity and was recently recognized by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
According to the numbers, 75% of the land remains undeveloped and regarded as the countryside (LegCo of HKSAR, 2016), which houses some of the 642 recognized villages in Hong Kong. Increasing attention to local village revitalization has been reflected in the recent “Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030” plan and the “Northern Metropolis Development Strategy” plan. In 2018, the Countryside Conservation Office (CCO) under the Environmental Protection Department and the Lantau Conservation Fund (LCF) of the HKSAR Government was established to provide incentives for initiatives that conserve remote sites in the countryside.
This course takes a rural village on Lantau Island as an example for in-depth investigation regarding historical and cultural, socio-spatial and environmental aspects. Issues related to architectural elements, landscape characters, community engagement, permaculture and eco-farming, and social impact will be explored using digital tools.
Students are expected to demonstrate a basic understanding of the rural landscape in Hong Kong. Skill sets of measured drawings, photography, verbal communication with stakeholders using graphical apparatus, and digital competency, including artificial intelligence tools, are essential. This course will contribute to an ongoing research project on countryside conservation and rural revitalisation, which has yet to be realised through external grants.
