Hong Kong
The Workshop on High-density development and Social Justice in Hong Kong

Posted at : 2015-11-25


■ Objectives

Since its identification as one of the variables defining an urban community by Louis Wirth in his renowned treatise Urbanism as a Way of Life, density of the settlement has occupied a prominent position in urban studies in the West. Yet, the literature of high-density is found wanting as its emphasis was put on the technical at the expense of the social, without highlighting the social and spatial processes of it. In reality, there are many power relations and social-spatial processes that have contributed to the production of high-density development. Some even argues that high-density is particularly a spatial process which produces and reproduces social injustice. More specifically, the under-privileged in the society is more vulnerable to the denser living environment, resulting that their everyday life is affected by the spatiality of high-density. Therefore, it is imperative to relate high-density with power-based and process-oriented social justice.

In this international workshop, scholars from across the world will present their latest research findings, contributing to the recent debates on high-density and social justice theoretically and empirically. Sessions cover a diversity of themes including regional and spatial variations in the representation of high-density development, high-density in East Asian Cities, Capitalist Cities and Socialist Cities, income gap, everyday life and so on.

■ General outline

〇Title: The Workshop on High-density development and Social Justice

〇Dates: 3-5 Dec, 2015

〇Place: Hong Kong Baptist University

〇Organized by: Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University

〇Sponsors: Research Committee, Hong Kong Baptist University, Research Grant (HKBU 250012), Hong Kong Research Grants Council, The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

〇Co-sponsors: Hong Kong Critical Geography Group, Globalisation and Social Justice across East Asia (LSK/14-15/P05), Urban Research Plaza, Osaka City University

■ Programme: 20151205.pdf

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