Hong Kong is known for its skyline and urban context, interpreted through colonial history. However, its past, present and future are entangled with that of almost 700 villages scattered across the New Territory land and preceding the current Hong Kong population. With recent proposals to further develop the currently ‘rural’ northwest of Hong Kong through the Northern Metropolis proposal, the tangible and intangible dimensions of the village society might be sacrificed to accommodate for a growing population and political interests.

The study aims to examine how traditional society is being reinterpreted in the face of change and loss, particularly in relation to the shifting notion of a village and its role within rural society. It seeks to redefine countryside conservation strategies in the context of the northwest New Territories by moving beyond the cataloguing of the past and embracing progressive, future-oriented practices. The research proposes a framework for self-managed design processes that actively protect community values, offering an alternative approach to the current revitalization strategies limited to eco-tourism and open-air museum projects.
The proposal accommodated for needs of both indigenous and ‘new’ residents, at the same time maximizing the use of existing developed land, and protecting the surrounding natural context. The possibilities of inter-village collaborations suggested through the project encourage the wider application of local skills and the protection of local businesses. Together come to be a strategy for the active preservation of rural cultural heritage, allowing for the change to achieve continuity.

In the significant migration cities of China, such as Shenzhen, large
numbers of constantly in movement floating population of working settlers
is said to have a severe impact on the ecological environment
(Li, Zhang & Jiang et al., 2021). Called a ‘malign tumour’ by the population
and the local government, they settle in vastly overcrowded settlements
- urban villages where poor standards force the group to
make poor environmental decisions. At the same time, due to their
dire economic situation as urban poor, they become the subject to vulnerability
in the face of harmful effects of environmental degradation.
Poor environmental hygiene of this social group has a connection with
their alienation from society and lack of integration in decision-making.
This social dichotomy between rural migrants and urban citizens is better
understood based on past policies such as the hukou household registration
system. Current design policies toward ecological situation improvement
support the hypothesis of floating population exclusion from decision making.
Based on the above finding, suggestions for improving the floating population’s
position in the society, hence strengthening their role in addressing
environmental concerns, are formed. Firstly mixed-income housing as an
alternative to luxury redevelopments in place of urban villages can work
towards better integration of rural migrant and urban citizens. Additionally,
the policies aiming to bring awareness to migrant groups about the environment
should be implemented together with the integration strategies.