Urban informality and sustainable design of public space facilities: a case study of Hong Kong SAR of China in 2018

Abstract

Urban informality has the potential threat and opportunity for sustainable urban development. Designing public space facilities in an informal urban area is essential for achieving sustainable urban development. This study investigates public space facility design principles to improve the challenges of urban informal areas of Hong Kong for sustainable urban development. It adopted a case study methodology with qualitative methods of data collection and mixed methods of data analysis. The data were analysed using tables, theme description, figures, and pictures. The results show that the current public space design cannot effectively respond to the users socioeconomic and environmental informal demands. The use and strategic management approach of the public space facilities are not sustainable with respect to the area s social, economic, and environmental activities. This study recommends an integrated and sustainable system approach for efficient public space facility design in urban informal areas of Hong Kong.