“The cities of Hong Kong, Singapore and Georgetown, Malaysia may differ in size, age, history and a range of other factors. Yet there are two commonalities that exists between the three cities: renewed endeavours to preserve the use of heritage spaces, and high levels of space activation in laneways and alleyways. While the method and extent of usage varies, each city is home to various uses of public and private space ranging from indoor wet markets to hawker food centres. As each city uses these spaces differently, there is much to learn from their guidelines and methods regarding space usage and city planning. Our film compares and contrasts space activation efforts and space usage in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Penang to bring lessons back to Vancouver’s own Chinatown. We present a possible path to help revitalize the Vancouver Chinatown area so that space is used in a more productive way, while preserving its cultural identity and heritage.”
By Melissa Kwan, Salomon Micko Benrimoh, Alexa Lizotte, Yahe Li (Space Activation Group)