The Centre for Sustainable Design and Environment (CSDE) invited Dr. Lee Pui-yi Angela to give a seminar presentation of our new CSDE Seminar Series: “China: Sustainable Urban Development and Conservation Issues” in THEi Chai Wan campus on 29 April 2019. Dr. Lee Pui-yi Angela, Post-doctoral Fellow in the Centre for Water Technology and Policy at The University of Hong Kong, shared her research findings on the topic “Exploring emergent soft spaces of planning in urban China: A case study of Shanghai”.

During the seminar, Dr. Lee explored the emergent soft spaces of planning in urban China through the case study of Modern Heritage Conservation in Shanghai. The use of soft spaces of planning, which means the functional planning initiatives that emerged between formal planning structures, is regarded as pragmatic solutions to achieve specific planning outcomes that would be rather difficult or time-consuming in the hard planning space, i.e. formal planning processes. First, Dr. Lee defined the concept of Modern Heritage and outlined the increasingly expansive and convoluted conservation framework at the national and sub-national levels in China. She then gave an explanation on how conflicting priorities between the district and the city governments of Shanghai have resulted in policy deadlocks. Dr. Lee concluded her findings by arguing that soft space of planning, at the mercy of political whim and discretions of top-level officials, is necessary for achieving heritage conservation outcomes in China. This inspirational seminar attracted active discussion and participation by staff and students from THEi and community members.

The Centre for Sustainable Design and Environment (CSDE) Seminar Series on “China: Sustainable Urban Development and Conservation Issues 2019-2020” aims to enrich the knowledge of the students and staff of the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong and the members of the public with the thematic focus on the latest urban development and conservation issues from the sustainability perspective in contemporary China.  The seminar series will also be able to promote intellectual exchange and facilitate inter-institutional research collaboration for academic staff and students, as well as to enhance overall professional knowledge and practice of practitioners in the arboriculture and horticulture industry.