( Meaning of the cover photo, Left: Don't let art centre suffocated. Right: What is justice? )
Shek Kip Mei Estates reveals different values in Hong Kong, together with attention on its historical value, it is no longer ordinary although people there are living in common way. It at least reflect different value related to social justice in Hong Kong.
Disadvantaged group of people
From history, it is built for settlement of the less wealthy population which cannot afford choosing their living condition. At the beginning, it was for the homeless, now it redevelopment for supporting more people and artists. However, it don't means that more people are able to use the resources. It is because of many of the housing space are used for settle the population from redevelopment of Pak Tin Estate and So Uk Estate, their final destination of development are unclear. But it do bring impacts to the Shek Kip Mei community. Moreover, the redevelopment introduce more competitive and higher class shops that make the rent price increase and thus price level, this is common in many housing estate in Hong Kong. People need go far away to Sham Shui Po where the market there are less developed for buying food.
Community value
As in observation, the park surrounded by block 19 - 22 and community hall is effective gathering people together. It may because of older population have their body condition inhibiting them to communicate with outside by travelling as younger generation do. However, it is expected that the community is much less cohesive than anytime before, it is because of different houses are start renting in different years, varies from 1977 to 2012, and large amount of households moving in form other housing estates, which may pose difficulties in maintain the community with more new faces.
Gentrifying environments
There are several gentrifying pressure nearby the Shek Kip Mei Estate. First, there is property agent famous in redevelopment business set the branch opposite to the public housing. It can be interpret as there are considerable opportunity to redevelop Shek Kip Mei into a higher class place for Hong Kong. Second, the surrounding district are gentrified. Historically, Shek Kip Mei is less wealthy place as it is separated from foreign business management group living near Tsim Sha Tsui and Hong Kong Island, but today Shek Kip Mei is lagging behind with surrounding districts, as it has no landmark commodities or consuming avenue. Compared with digital apparatus in Sham Shui Po, Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong, Langham place in MongKok, the lag behind make the rent price attractive for capital investment which more effective than the middle class population in gentrifying a society. Third, developing a cluster of artist in JCCAC may also be one of the driving force to gentrification. It is because it has a limit of knowledge and capital for individual or groups to involve in arts and it can be treated as a place for consumption, although it may not be the will of any artists within, but the effect is that they are somehow they are put in an area that gentrify another community.
Social symbol on buildings
As mentioned, there are two buildings are used outside residential, they are Jockey Club Creative Art Centre and the hostel building is hold by Hong Kong Youth Hostel Association. These two building pose a symbolic meaning that large cooperation or famous persons in Hong Kong are eager in putting their names in front of the name of building that probably used as a show of their power.
Disadvantaged group of people
From history, it is built for settlement of the less wealthy population which cannot afford choosing their living condition. At the beginning, it was for the homeless, now it redevelopment for supporting more people and artists. However, it don't means that more people are able to use the resources. It is because of many of the housing space are used for settle the population from redevelopment of Pak Tin Estate and So Uk Estate, their final destination of development are unclear. But it do bring impacts to the Shek Kip Mei community. Moreover, the redevelopment introduce more competitive and higher class shops that make the rent price increase and thus price level, this is common in many housing estate in Hong Kong. People need go far away to Sham Shui Po where the market there are less developed for buying food.
Community value
As in observation, the park surrounded by block 19 - 22 and community hall is effective gathering people together. It may because of older population have their body condition inhibiting them to communicate with outside by travelling as younger generation do. However, it is expected that the community is much less cohesive than anytime before, it is because of different houses are start renting in different years, varies from 1977 to 2012, and large amount of households moving in form other housing estates, which may pose difficulties in maintain the community with more new faces.
Gentrifying environments
There are several gentrifying pressure nearby the Shek Kip Mei Estate. First, there is property agent famous in redevelopment business set the branch opposite to the public housing. It can be interpret as there are considerable opportunity to redevelop Shek Kip Mei into a higher class place for Hong Kong. Second, the surrounding district are gentrified. Historically, Shek Kip Mei is less wealthy place as it is separated from foreign business management group living near Tsim Sha Tsui and Hong Kong Island, but today Shek Kip Mei is lagging behind with surrounding districts, as it has no landmark commodities or consuming avenue. Compared with digital apparatus in Sham Shui Po, Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong, Langham place in MongKok, the lag behind make the rent price attractive for capital investment which more effective than the middle class population in gentrifying a society. Third, developing a cluster of artist in JCCAC may also be one of the driving force to gentrification. It is because it has a limit of knowledge and capital for individual or groups to involve in arts and it can be treated as a place for consumption, although it may not be the will of any artists within, but the effect is that they are somehow they are put in an area that gentrify another community.
Social symbol on buildings
As mentioned, there are two buildings are used outside residential, they are Jockey Club Creative Art Centre and the hostel building is hold by Hong Kong Youth Hostel Association. These two building pose a symbolic meaning that large cooperation or famous persons in Hong Kong are eager in putting their names in front of the name of building that probably used as a show of their power.