How Co-created Placemaking Can Enhance Climate Resilience and Well-being

Under the auspices of the WELL • BEING Estate Festival held in Hong Kong in September 2024, I had the opportunity to chat with Eric Ho, co-founder of Architecture Commons and founder of Neighbourhood Innovation Lab (NIL) to learn about the power of co-creation in placemaking.

One of NIL’s latest projects is the Lam Tsuen River initiative in Tai Po. “We partnered with the NGO Hong Kong Children and Youth Services, and the Tai Po District Office, to recruit 20–30 youth to co-create with us,” Eric explains. These young adults, familiar with the neighbourhood, were trained in design thinking and engaged in one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions with residents. Interviewees expressed a desire for more diverse uses of the river area, such as spaces for leisure, fitness and resting. These suggestions subsequently prompted Eric’s team to invite stakeholders to design workshops, where they could sketch out ideas and produce cardboard models that help architects to visualise the ideal public space at the river.

Another key insight gathered by these youth revealed that although the river is overlooked as a landmark, the floods it causes during heavy rains remain a significant concern. This issue has become more urgent in recent years as climate change increased the frequency and intensity of flood.

“We then invited the Red Cross to talk about disaster preparedness and flooding scenarios,” Eric notes. This approach not only aims to mitigate flooding, but also enhances the river’s role as a community asset, fostering a sense of ownership and encouraging preparedness among residents.

A design guide for public spaces

Another significant project Eric shared is the development of a Well-being Design Guide for the estate environment, facilities and public spaces of new public housing estates and improvement works for existing ones. It also seeks to encourage architects toward improving social cohesion and inclusivity through well-designed public spaces. “The goal is to engage residents, stakeholders and government officials to create a design guide to enhance the sense of well-being of Hong Kong public housing residents,” Eric explains.

Eric’s team conducted extensive literature review, collaborated with many departments at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and engaged residents to distil the vast realm of well-being subject into eight distinct and diverse concepts. The resulting guide includes over 170 components and 50 strategies. “We hope this will push the use of design to shape how public spaces are used and thus improve social well-being,” Eric says with pride. “The process has been tough with many comments on a very minute level; but it shows interest in adopting the guidelines.”

Creating inclusive neighbourhoods

Such enthusiasm accumulated in the WELL • BEING Estate Festival, which hosted symposiums, workshops, and several recreational and cultural activities in over 30 public housing estates. The opportunity to visit public estates also brought forth emerging housing challenges in the midst of population changes. 

For example, a pressing issue in public estates is the problem of double ageing, where both residents and buildings are ageing simultaneously. In the design guide, Eric emphasises the need for public spaces to be fit for all ages, especially the elderly. “We are trying to create public spaces within housing estates that are socially friendly, with more shading and active living equipment,” he explains. The guide suggests for wellness corners in lobbies and clear wayfinding to help residents—particularly those with dementia—navigate their surroundings.

However, Eric is also conscious of the need to get buy-in from developers and building managers to implement and maintain these suggestions. “We hope to cultivate social well-being through design, but more importantly, once you designed the public space, who will manage it? Our guidelines have started to address these things.” Eric asserts.

While NIL continues to advocate for a bottom-up approach to creating inclusive neighbourhoods, Eric also realises the need to work closely with ‘middle players’ like policy officers and building managers to support community initiatives and secure funding. “A healthy balance between top-down and bottom-up approaches is crucial,” Eric aptly reflects. “Landlords and operators must see the value of supporting ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives. How do we then design the governance structure for doing things a little bit differently?”

Ian Tan tells stories about the urban environment we live in. He uses his understanding of cultural heritage, placemaking and conservation to do so. Through interactions with other built environment professionals, he is also inspired by emerging technologies, innovative building solutions and new design strategies that can create a more liveable and inclusive environment for all. He has a PhD in Architecture and currently works at Arup, a global sustainable development consultancy.

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Stay tuned for our next issue FuturArc 4Q 2024: Tempering Temperatures, coming soon!