Blog

New impetus for old districts

A gist of the blog:

I visited Sham Shui Po district last week. The district, which is often described as an old district, has in recent years developed with more creative, design and cultural activities, while maintaining its rich cultural, historical and architectural heritage. These activities have provided new impetus for continued development of the district.

Housed in the former Shek Kip Mei Factory Estate, the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre is no longer a base of cottage industries, but a hub of studios and display venues for 140 artists and art organisations. Another project in a revitalised industry building located at Lai Chi Kok supports startups and entrepreneurs in developing their businesses through concessionary rental, as well as in their operations and marketing.

The Government has stepped up effort to support the development of the creative industries. I announced in this Budget to inject another $1 billion into CreateSmart Initiative (CSI) to strengthen support for the development of the creative industries, especially in nurturing youths and helping startups, and also to enable the Hong Kong Design Centre to implement initiatives to enhance public understanding of the value of creativity and design.

The Hong Kong Design Centre will collaborate with the Urban Renewal Authority to establish a new design and fashion hub under the redevelopment project of the Tung Chau Street/Kweilin Street, with a view to nurturing the next generation of designers for Hong Kong, and to building a vibrant and energetic community in Sham Shui Po.

June 17, 2018