Sustainability
of the Ageing Residential Building Stock in
Summary of
Activities
Hong Kong Society has long been characterized by its
“high-rise, high density” building structure development. With
buildings in developed urban centers growing old and obsolete, repair and maintenance of ageing buildings are become a
pressing community concern. Areas of poorly maintained private housing, with
its declining level of safety, health and quality of living, is also well recognized
as a trapping location of deprived groups (the single and fragile elderly,
new-comers, ethnic minority groups etc.). Therefore, the problem of aging
building and the repair and maintenance of aging building stock is not a mere
technological issue, but involving
complex social processes articulating the dimensions of hardware (design and
technology), software (legal framework and management system) and human-ware
(motivation, mobilization and organization of residents/owners and interaction
among concerned parties). Such socio-cultural-political process embraces
mobilization and organization of residents/owners as well as the interplay
among residents, government departments, politicians and community service
professionals (community organizers, social workers etc.)
In 2006, a team of researcher from various departments of the
Main
Objectives:
Concerning the social aspect, which was undertaken by the Department of
Applied Social Sciences, the following main objectives are pursued:
(i) To have an general understanding on the characteristics
of residents staying in ageing building;
(ii) To understand the socio-cultural-political process of
housing organization in ageing residential buildings around issues on building
repair and maintenance (including community response and support, availability
of external resources);
(iii) To review current and past policies and services
facilitating or restraining mobilization and organization of residents for
building repair and maintenance;
(iv) To
recommend appropriate changes of
policy and strategies in services to romote socially
sustainable effort among residents.
Major Activities:
(i) Literature review and
field contacts with residents, development of a conceptual framework to
articulate important factors contributing to realization of socially sustainable
collective efforts in repairing and maintaining ageing private residential
buildings.
(ii) Household
survey interviews with the residents of two target ageing buildings.
(iii) Informant
interviews with significant stakeholders including the Home Affairs Department
(HAD) and concerned social services providers (NGOs).
(iv) Collaborate with the other professional teams to make a holistic
analysis and review of existing policies.
Factors
for Socially Sustainable Ageing Residential Buildings
Disabling
Factors to
Recommendations
on Policy and Practice:
l
A new authority responsible for building management
and maintenance should be founded for better organization and utilization of
social resources in the control, support and promotion of building upkeep.
l
Joint-Owners’ Corporation Committee should be
proposed for promoting good practice of building management in a close
neighborhood and providing mutual support among member Owners’
Corporations. It may also serves as a prelude to the implementation of
“Street Block Management” in later stage.
l
Enforcement against building neglects by relevant
government sectors should be intensified as one of the effective incentives to
execute building upkeep.
l
Outreach promotion and education to the owners of
ageing buildings should be further enhanced to have the owners be fully
knowledgeable about the consequent effects of building neglect.
l
Engagement of professional bodies in counseling
service for the public should be reinforced, particularly the service in
collaboration with the Home Affairs Department or the new authority being
proposed.
l
Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) should be engaged
in the promotion of building upkeep by making use of their long term relations
with local neighborhoods and knowledge of local affairs.
l
Study on practical issues arising from partnership
with NGOs in the promotion of building management and maintenance to ageing
residential buildings;
Contact
Information of the Contact Person
Dr. Kim-wah Chung
Department of Applied Social Sciences
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Kowloon,
Fax:
+ 852 - 27665731
Phone: + 852 - 27736558
E-mail: sskwchun@polyu.edu.hk