Newsletter No. 438

3 「這課程讓我接觸不同的學科，如經濟、政治等，裝備我理解其他學科的能力，從而結 合成新的知識，且強調解難技巧，常透過個案研究，剖析各種可行的問題解決方案； 此外，課程讓我反思城市的本質等基本問題。 「去年8月，城市研究課程舉辦了『亞洲巨型城市校際研討會：都市主義 • 亞洲 與世界』國際會議，我很榮幸有份擔任大會主持，從而有機會聆聽來自世界 各地的學者對於應付交通、貧民窟等都市議題的新方法，可謂眼界大開。」 ‘The programme allowed me to dabble in a wider range of academic disciplines such as economics and politics. It also equipped me with the ability to understand other fields and build synergy from them. With much emphasis on problem-solving, the programme introduced us to the feasibility of different possible solutions through case studies. I also learnt to reflect on fundamental questions such as what is the nature of a city. ‘Last August, the progamme organized an inter-university seminar on Asian Megacities “Asian Urbanism and Beyond”. I was honoured to be one of the masters of the opening ceremony and attended the presentation sessions. I learnt about new approaches of dealing with urban issues from scholars around the world. It was such an eye-opening experience.’ 馮蘊妍 Fung Wan-yin Kimberly 二年級 Year 2 ‘I have been interested in urban development since secondary school. I am always curious about how different urban forms are produced and how different urban forms affect people’s life. The interplay between people and the surrounding environment is what always fascinates me. I believe that by improving the cities we live in, we can enjoy better quality of life. This motivated me to enrol on the programme and become a professional in the field. ‘During the course, there was an urban design group project in which we were asked to redesign an open leisure space. We made a few visits to the site on different days and at different times of the day to carry out observation and site analysis in order to generate new design ideas. It was an extraordinary and unforgettable experience since we were encouraged to carry out physical designs including seating arrangement, lighting and landscape design. When the final design was formulated and presented, the sense of achievement we felt was beyond description.’ 「我唸中學時已對都市發展很有興趣，很 渴望知悉不同的城市形態是怎樣形成， 又與居民生活有甚麽關係。人與環境的 相互影響，也使我着迷。我相信藉改善所 居住的城市，市民可有更優質生活，因此 報讀這課程並投身這專業。 「課程要求我們做一份城市設計的小組 功課，是重新設計一個用作休憩的公共 空間。我們在不同日子和每日不同時段往 實地考察，搜集資料、分析，並商討新構 思。這作業要求很具體的建議，例如座椅 擺放、路燈和景觀設計等，是很特別和難 忘的體驗。最後達成新設計和作小組匯 報時，那份滿足感真是難以言喻。」 孫琮賀 Sun Tsung-ho Russell 二年級 Year 2 ‘I was lucky to work as an intern in a local think tank Land Watch in the summer of 2013 and participated in a project on releasing Village Type Development zone (V-zone) for public housing demand. It aimed at exploring the possibility of releasing V-zone plots of land which are close to high- density commercial and residential areas, and which are equipped with convenient transportation and basic public services for rezoning into residential development. During the internship, I helped to locate suitable V-zone sites, coordinated site visits and organized press conferences. ‘This valuable experience not only gave me soft skills, but also enabled me to get hands-on experience in applying my social science knowledge. Most importantly, I had a glimpse into how the experts came up with concrete ideas from concepts and how the proposal to the government was prepared. During the process, the benefits of different stakeholders of the issues have to be considered, and there may not be a perfect solution that can satisfy everyone. I learnt that coming up with a feasible plan that benefits all parties concerned is definitely an arduous task.’ 「2013年暑假，我有機會在本地智庫組 織『土地監察』實習，參與了一個有關 將鄉村式發展地帶（V-zone）改用 作興建公營房屋的研究，旨在探 討將毗鄰高密度商住區、又有 交通及基本公共設施等配套 的V-zone轉為發展住宅區 的可行性。我協助物色合適 的V-zones，安排實地考察以及 新聞發布會。 「這趟實習不但裝備了我工作上的 軟技巧，亦讓我有機會應用社會科學範 疇所學到的知識，而最重要的是，我了解 到專家如何從最初的概念，醞釀出具體 想法，並寫成建議書交予政府，當中要考 慮社會上不同持份者的利益，而且最終 亦未必能達成各方皆滿意的共識。我體 會到要達至一個既可行又有利各方的方 案，過程可以很漫長，其中牽涉不少游說 工作，絕不容易。」 黃曉晶 Wong Hiu-ching Angela 二年級 Year 2 學生怎麼說？ What Do the Students Say? Talking about the programme’s features, Professor Ng emphasized that it integrates different knowledge domains instead of just offering the existing courses of the GRM and the School of Architecture. The latter approach may not enable students to acquire integrative thinking. In this connection, most of the courses are specifically designed according to the programme’s aims. They include Urban Sustainability, Urban Design and Place Making. Another highlight is its stress on sustainability. On the whole, it hopes to inspire students to think from different perspectives and come up with win-win solutions that will lead to improvement in living conditions. A city is a dynamic social organism. To raise students’ awareness of current affairs such as urban renewal, housing in new towns, as well as heritage preservation, the programme holds urban forums regularly, inviting scholars, urban planners, representatives of community organizations, government officials to share their views on different issues. For example, Mr. Li Cho-ming , senior town planner of the Planning Department, was invited to deliver a talk on the projects in the North East New Territories New Development Areas; Ms. Athena Wong , social worker of the Tin Shui Wai Community Development Alliance, also analysed urban problems in Tin Shui Wai, which is sometimes known as the ‘City of Sadness’. Students are also given many opportunities to reach out to the community. They explored the Kwun Tong Town Centre project spanning Yue Man Square and Mut Wah Street, visited the Urban Renewal Authority Kwun Tong Resource Centre and experienced the living condition of a vacated cage-home. Students also joined the Wan Chai Heritage Preservation Tour organized by the Hong Kong House of Stories. They went to the North East New Territories Development Areas to learn about the concerns of local farmers and the land-banking activities by the developers. Admission is limited to 20 in each cohort and all those admitted had been subject to a rigorous interview. Professor Ng said, there are no specific requirements on Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination subjects. Candidates who are full of curiosity, who like to keep asking questions, and are willing to go beyond their comfort zone to meet the challenges of urban development are suitable candidates. No. 438, 19.5.2014