Partnership in heritage conservation : what can Hong Kong learn from London?

AbstractBuilt heritage conservation is not easily achievable through the market, as it involves use of urban space and thus opportunity cost. The problem is more serious if there is no government support. This is the case in Hong Kong, where both the market and the state are not favorable to built heritage conservation. However, in 2005, through a local voluntary organization, a built heritage of Hong Kong—the Tung Wah Coffin Home—was conserved, and the project won one local and one regional conservation award. While conservation of built heritage by the voluntary sector has been common among developed countries, it is new in Hong Kong. This article first situates the issue in a general political-economy perspective and then analyzes the case of the Tung Wah Coffin Home, in particular, in the context of Hong Kong. The purpose is to examine what this case tells us about the role of the voluntary sector and its relationship with the government in providing built heritage conservation.

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Public decision making for heritage conservation: A Hong Kong empirical study

Habitat International ◽

10.1016/j.habitatint.2015.12.004 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 53 ◽

pp. 312-319 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Esther H.K. Yung ◽

Lawrence W.C. Lai ◽

Philip L.H. Yu

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Empirical Study ◽

Heritage Conservation ◽

Public Decision ◽

Public Decision Making

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Heritage Conservation through Private Donation: The Case of Dragon Garden in Hong Kong

International Journal of Heritage Studies ◽

10.1080/13527250903210803 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 15 (6) ◽

pp. 511-528 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Edmund W. Cheng ◽

Shu‐Yun Ma

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Heritage Conservation ◽

Private Donation

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Evaluation of the social values and willingness to pay for conserving built heritage in Hong Kong

Facilities ◽

10.1108/f-02-2013-0017 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 33 (1/2) ◽

pp. 76-98 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Esther H.K. Yung ◽

Edwin H.W. Chan

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Willingness To Pay ◽

Social Value ◽

Heritage Conservation ◽

Historic Site ◽

Content Type ◽

Built Heritage ◽

The Social ◽

Major Factors ◽

The Relationship

Purpose – This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the major factors of social value and the willingness to pay amount for conserving a historic site, using Hong Kong as a case study of a dense urban city with immense tension between conservation and development. It also evaluates, in monetary terms, the social values, which are almost impossible to measure in built heritage conservation. Design/methodology/approach – It adopts evaluation ratings and the contingent valuation method to estimate Hong Kong citizens’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation of the Central Police Station compound. Findings – The results of 256 surveys suggest that the extent to which the historic site can provide a “sense of place and identity”, “social inclusion” and “community participation” is positively correlated to the WTP amount. The respondents’ satisfaction with the new use of the site, their work location and education level affected the amount they were willing to contribute to the conservation project. The reasons given for not being willing to contribute were also analysed to provide insights for cultural heritage policy. Originality/value – The findings provide an enhanced understanding of the relationship between the major factors of social value and the WTP amount. This study proposes a partial tool to elicit the non-market value of heritage site which should be supplemented with experts’ evaluation to assist decision-making. It enhances public participation, particularly in the public–private partnership model of heritage conservation. Thus, it provides valuable insights for policymakers and planners to understand the public’s perception on the value of heritage conservation in cities facing immense redevelopment pressures.

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