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Government should develop conservation areas in HK

The recent controversies surrounding heritage conservation highlight one of the major flaws in the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance - the fact that only individual 'monuments' are eligible for protection.

Heritage passions extend well beyond architectural masterpieces and in the case of the Graham and Peel Street markets even beyond buildings, and it is clear that growing numbers of Hong Kong people view certain 'everyday' or 'common' buildings and streetscapes as heritage resources worthy of protection.

Those who feel this way are in line with current theory and practice in both the heritage conservation community and cities around the world. In fact, even when enacted in 1976 the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance was out of step with heritage thought in this respect, and the recognition that representative vernacular buildings or cultural landscapes constitute heritage resources, has only grown in the three decades since.

To cite one example, while Government House is undoubtedly an important Hong Kong 'monument', does it represent more of Hong Kong's culture - of daily life as lived by generations of Hong Kong people - than the city's oldest street market?

If the government is truly interested in 'balancing' heritage preservation with development, it should adopt a version of the process that has been followed with success throughout the world, using standard criteria, defined after public discussion and debate, to identify heritage resources.

In the case of 'conservation areas', development would not be forbidden but would be managed to ensure that it does not negatively impact the elements determined to define the character and identity of the district in question.

The task is difficult, and achieving full consensus is impossible, but those drafting the new heritage policy have a profound opportunity to transform a subject that has become increasingly divisive into one informed by a sense of possibility, optimism and engagement.

James Cox, Sai Ying Pun

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