Odisha Samachar Odisha Breaking News , Odisha Current News , Odisha News
Related Articles
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 23 September 2021 – The Urban Renewal Fund was founded in 2011, with
“People First, Districts Based, Public Participatory” as its conception of
urban renewal, serving citizens affected or dislocated by urban renewal
projects, and promoting heritage preservation and revitalisation of local
districts.
Image 1: Online
Exhibition on the 10th Anniversary of Urban Renewal Fund
Image 2: The brand new
website for URF has been launched
URL: https://urfund.org.hk/
As the 10th anniversary
of the founding of the Urban Renewal Fund approaches, it celebrates the
occasion recurring the theme of “Connecting Communities for Sustainable
Urban Renewal: Innovations and Inspirations“. Previous collaborations
with various partners are showcased through different platforms and events,
chronicling projects the Fund has achieved with its partners, reviewing our
past experiences while looking forward with an innovative mind towards future
challenges, to continue support for social programmes and services, realising
our aim of sustainable urban renewal and the betterment of the quality of life
of citizens.
Anniversary Celebration Opens with Online Exhibition on 10 Years of
Urban Renewal
“In
the past ten years, the Urban Renewal Fund has worked closely with NGOs and
different stakeholders to promote heritage preservation and district
revitalisation projects in different regions within Hong Kong. The Fund has
also continually served citizens living in renewal areas. With the achievement
of the 10-year milestone, the Fund has organised ‘Community is Renewing’, an
online exhibition looking back at highlights of the Fund’s past projects over
the past 10 years.”
—The Chairman of the Urban Renewal
Fund’s Board of Directors, Professor Steven Ngai Sek-yum
The exhibition takes on four core directions:
“Connecting, Inheriting, Co-creating, and Integrating”, highlighting
projects that are funded by URF and created by URF’s team of social workers
under each service area, including projects and events aimed at creating social
interactions and community building via various artistic mediums; in-depth,
heartfelt stories from older districts, carrying collective memories to the
next generation; research and practice of local traditional handcraft,
revitalising them and helping them create new, alternative value; acceleration of
dynamic cultural interaction, building of an inclusive society. In the past
decade, URF has funded multiple communal projects, revolutionising older
districts and revitalising communities through mutual creation, community
design, local creations, and social innovation.
Under the pandemic, the exhibition takes place online,
utilising interactive elements on the website such as words, videos, and motion
graphics, together with an energetic design, to showcase the inner workings of
older communities. Through the exhibition, the public will be able to see how
URF connects various NGOs and stakeholders in detail and investigate how each
and every project innovate and inspire the community.
An Abundance of Events Celebrating
the First Decade, Diversifying the Scope of Recipients
The URF fully committed itself to pushing the Urban
Renewal Authority and Urban Renewal Fund in the past decade. Right now, the
amount sponsored has reached 160 million Hong Kong dollars, funding 17
different projects which are held by NGOs and other stakeholders in conducting
heritage conservation and district revitalisation within urban renewal areas. Four
NGO Social Services Teams are also funded by URF, giving aid to the inhabitants
of over forty urban renewal projects conducted by the Urban Renewal Authority.
In reaching the milestone of a decade, other than showcasing the fruits of the
Fund’s work through the years, various activities are also held surrounding the
theme of “Connecting Communities for Sustainable Urban Renewal: Innovations and
Inspirations”, expanding and diversifying the scope of recipients of the Fund.
In May, URF has revamped their website and increased
presence on two additional social media platforms, providing timely updates on
information regarding project funding and services, nurturing the connection
and bond between different stakeholders and partners, interacting with the
general public anytime and anywhere. A series of videos celebrating each of our
past projects and partners is released, each project is seen through the lens
of a participant, detailing their experiences of participating in events and
receiving services from URF, leading the public to gain a deeper understanding
to Our community. The Fund has also organised several seminars and a
closing forum for URF’s celebration of its 10-year anniversary, inviting
scholars and stakeholders from different fields, discussing topics in-depth
from various angles, inspiring thinking related to sustainable development.
After a decade’s worth of effort, URF has sponsored
multiple community co-creation projects, such as “Our Community of Love &
Mutuality—Nurturing Cultural Diversity & Community Legacy in Kwai Chung”,
“Kengaku’ Small Shop Handcraft Master Nurturing & Community Revitalisation
Project”, “Inheriting the sense of lane: we-build the Sai Ying Pun”, “Live in
C&W”, “REstore – Small Shop Culture Reconstruct Project”, “To Kwa Wan
Community Dining Room”, “Kowloon City Themed Walking Trail”, and more. Each
project is centred around how to enhance district-wide characteristics and are
welcomed with enthusiasm. In the following year, URF will continue to serve
citizens, collaborating with the community to innovate policies, increase
residents’ sense of belonging to their communities and raise cohesion, all in
the name of improving the quality of life for citizens.
URF hopes to raise public
knowledge on the Fund via this series of events celebrating the 10th anniversary,
integrating and increasing the strength of the collaborative relationship with
partners, promote knowledge and experience exchange of related organisations in
order to encourage more NGOs to utilise URF to serve and unite the community,
and to ensure future support for community development and service users,
ultimately contributing to the betterment of communities in Hong Kong.
Annex 1: Introduction to the latest phase of the Urban Renewal
Heritage Conservation and District Revitalization Funding Scheme
1. Via North Point, A place for Imagination. A place for belonging
Corporation:
Hong Kong Arts Centre
Brief description of the plan:
“Via North Point” aims to inspire community residents to
think about and design the future use of public space as a vision, hoping to
bring changes to the community and improve the quality of life of residents.
The Hong Kong Arts Centre will work hand in hand with cross-sector
individuals and organizations to design a series of community participation
workshops and creative art works to connect new and old residents, enhance
residents’ awareness of public spaces, and showcase the unique local charm of
North Point. The aim is to create a sense of community belonging and cultivate
cultural citizenship and spontaneous community building through imagination.
2. South – The Heritage and Communities Arts Project
Corporation:
The Warehouse Teenage Club
Brief description of the plan:
Preserving and promoting the South side and its unique historical
cultural significance and community features of the Southern District through
multiple cultural activities.
The purpose of the project is to create an artistic and cultural space
that is a symbolic of the rich region and build a collaborative, self-reliant
community.
Through a series of programmes including community study, guided
tours, community arts events and thematic exhibitions, we aspire to transform
the district into an arts and cultural hub by revealing its unique characters,
and revitalize the community by strengthening its local neighbourhood network.
3. Our Community of Love & Mutuality – Nurturing Cultural
Diversity & Community Legacy in Kwai Chung
Corporation:
HKSKH Lady MacLehose Centre
Brief description of the plan:
Kwai Chung was built on the hillside, the public staircase is the
major carrier of the pedestrian flow in the district. Its “numerous, long and
steepness” characteristics have always been criticized by the community. In
view of this, the third phase of the project is to renew and revitalise the
public staircase in Kwai Chung. Based on our experience in the past four years,
we aim to extend the district renewal model of Kung Yung Koon and “Ping
Lai Plus” projects to the staircases of Kwai Chung, to catalyse the
community’s ability to turn disadvantages into advantages. As the heart of the
project, Kung Yung Koon and Ping Lai Path will turn the manpower mobilization
and resources into the energy of the community. They will be transported
through the staircases, like blood vessels, to all parts of Kwai Chung,
enhancing the mutual communication between Chinese and South Asian low-income
neighbourhoods, enriching the landscape of Kwai Chung and bringing back the
power to Kung Yung Koon and Ping Lai Path as a loop.
3. Kowloon City Themed Walking Trail
Corporation:
HKSKH Welfare Council Limited
Brief description of the plan:
Kowloon City is a diverse community full of different histories,
cultures, attractions and specialty shops.
Potentially the longest in Hong Kong, the planned themed walking trail
will be 6.5 kilometres, divided into five different characteristic road
sections. The goal is to promote the preservation of historical and cultural
relics and the promotion of art and culture by connecting local residents and
stakeholders in the district. At the same time, it is hoped that the district
will embrace major urban changes such as reconstruction and railway completion,
while maintaining the favour of the local community.
*For earlier funding schemes, please visit:
https://urfund.org.hk/projects/
Source link
