Project Methodology

Hong Kong malls follow a historically Japanese model of urban retail ownership, where transportation companies, the government, and commercial developers share ownership of retail properties, creating a financially symbiotic relationship between transport and shopping.

However, if these spaces are controlled by ownerships comprising public and private entities, can they be considered PUBLIC or even CIVIC spaces?

In “Understanding the Chinese City,” author Li Shiqiao explains how historically the Chinese city has been preoccupied with a

commitment to “prudence,” striving to foster

secure environments where societal peace and economic growth could persist. In western society, prudence exists as a condition between

rashness and cowardice, and accordingly

the western city responds by offering public spaces where controlled and uncontrolled urban occupations can take place. Public space in the western city is open to the public, managed by the government, and flexible to be a stage for uncertain activities.

Alternatively, in the Chinese city where prudence is considered an absolute ambition, public space is always considered in the framework of control. It is preferable for the omnipresence of ownership to be felt, so that users understand that ultimately someone is taking responsibility and care of the space, and prudent security is ensured.

Hong Kong malls thus seem to follow more the Chinese urban definition of a public space. Ultimately it is the sense of care, and thereby control, that can act either as an attractor or a deterrent for potential mall visitors.