‘Man is grown from the Earth, and the Earth is enlivened by Man’. This inter-dependent relationship illustrates the seamless co-existence of cultural ecology and local living. Incidentally the Kai Tak River has escaped from being covered, thus inviting the recovery of ecology and the rediscovery of human landscape. The lesson can be shared with other districts, but what learned is by no means easy and on the further cultivation of the communities and the continuous irrigation of cultural policy makers. Since the renaming of the Kai Tak Nullah as the ‘Kai Tak River’ from October 2007 by the Community Alliance for Kai Tak Development, this paradigm shift has revived the sewage discharge into riverbanks of human landscape, conducing lots of imaginations and aspirations from the local community.
As a natural corridor penetrating the districts of East Kowloon, the Kai Tak River hinges on the rediscovery of human landscape. In March 2001, the Community Alliance for Kai Tak Development proposed an initial proposal of ‘The Kai Tak River Water·Green·Heritage Trail’, which encouraged the involvement of multi-level collaboration with different organizations and stakeholders from the community to attain a humanistic ideal of ‘planning together, building together and sharing together’. In order to initiate the community’s engagement, under the directions of ‘Urban Planning’, ‘Education’ and ‘Arts & Culture’, there are activities such as research, exhibitions, seminars, publication and visits, to propagate the ‘Kai Tak River’ concept meanwhile further investigations on technical aspects and political considerations are taken into account. Among these public education programs, the penetration into the learning environment through the alliance of over 20 schools along the river to form the ‘district-base school village’ and the integration of the concept of community sustainability into the academic curriculum through the intervention of ‘liberal studies’ and ‘other learning experiences’. Also, to allow more people from the community to experience the Kai Tak River, in 2009 to 2010, 1a space collaborated in the theme of ‘Green Art’ to promote a series of public artworks relating to ecology and the environment. It is meant to transform the Kai Tak River into a testing ground for human landscape embracing both ecological systems and cultural contents.
Urban Planning
2004
Planning Department initiated the public consultation ‘Kai Tak Planning’.
2005 – 2006
Community Alliance for Kai Tak Development started planning to collect ‘New Kai Tak’ and Wong Tin Sin.
2007.03
The Alliance initiated the initial proposal of ‘The Kai Tak River Water ·Green·Heritage Trail’, and introduced the proposal to Wong Tin Sin District Councilors.
The proposal
2007.04
The Alliance met with Wong Tin Sin District Officers and introduced the proposal.
2007.06
The Alliance met withthe Director of Drainage Services, Mr Wong Chee-keung and introduced the proposal. Mr Wong appreciates the proposal.
2007.09.30
The Alliance, School of Architecture, CUHK andthe Conservancy Association held the ‘Kai Tak River’ Naming Press Conference. The nullah was renamed publicly as the ‘Kai Tak River’ – the process of rediscovering a lost human landscape towards a social sustainability began.
Review
2007.11
Secretary for Development, Mrs. Carrie Lam and the Director of DSD toured Kai Tak River, they responded positively to the proposal and will personally take care of the matters.
2007.12 – 2008.04
Promoted the ‘Habitat Studies Workshop’ architecture proposal to public and exhibited the proposal in plazas around Wong Tin Sin.
2008.04
The Alliance and The Federation of Hong Kong Filmmarkers held ‘Film Creative Industrial Park’ press conference in Tai Hom Village. They proposed that the Village should have multi-aspects development, and collect with ‘Kai Tak River’ green area, which reconstruct the past history, grassroot living culture and the film Industry base of the Village.
Review
2009.01
Planning Department reserved an area in ‘Grand View Garden’ for ‘Living Water Park’.
2009.01 - 03
‘Concept of Long Jin River Site Park and Underground City’ Proposal was submitted to Civil Engineering and Development Department, Planning Department and Legislative Council.
2009.03
Marta Bohlmark completed ‘Kai Tak River Grassroot Market’ architecture paper.
2009.04 – 05
Development Bureau and School of Architecture, CUHK discussed the ‘Green Area between Kai Tak River and Long Jin River – History and Social Research’ Project.
2009.09 – 12
Wong Tin Sin District Council adopted the ‘Open the fences of Morse Park’ Construction.
2009.11
The Alliance successfully strived for relieving the lower floors of Block 23 Tung Tau Estate as a wetland educational park for the adjoining schools, which will connect its green trail to Kowloon Walled City Park.
2012
The Alliance proposed to connect the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ district by a cycle track, which is finally included in Kai Tak Planning.
Educaiton
2008.02
The Alliance met with Primary & Secondary School Heads Association, and introduced the proposal.
2008.02 – 2009.04
The Alliance introduced the proposal to different primary and secondary school in Wong Tin Sin.
2009.04
- Lee Kau Yan Memorial School designed ‘Trickle-down see the future’Integrated curriculum of science and humanities
- Rediscovery of Human Landscape – Kai Tak River was incorporated into ‘Liberal Studies’ publication project from Liberal Studies Education Department, CUHK
2009.05
School of Architecture, CUHK applied Quality Education Fund to organize ’district-base school village’ project
(Not accepted by QEF finally)
2009.05.26
Associate Professor Wallace Chang Ping Hung from School of Architecture, CUHK brought a group ofStudents from the University of Southern California to visit Kai Tak River, Nga Tsin Wai Village and Kowloon Walled City Park.
Review
2009.11
Published Rediscovery of Human Landscape – Kai Tak River.
Arts and Culture
2008.02 – 05
‘The Evolution of Kai Tak River – from Kai Tak Nullah to Urban ecological river’ Tour Exhibition.
Presented by the Alliance, School of Architecture, CUHK,the Conservancy Association and Ms Chan Yuen Han, supported by Friends of the Earth, the exhibition introduced the concept of reconstruct the Kai Tak River.
Review I / Review II /Review III / Review IV
Review V / Review VI
2008.05
The Alliance organized a children’s drawings competition ‘My Kai Tak River’.
Review I / Review II /Review III / Review IV
2008.05
The Alliance organized tours and conducted questionnaires for Tai Hom Village
Review I / Review II
2009.01.18
On-site art installation –’Rainbow River onChoi Hung Road’
An art group – A.REA from ‘YMCArts in Education Project’ installed rain color windmills around the Kai Tak River, which aroused attention from the residents near San Po Kong.
Review I / Review II /Review III
2009.02
The Alliance was invited by Planning Department to attend the sharing and idea exchange programme of ‘Long Jin River’.
2009.11
Windmill Festival 2009
‘Windmill Festival 2009′ is a major community interactive project, which includes a workshop, competition and exhibition. The green windmill‐making workshop took place in October of 2009 and taught participants to use recycled materials for art and windmill-making. Followed by a green windmill design competition, the shortlisted designs were displayed in the Festival.
2009.04 – 2010.10
A large-scale community art project – ‘GREEN – through the Kai Tak River’
Presented by 1a space, this projectaims to explore how art can become part of this process of sustainability and community development. 1a space collaborated in the theme of ‘Green Art’ to promote a series of public artworks relating to ecology and the environment. 1aspace had held a series of exhibitions, performances, forums,talks, community programmes,workshops and a tour exhibition from Oct 2009 to July 2011,which widely arousedattention and discussion of ‘Kai Tak River’ from the public.