Item — Happy Ageing Lab 樂齡實驗室

Participatory Action Research at Private Housing Estate

Project details

Year: 2024- 2025

Location: City One Shatin, Hong Kong

Collaborator/Acknowledgement:

Incubators & Funding Organisations: ZeShan Foundation, Ho Cheung Shuk Yeun Charitable Foundation
Community Collaborator: ELCHK Sheen Hok Charitable Foundation Kwan Shon Hing Yu Chui Neighbourhood Elderly Centre
Supporting Organisations: The Chinese University of Hong Kong; School of Architecture, CUHK; CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing
Funded by: Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE-Fund), CUHK Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services (ORKTS)

Special thanks to the City One Property Management team, Paramatta Estate Management Limited, and the Owners’ Committee of City One Shatin, and all the Age-friendly Ambassadors

This initiative aims to identify key design elements for age-friendly housing to promote aging in place for seniors in private estates and create intergenerational inclusive communities. City One Shatin, one of the largest and oldest established estates in Hong Kong and over 40 years old, has been selected as the pilot site for this research.

With the support of the innovative partners - ZeShan Foundation and Ho Cheung Shuk Yuen Charitable Foundation (2023-2024), Happy Ageing Lab has collaborated with the School of Architecture of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing to plan and implement the "Hou² Living Gallery - Participatory Estate Improvement Programme for an Age-friendly Living Environment" (Phase I) from September 2023 to January 2024.

Powered by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE-Fund), channeled through the CUHK Knowledge Transfer Project Fund, phase II of the project has started in September 2024, collaborating with key stakeholders to co-create an ideal age-friendly wayfinding system and signage guidance plan at City One, as it emerged as a priority among most stakeholders and is deemed feasible. The research team will recruit residents of different ages (youth, adults, and seniors) as well as built environment professionals (such as architects and planners) to form a think tank. Focus group interviews will be conducted to understand participants' needs and perceptions regarding age-friendly living environments, followed by environmental assessments, co-creation sessions, field visits, prototype development, and testing. Throughout the process, communication with key stakeholders (such as property management companies and owners' committees) will be maintained. The team will present recommendations based on the research findings and share them with stakeholders to assist in creating an age-friendly living environment at City One.

The project is taking place from September 2024 to March 2025.