Cities of Repetition

Housing is one of the most fundamental elements of urban growth and Hong Kong has for decades hosted some of the most intense living environments on the planet. The city’s urbanization has without a doubt produced unparalleled living conditions in terms of scale and density. As a socio-political microcosm, Hong Kong has been dealing with the impacts of hyper-dense urban environments since the mid-twentieth century. Due to lack of space, topological constraints, historical and political conditions, and the struggle with population density, the city has become an incubator for the development of mass housing models for high density living. Today, the common approach to housing developments is based on repetitive, reductive and profit driven concepts. Much of the city has been built with endless repetitive canons utilizing formulaic layouts and building designs. For better or worse, rapidly growing cities around the world, especially in China, have followed Hong Kong’s model.

Volume Editors
Amir Ameri & Rebecca O'Neal Dagg

ISBN
978-1-944214-14-2