ТЄФІТЄї - ТЄФІТЄї

IзОДЇзЕcWзНАы|ЦДєфn
(english below)

ТЄФІТЄї
БНЦЗеІрАы|ЦНёТц@Цчо}ЙМцёЧчЦJФШЧzУКР^ЦШЁІЯВФ

ёжШМШЙёж^ИУГсДЙз^WjёёДЙЖКР^УГсДЙъоЩ|ЛШКЗКРЁЦіЙБДАнюДїЗйЦЯКЗНБфФЪГыІёДїЪМУОНкИХІЙПКРЁЦРВЦчПЇХрЯhХfДёfЦъЕf^УГсєГїаєлHЙПКРЁЦТФКХШНБШlАэКХОпIЦХЩrДЇЧчпLІОZУГсДїЙБфїЙЧЯёЯxсаУЦЬ^ИОєОПНЁ^ІКЗёТФИЛйДЧцЁИзыїНвДХfКРЁЦКЗёєГИЛЧцДКВ ІїНвДХfКРЁЦКЗИШaЙМёьАдїбoЗйДШЖіТ

КРЁЦЯ@NуРННЖНБCДЦШЁКОчшТФЪ70ъєНУГТтйЛьФміЙЙзюАЦШЦЇёFУГстлxЖЯhШ^Ф^tёЯЇЧіЙєАХ^ЧПаёЩШъёЯMІДЧцЁКЗНЖУьАЁУГсЕcДРРНЦШЁЦрІёьРВЕf^Я@УІЕДЬХжХэБфЙз^WjНrёДЙЖЙъоhі

Аы|ЦДЙз^жЯ\УНКЗТЄНЦЯ@NЬ^ПНЁ]УРЯxсДНЖНБCКЦШЁЦФЪЛДДкСYЯMИБИЕcКРЁЦЖдЛыХюёІїйTєПЧчЦчУМбіцБЛ@ТWюОФSДМжъёzвё{ПНыёоЇжYєПБЛСuФмБгКЫУЧУГНДЦРОМЖЗЯ@РЕБНкИЬ^БнТЯыІКЬЦgУДКРЁЦlХё zФЪЦJФЖЪйg196ЭЙкКцЦР 192ЭКРЁЦё{sЭpТЧ@іЗТюНЁЯ^ёьБоИЛІвДКЗЦЦШРВМбіцДёХЫЦФёТСЕЕЖЪм 2008Дк1ФВ11ИХФЪіЗТюУХКРЁЦsА^АmДТKУЛЩФЪВ}ХQЖЪйgІрАы|ЦФDПсИДкМмРЗaо^КВюТУТФёИіЙКВДЁПНЁДїЙДЬЯ@ХэКЗйАы|Ц|ОчЕЬЧгЧгКДкДИ~ГАИЭЕКїИ^КіїЧhДФТт

ОТIзОДЇзЕcWзНАы|ЦЦШЁЧчМбіцТФПВєфnє

Т ФЪіЗТюОУХРВДёХЫЦФёЗКРЁЦЄДГіцХ\ТвёъЦФсRЙПНЦЗеІрАы|ЦМЖЗ
юКРЁЦЛщМбёТц@Цчо}ЙМцДЁЧhёЕДоІЗеідMЧhРФТаОДЬыєПОДЇУэоЇЙз^ДДїЛШнПИНЁЯ^ЦJФіМРтІЕДЬЁё
ИэКРЁЦЇЯ^rММВДКР^ЦШЁІЯВФХэІНШПызУРоБУРМШЙДЦАОДЇєФъёщмШДНБТвaIКШНыПаЦъДЙз^WjйБЛЬГвФміЙёьуДЙзюЦЇЄсRЙПШЧzУКР^ЦШЁІЯВФ

An Appeal from Professionals, Academics and Cultural Practitioners
on the Lee Tung Street Project

Dialogue Instead of Confrontation
Stop the Demolition of Lee Tung Street
Consult the public on URAЇs new "wedding city" proposal
Review the Urban Renewal Strategy


When the Urban Renewal Authority was established in 2001, its urban renewal strategy promises to preserve as far as practicable the local characteristics, preserve the social networks of the local community, and improve the quality of life of residents in the urban area. Unfortunately, all promises remain mere lip-service. The new URA chairman Barry Cheung boasted that the URA helps tenants to say goodbye to their miserable living environment. However, in actuality, the treatment tenants received in previous renewal projects was far from satisfactory. The URA uses the Land Resumption Ordinance to coercively resume properties and leaves tenants no choice but cash compensation. It deprives tenants of the right to choose whether to stay or to leave, and deprives them of the right to keep or develop their properties. Moreover, the URA often gives a deaf ear to tenants' complaints. Thus, ironically, all its practices violate the people-centred approach enshrined in its urban renewal strategy. The URA proves itself to be an even more ruthless real estate speculator than the private developers.

The bulldozer way of urban renewal practiced by the Hong Kong URA has long been abandoned by western countries in the seventies due to its de facto consequence of gentrifying old districts and pushing underprivileged citizens away from the city centre. A better and more progressive mode is to let tenants participate in small scale renewal projects. In this way, the original economic and social networks can be kept intact, and the community living environment can be improved at the same time.

The Lee Tung Street community movement was created to stop this bulldozer way of urban renewal. In the past four years, the tenants did their utmost to successfully come up with the city's first participatory urban renewal plan as an alternative to the URA proposal. Their plan calls for the preservation of about 30 tenement buildings in the middle of the street, their special character being the mixed residential, small industrial and retail land use. Surprisingly, although their plan won the silver award of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners, it was still rejected by the government, while the unpopular master layout plan set out by the URA (which received 192 negative official written opinions out of 196) was passed by the Town Planning Board without hesitation. Even more discouragingly, the URA violates all due process to continue the demolition of Lee Tung Street during the Christmas holidays, BEFORE the Town Planning Board can hear the second proposal to redevelop Wedding Card Street put forward by the Lee Tung Street (H15) concern group on 11th January, 2008. It was a repetition of the Star Ferry demolition strategy. The government attempts to create a fait accompli to shut up further protests by accelerating the demolition. May Yip, a long time member of the H15 concern group, was so furious to witness the demolition she decided to start an unlimited hunger strike. This was after she has done all she could in the past ten years of struggle.

As members of the professional, academic and cultural circle, we urge:

1. the URA to stop the demolition immediately until the town planning board discusses the second application of the concern group. It should engage the tenants in the planning process during this time.

2. the URA to consult the public on its controversial wedding city plan before implementation.

3. the government to review the Urban Renewal Strategy thoroughly. The URA is killing Hong KongЇs vibrant street culture, precious old neighborhoods and local creative businesses.

Sincerely,

Petition 4 Initial Signatories

lЖрИЛ
ЕБщzТ{Kenneth To (Planner, HKIP)
іРЫzБЁюЧhT{Fernando Cheung (legislator)
кТВеzююуWёМКЪ{Kenneth Chan Ka Lok (Associate Professor, Baptist U)
ХВzЧчТОДWз{Tung Kai Cheung (writer, literature sector)
кЦЗВzWХЯ{Chan Chi Tak (scholar)
БОМДzЧчТ{Liu Wei Tang (writer)
БєОДАzЕЕпшФєФєйL{Leung Man To (cultural critic, scholar)
сRТЭxzОДЇФuХИЛ{Ma Ka Fai (Cultural Critic)
кИєzПгёЫїЙіЦАmlХГсЧhю{W.K. Chan (Hong Kong PeopleЇs Council for Sustainable Development)
АиVВzПгёЫїЙіЦАmlХГсЧhю{Albert Lai (Hong Kong PeopleЇs Council for Sustainable Development)
кЗеSzXуОДЇСРїПМКЪ{Stephen Chan (Professor, Cultural Studies, LingnanU)
РЬУАЯ_zАнуЁФOШХюWФєёМКЪ{Hung Wing Tat (Associate Professor, Civil and Structural Engineering, PolyU)
ФшВЖzАнуWФOУWФєЦъАнМКЪ{Kith T.P. Tsang (Associate Professor, Design School PolyU)
аГфИAzSeeWjїO{Patsy Cheng (Director, SEE Network)
АоРБzXуОДЇСРїПёМКЪ{Siu-leung Li (Associate Professor, Cultural Studies, LingnanU)
ІМЗнzЦРуМУэРРХюЕcХюІЯWПМКЪ{Po-king Choi (Professor, Educational Administration and Policy, CUHK)
Joseph Cheng (Professor of Political Science, CityU)
ьSУзщzМУэЕcIз{Ada Wong Ying Kay (Academic & Professional sectors)
ЛНЮzёЫуИЭ^ОДWПЦъАнМКЪ{Mirana M. Szeto (Assistant Professor, Comparative Literature, HKU)
кФКЦРzїЖуЙзюїЖWІїЦъАнМКЪ{Yun-chung Chen (Assistant Professor, School of Social Sciences, HKUST)
ыєЙєzЛРgТПгёЫЦРОДуWОДЇЧЪМСРїП{Anson Mak Hoi-shan (Artist, Lecturer, Cultural and Religious Studies, CUHK)
кнЬ zXуОДЇСРїПЦъАнМКЪ{Chan Shun-hing (Assistant Professor, Cultural Studies, LingnanU)
Yau Ching (Associate Professor, Cultural Studies, LingnanU)
WЩДк zОДЇчіРOІмlСФИЛ{Jeffrey Au (Spokesperson, Heritage Watch)
ОД zПгёЫіЗКРуWТвГуw{Phoebe Man (Lecturer, Creative Media, CityU)
рЕе| zОДЇз{Mary Ann King (cultural sector)
єОРгМm zГсЖрУ{Cyd Ho (Civic Act Up)
аНющizРОчФuИЛОДЇФuХИЛ{Damian Cheng (Theater & Cultural Critic)
Miss Y.P. HozConservationist{
ІМЬЖуЮ zЛРgМУэЧчХЯ{


lЖрFуw

ПгёЫїЙіЦАmlХГсЧhюHong Kong PeopleЇs Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD)
іЧРh15кPЧM Wanchai h15 Concern Group
ЦРОч^кPЧM Central Western Concern Group
іЧРКРЇкPЧM Wanchai Street Market Concern Group
ЧФЦОЛЗ SMRC Autonomous 8A
УРРХЯV-Artivist
ТъИЛЙз One Generation
Йз^ОДЇкPЧ Community Cultural Concern
SEEWj SEE Network
ЙоЛЦШЁкPЧMShamshuipo Urban Redevelopment Concern Group
НБРРУLocal Action
ПгёЫщНWЙъЯ\У Student Christian Movement of Hong Kong
ИЛГс@ГсЦчрЬ Peopledemo


ВКрFуw

йLєЙз The Conservancy Association

ВКрИЛ

ЦЗєzВюТ{
ыТАЩzдПсЧчХЯ{
УбИфГzОДЇЧчХЯ{
Wк|zРРйЛРgТ{
сTюВzЄБlРР{
БєТФОДzWЙъ{
кОзюzІе{
НхazїзГуwЛРgЧчХЯ{
кЗЙУЇzЧФУЙЧgХЯ{
кЗеИAzТУXЛРgЧчХЯ{
БЦМ@лzЄБГуwzПгёЫ{МОЇюЦчПЇ{
єОТЙъzУэИЛКї{
ВЁzПгёЫщНWю{
єъєzТУXЛРgЧчХЯ{
АиzЛРgФuХИЛЕcЦv{
АоЦЗБzЧчТ{
Una SozУХЯ{
ІЬКиУzФИЛ{
ЧTЕеx
АиОтE
аТАТА zчГ{
АоЧї
WкРгШ
Michael Cheng
Allen Lau
Chasie Lam
Wong Sing Gustavo
Chan Sze Chi