Old apartment complexes and modern skyscrapers line the scaffolded streets of Central, Hong Kong. Restaurants of foreign cuisine and traditional temples stand side by side. In the smoke of traffic and street food, lies a green haven of plantlife, cultural heritage, local businesses, and recreation. The Police Married Quarters, commonly referred to as the PMQ, is situated on Aberdeen Street, one of the most densely populated and occupied spaces in the area. PMQ is now a modernized and repurposed public space for recreation, popular with both tourists and locals alike. This is just one example that speaks to a larger, overarching problem that Hong Kong faces as a region: the lack of accessible and quality open spaces. The solution to this ongoing crisis will be analyzed through a case study of the intersection of history, culture, and urban planning in the PMQ renovation and repurposing.
Queen’s College is the oldest governmental secondary school in Hong Kong,schooling the likes of future dignitaries, including first provisional president of the Republic of China and leader of the revolution, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. The school occupied the space on which the PMQ rests today. During the Japanese occupation in 1941, the school was temporarily occupied and much of the campus was destroyed towards the end of the war. The campus was moved to Causeway Bay. What took its place was the Police Married Quarters, which retains its name to this day. This change was predominantly in response to an influx of mainland Chinese immigrants after the Civil War, where the PMQ provided 140 single room units and 28 double room units for officers.
Governmental action regarding conservation and repurposing truly began through a series of public protests led by the Central and Western District Concern Group, after which the Antiquities and Monuments Office found that remnants of the Central School still existed within the premises. Consequently, the Government announced that the property would be removed from the List of Sites for Sale by Application in 2007. 5 years later, the renovation to transform the Police Married Quarters into a creative industries landmark began. Since its opening in 2014, the space has been used to conserve culture and history amidst a wave of modernization and globalization as well as promote local small businesses.
This is just one example in an overarching problem that Hong Kong faces – more than a decade after the PMQ project was approved, Hong Kong is still troubled by a lack of open and accessible spaces. On average, citizens only have 2.7 square meters of accessible outdoor recreational space. In context, it is only slightly larger than a coffin. In contrast, Singapore, which is around half the size of Hong Kong, has more than twice the amount of urban public space per capita. A more substantial analysis reveals that the main barriers to establishment of more open spaces are a combination of different factors: limited space that is available to urban planners, a systemic lack of effective urban planning, and conservation of vast pre-existing historic sites. This creates a difficult balance between repurposing preoccupied land for more pragmatic causes and preservation of key cultural sites.
The importance of accessible public spaces has been theorized to be integral to effective cities since the Greeks and Romans. In ancient Greece, the agora was a central gathering place where citizens met for various activities. The agora fostered a sense of community through political discourse, economic activity, and cultural activities. In addition to being intrinsically linked to the development of democracy and philosophical discourse, the agora was also linked to Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia, which can be defined as human happiness or flourishing. Political participation and active engagement in civic life were posited to be essential components of achieving a fulfilling life. Thus, the agora, as a space for political and social interaction, was therefore fundamental to the realization of eudaimonia.
Similarly, the Roman forum was central to the political life of the Roman Republic, reflecting the republican ideals of shared governance, civic duty, and public service. Philosophers and statesmen like Cicero emphasized the importance of the forum as a place where citizens could participate in the governance of the state. In the context of urban planning, the forum was a multifunctional space that served as a venue for political, religious, and judicial activities. Temples, basilicas, and government buildings surrounded the forum, emphasizing its civic importance.
The widely acknowledged importance of public open spaces combined with the context of Hong Kong’s socioeconomic situation exacerbates the severity of Hong Kong’s lack thereof. 61% of adults in Hong Kong suffer from poor mental wellbeing, with 1 out of every 7 people developing a common mental health disorder in their lifetime, with anxiety and depressive disorders being most common. Though there are various causes for this problem, such as unhealthy work culture, social stigmatization, and lack of professional and governmental help, Hong Kong’s severe shortage of public open spaces contributes to this lack of eudaimonia.
Katty Law Ngar-ning, convenor of the Central and Western District Concern Group and a lead activist in the conservation of the PMQ recalls, “During the process of advocacy, we specifically asked that the government made sure that there would be enough public open space on this site so the community can enjoy and use the space.”
This issue is fundamentally rooted in the economy and how it is legally framed. In the late 20th century, Hong Kong experienced a revolutionary economic boom. Hong Kong became recognized as Asia’s economic center after World War II devastated Japan and Shanghai, resulting in a surge in infrastructure, production, and exportation of goods. In response to the significant growth, the government predominantly prioritized economic incentives over cultural preservation, striking down historic buildings for high rise buildings and shopping malls. After Hong Kong’s return to the mainland in 1997 as a self autonomous region, the colonial mindset of work and exploitation had already been deeply ingrained within the legal and public frameworks.
As a region, Hong Kong’s history can be described as turbulent, with a constant shift in power, from an overarching Chinese government to British colonization to a self-autonomous region. A lack of government incentive and intervention is the key problem. This is due to the fact that land ownership, by default, is retained by the government. When leased to private developers, it is done so in increments of time, usually 50 years. Due to this limit on both time and amount of land, developers have little incentive to retain pre-existing historic sites on leased land.
According to Professor Tao Zhu, Associate Professor, Deputy Head of Department of Architecture, Co-director of the Center for Chinese Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Hong Kong, and architectural history and preservation enthusiast states, Hong Kong has always been treated as “borrowed land on borrowed time”.
Law posits a useful framework for considering urban renewal, “Despite the economic losses from conserving valuable land, there are gains as well. With resources promoting creative industries in the projects like the PMQ, small businesses and local designers will be supported. This also attracts locals and tourists alike, all people who want to know more about Hong Kong.”
In recent decades, the government has taken more initiative to address the lack of public open spaces. This trend of increased preservation efforts reflect a change in public mentality and underlying philosophy in public policy. Since 1997, residents and government alike have begun to develop an understanding of an independent identity. In recent years, many more projects centered around cultural preservation and urban revival have been established, ranging from the PMQ to other historic renovations like Tai Kwun. Through the decades, this realization of identity has manifested not just in ideology but also in the physical urban space.
“The importance of heritage really came out when the people of Hong Kong realized that Hong Kong is actually our hometown, and we need an identity towards the city,” Professor Zhu states. “Before then, Hong Kong was always seen as temporary, whether it be in the eyes of the British government or the Chinese one.”
Much of conservation efforts, even those by the government, started with the people of Hong Kong. Beginning with the movement to prevent the destruction of the Star Ferry and Queen’s Pier, Hong Kong residents’ newfound identity and drive to preserve it began to manifest in Hong Kong urban planning policies. In the case of the PMQ, the tenement house had already been acquired by the Urban Renewal Authority and available for rent by developers. Professor Zhu notes that the name, Urban Renewal Authority, in and of itself reveals a lack of incentive to conserve.
“Why Urban Renewal and not Repurposing or Reuse?” He posits. “The government’s lack of awareness and initiative to preserve cultural buildings is fundamentally reflected in the establishment of the URA itself.”
Despite the progression of the demolition plan, activists and citizens alike rallied to protect the land, the buildings, and the history within. Taking initiative, the Central and Western District Concern group spent years submitting town planning applications, requesting archeological digs, lobbying the government, and discussing with district counselors and even legislators. With the floor plans for rebuilding ready and only days before it was carried out, the petition against the demolition of the PMQ was a huge success, receiving over 4000 objections against the plan.
“It’s a process that really involves the community,” says Law. “From when we first stood by the Central escalators collecting signatures to asking members of the community for their support. Through meeting the people and talking about the project, it helped raise awareness of the history behind the site and the fact that the government had originally planned for it to be sold and demolished.”
Though the Hong Kong government is still grappling with the dilemmas in urban planning and development, there has been significant progress made in the past two decades due to the outcries of an ardent citizenry. The transformation of the Police Married Quarters into a thriving cultural and creative hub exemplifies the positive impact of public advocacy on urban renewal and conservation. By preserving historical sites and repurposing them for open access and recreational use, the Hong Kong government is beginning to strike a delicate balance between development and cultural preservation.
However, the journey is far from over. Hong Kong continues to face challenges in providing sufficient open spaces for its dense population, which is foundational for fostering a healthier, more inclusive society. Continued collaboration between the government, urban planners, and the public is essential in ensuring that future developments prioritize both the preservation of Hong Kong’s rich heritage and the creation of vibrant, accessible public spaces. The story of the PMQ is a hopeful reminder that with persistent advocacy and thoughtful planning, urban environments can evolve to meet the needs of their communities while honoring their past.