Rethinking Community Making – Neighborhood Innovation

Workshop will be conducted in Cantonese 工作坊將以廣東話舉行

What if the next frontier of place-based innovation is about laying the foundations for communities to thrive on their own terms? Building on existing community making efforts in Sham Shui Po, this roundtable workshop leaps from promoting “software” interventions to the underlying urban development system — by discovering the potential of the Community Foundation model. This intimate, small-group workshop is designed to enable delegates to co-investigate whether and how Community Foundation can become a replicable framework for place-based development and innovation in Hong Kong.

Session Learnings:

• How can Community Foundation be designed for neighbourhoods at different stages of urban development? How might we lay the groundwork for instilling long-term community ownership?
• What role can stakeholders play as long-term stewards, not just sponsors, of community engagement efforts?
• How do we evaluate the health of a community foundation — beyond economic indicators, toward social cohesion and civic agency?

Post-Event Actions:

• Personal reflection: what untapped community networks exist in your neighbourhood, and how might you engage as a participant, not just an observer?
• Organisation reflection: could a community foundation approach elevate your current place-based urban development approach?
• Identify one concrete step to shift your organisation’s community engagement from transactional giving towards shared ownership with the community