Gateway Cities as Multi-Cultural Hubs: The History and Potential Future of Tuen Mun, Hong Kong as a Reception Area to Facilitate Regional Migration

Type of the Paper: Peer-reviewed Conference Paper/ Short Paper

Track title: Metropolization and the Right to the City

Gateway Cities as Multi-Cultural Hubs: The History and Potential Future of Tuen Mun, Hong Kong as a Reception Area to Facilitate Regional Migration

Jing SONG ^1,*, Nai Huei Casey WANG ² and Jeroen VAN AMEIJDE ³

¹ School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; e-mail: songjing@link.cuhk.edu.hk

2 School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China;

casey_wang@blend-arch.com

3 School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; jeroen.vanameijde@cuhk.edu.hk; 0000-0002-3635-3305

* Corresponding author

Keywords: Multi-culture, public space, waterfront, street space

1. Introduction

In the era of globalisation, immigration has increased and is occurring from the global south to the north, and east to west across most of the world (Kritz, 2015). Hong Kong, as a global city, has established itself as one of the world’s major destinations for tourists, business visitors, and immigration (GovHK, 2020). Immigrants are transforming the city into a diversified ethnic mixture, and at the same time, bringing some challenges. Recent arrivals often experience low-income job opportunities, a shortage of social facilities, and a lack of understanding of their social and cultural needs (Qadeer, 2018). Therefore, strategies are being developed to create a multicultural city that supports diverse populations: people from different ethnic backgrounds can live together and can contribute to the development of society.

‘Multicultural planning’ is a term mentioned by urban theorists in relation to diversity, as part of the important qualities of a vibrant city (Qadeer, 2018). Diversity, as well as equality, are two important drivers of multicultural planning and form an inclusive model that meets the needs of multiple groups, balancing cultural differences and social cohesion (Kymlicka, 2007). Some North American cities have implemented policies based on multicultural planning theory: Chinatowns, Latin barrios, or Russian neighbourhoods, community fairs, parades, and nationality days (Qadeer, 2018), and a large portion of these policies and activities materialise in public spaces. High-quality public spaces are considered as “spaces where groups of cultural and ethnic diversity can harmoniously coexist” (Mulgan et al., 2006, p. 28). They provide people with opportunities to interact and connect, which helps to break down the social barriers that often separate them (Knapp, 2009), and support multicultural social activities.

Multicultural planning scholars have focused their attention on incorporating the voices of ethnic minorities into urban planning and promoting the possibility of their participation in decision-making, which is considered one of the methods to make planning more inclusive (Qadeer, 2018). However, how multiculturalism can be integrated into urban design has not received much attention. By studying multiculturalism and studying how multicultural spaces are used in cities, designers can better understand how public spaces can serve all groups in the community and enable the community to benefit from the diversity and inclusiveness of public space. Scholars have emphasized that planning theory should be framed around social goals rather than methodology, and “planning frameworks must enable planners to make calculations about ‘what should be done,’ not just ‘how it is done’” (Fincher and Iveson, 2008, p. 5).

This study takes Tuen Mun, Hong Kong as a case study site. This new town is located along a strategic development corridor between Macau, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen, and forms a potentially important gateway for Hong Kong. Since the 1970s, the government’s plan to develop new towns has brought industrial development and population growth to Tuen Mun, but its business districts and higher education sectors have not flourished (Butler and McKittrick, 1989), resulting in high proportions of the population having to commute. The lower cost of housing makes Tuen Mun a popular residential choice for recent immigrants. Recent investments and urban development have not benefited the low-income areas, and aging public facilities that are unable to meet diverse needs of residents from Mainland China, Indonesia, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. The lack of culturally-specific public facilities leads to a perceived lack of support and inclusion, and to the increase in social segregation across the town and Hong Kong as a whole.

This paper explores the multi-cultural uses of public spaces in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, and examines how public spaces can be improved to support a vibrant, diverse, and interconnected community. It documents the historic and social background, living conditions, and the public space activities at several case study sites, and formulates insights and recommendations around inclusive public space design for multi-cultural urban communities.

2. Theories and Methods

2.1 Public space theory

The theoretical literature on multiculturalism and multicultural planning emphasizes the need to recognise the differences that exist around the beliefs and customs in urban planning and design processes, and to stimulate these diverse voices to express themselves in response to different design challenges, requirements, and points of view of diverse stakeholder groups.

The literature related to public space and multicultural planning focuses on urban spaces as platforms for cross-cultural communication, acknowledging that people with different backgrounds have different needs and uses for public space. Scholars focus on the symbolic significance of cultural spaces, the natural enjoyment of landscapes and urban environments, and on the appropriate provision of public facilities (Risbeth, 2001). At the same time, Allweil and Kallus (2008) used the concept of ‘public space heterotopias’ to analyse how sub-cultures can appropriate public spaces to establish a presence and dialogue with dominant cultural norms, to enable gradual emancipation of these subcultures and achieve societal progress.

2.2 Public space analysis methods

As Tuen Mun is a new town located along an important new development corridor between Hong Kong and Mainland China, the expansion and diversification of its population will continue to accelerate. Tuen Mun’s diverse population and potential for cultural exchange will bring different groups into public spaces. Therefore, exploring differences in daily life should be a part of urban design research for the region.

For this research, we define ‘public space’ as publicly-owned area that is open to the public (Carr et al., 1992). The typological research focuses on two important public space types in Tuen Mun: streets and waterfront spaces. According to statistics on ethnography from the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department, the proportion of ethnic minorities in Tuen Mun is about 4.2%, most of which come from Pakistan and the Philippines. Demographic data shows that the population of Tuen Mun is evenly distributed among different age groups. Therefore, exploring the differential use of public space by different age groups and ethnic minorities should be an important part of this research.

Based on Jan Gehl’s public space context and observation methods, direct observation methods were used to help understand why some spaces are used, but others are not (Gehl and Svarre, 2013). In Hong Kong, the afternoon of a rest day is the time when public spaces are most frequently used (Lai, 2018). Therefore, we selected hour-long time slots in the afternoon of a weekend with good weather conditions to observe and record snapshot observations. As the scope of this research allowed for limited field research, it is intended to formulate first insights and derive general conclusions, and is intended to inform future studies that will use more structured and large-scale data gathering. Referring to guidelines for a qualitative and quantitative methods for ethnographic studies by Low (2019), several observational techniques were combined, with the goal to construct a basic understanding of some typical activity patterns at different locations. People’s behaviour in public spaces were documented by mapping and categorising various activities and group types into sub-categories. Activities in Tuen Mun’s public space were recorded through calculation, mapping, and tracking (Table 1). Based on these results, we determine some of the factors that affect multicultural activities in public space, and that could be identified as potential opportunities for the development of diverse and inclusive public spaces in Tuen Mun.

Table 1: Analysis of the use of space

3. Results

3.1. Activity results of different groups on waterfront space, Tuen Mun

Our study firstly investigated the butterfly Bay waterfront, which is mainly composed of three types of space: the promenade, the waterfront plaza, and the beach area, which attracts nearby residents and tourists due to its beautiful seascape and convenient public transport connectivity. According to the observation methods and the analysis procedures outlined above, the activity preference of different people in Butterfly Bay waterfront was mapped (Figure 1) and behavioural preference data was summarised (Table 2).

Figure 1: a) the locations of different user groups; b) activities and circulation

Table 2: Activity observations and counts.

^a Counts taken on Saturday, 3rd July 2021, 3.20 – 4.20 p.m.

Based on the above investigation and analysis, the following conclusions are drawn:

• Elderly people have a higher utilisation rate of resting facilities (benches and pavilions), and they prefer to rest on seaside benches with good environment and good air circulation, indicating a sensitivity to overall landscape experience.

• Assembly square and the beach are places where people are most likely to meet, reflecting a high degree of crowd interaction. Both the elderly and teenagers like to hang out in the assembly square, and the open square provides opportunities for different cultural activities to collide.

• Filipino domestic helpers are a special group of public space users with different behaviours from other groups. They like to choose relatively hidden spaces in public areas for activities, including resting, singing, making phone calls, and socialising. These spaces are often surrounded by greenery and have a certain territoriality, but they do not prevent communication with people in other spaces, such as visual and verbal communication. The spaces obtain heterotopic characteristics, which implies that the temporary appropriation of space by a distinct group of users creates a state of ‘otherness,’ and the space becomes a form of private territory separated from the adjoining public domain.

3.2. Activity results of different groups on street space, Tuen Mun

Kai Man Path is a pedestrian street in the centre of Tuen Mun, less than 100 metres away from the Tuen Mun MTR station. It is an open-air living market popular with local residents. The street is oriented from north to south, with dozens of large and small shops on both sides. It is famous for its low prices and rich variety of goods. This is a vibrant street full of people and activities. The surrounding local residents, Filipino and Indonesian domestic helpers, often visit here to purchase daily necessities. For our study, Kai Man Path and Yan Qi Town Square on the east side were chosen to analyse the significance of streets as public spaces for multiculturalism (Figure 2) (Table 3).

Figure 2: a) the location of different user groups; b) activities and circulation

Table 3: Activity observations and counts.

^a Counts taken on Sunday, 11th July 2021, 2.15 – 3.15 p.m.

On Kai Man Path, the street is used as an extension of internal space of many shops. The stalls and commodities on the street are arranged in a random pattern. It is difficult to see the boundaries that separate adjacent stalls. Clothes, bags, vegetables, and fruits are hung on street awnings or on simple shelves outside the stores. The price and sales items are marked on the product, and customers can experience the product and evaluate the price on the street without having to walk into the store.

Space users can move freely between shops with blurred boundaries to choose the most suitable products for their price and quality. In this process, various groups (different ages, identities, races) meet and interact. These intersections connect people in society, encourage the expression of different identities, and enhance social and cultural significance. In addition to commodity trading, the street also has social attributes. For example, two young people singing on the street attracted a number of onlookers, and amongst this audience, spontaneous communication between people who did not know each other occurred.

The crowd activities on Kai Man Path reflect that the culture here is not displayed through the characteristics and forms of buildings or the symbolic cultural elements mentioned by Rishbeth (2001), but in the non-fixed elements of the street, including the products, the visual features formed by the complex arrangement, the odours produced by various foods, the sounds of street performers and vendors, etc. Kai Man Path is a good reflection of the personal exchanges and cultural collisions brought about by the street space as a ‘daily life theatre.’ Affordable and busy adjacent street shops and social behaviours related to shopping create a lively and attractive street atmosphere, and the communities supported by these spaces will become more diverse and vibrant.

4. Discussion and conclusions

This study has explored the multi-faceted aspects around the urban design of multicultural public spaces, through literature and case study investigations in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong. The following summary highlights the key qualities and attributes that public spaces need to have, to support a vibrant, diverse, and interconnected community.

A space for daily life

The study shows that people come to public spaces because of economic, functional, and social factors, in line with Bridge and Watson’s notion that public space is a “theatre of daily life” (2000, p. 251). As shown in the survey of Tuen Mun streets and waterfront spaces, people buy goods and daily necessities in the streets, and take a walk or rest on the seaside. Freedom and social activities are often mixed with functional activities, different activities occur in mutual integration and support. The popular fruit and gourmet shops in the streets and the most used public facilities in the waterfront space attract people of different identities, ages, and ethnic groups. These places are regarded as destinations for everyday shopping, eating, resting, walking, and socialising activities. It can be concluded that mixed-use public spaces, which are part of everyday life, should play a significant role amongst the various considerations in the urban design process. Attention should be given to locate spaces and facilities that support diverse and multicultural activities.

Sociality

In the case of the Tuen Mun beach area, it was found that places where gatherings and religious activities are held intersect closely with the pedestrian flows, and people passing by stopped to watch or ask questions that generated exchanges. Similarly, in the analysis of the Kai Man Path, the street performances occurred at a location with the highest amount of pedestrian traffic and intersections, and people stayed and gathered to discuss, and as a result, interact with strangers. Similar to the mechanisms of 'triangulation' described by sociologists (Dines and Cattell, 2006; Whyte, 1980), it was found that vibrant and mixed-use public spaces can lead to spontaneous social interaction between different types of people.

Affordability

Economic usability, or the possibility to participate in public space activities based on cost and affordability, is an important factor in attracting people from different social groups to public spaces. Because inequality is often associated with immigrant populations, socio-economic conditions have an important impact on ethnic minorities’ social segregation or integration. In our study, the low-priced goods and services along Kai Man Path attract Filipinos and Indonesians, and also Chinese Hong Kong residents of different ages. Although social class and economic opportunities inevitably influence perceptions and choices, affordable public spaces can bring different kinds of people together, regardless of background. We conclude that urban planning and management policies should be formulated to maintain affordable consumptions and services and facilitate free activities and events that reinforce the public character of public space.

Heterogeneity

Heterogeneity is an important notion in the creation of a vibrant, diverse, and interconnected community. The concept implies not only the differentiation and diversification of public space, but also to give the public the possibility to appropriate and co-develop spaces as part of a natural social evolution. In the investigation of the waterfront space in Tuen Mun, domestic helpers from the Philippines established their own order in secluded and unconventional urban spaces and displayed their own culture in contrast to mainstream culture. The broadcasting of identity through image and sound establishes a dialogue with the wider public, and helps to create an awareness, understanding, or respect for the domestic helpers’ cultural and social backgrounds. These ‘public space heterotopias’ as described by Allweil and Kallus (2008) could help to achieve emancipation of ethnic minorities, immigrant populations within the wider society and support the exchange of cultures and ideas to inspire societal progress. It can be concluded that besides inclusive urban design, regulation, and management policies for public space activities should be adjusted to assure the comfortable use of public spaces by people from minority cultures.

Management

To strengthen the publicness of public spaces, the degree to which social functions and activities are allowed or stimulated is very important. As an open open-air market, Kai Man Path has various social functions. Different people in Butterfly Bay beach like social activities. Therefore, we conclude that an open-ended approach to different types of social functions and activities should be adopted in the design and management of public spaces, incorporating possibilities for future changes. Pugalis (2009b) emphasized the notion of ‘spatial activity planning,’ to create vibrant and economically sustainable spaces. In some public spaces in Tuen Mun, due to the constraints of management and social norms, the activities observed were not diversified in line with the full potential of the spaces.

From precedent examples it can be seen how urban designers can help unite local governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to support street performers, artists, and cultural events representing various cultures or ethnic minorities. These informal social functions, centred around food, music, or art, enrich the cultural diversity of public spaces, and at the same time open a door for the exchanges between ethnic minorities and mainstream culture. Moreover, they create shared spaces for people to experience different and mixed cultures. The study of Tuen Mun shows the positive influence of social functions and activities on the diversity of public spaces, and their impact on the expansion of inclusiveness and publicness of the spaces of the multi-cultural city.

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