Department of Public and International Affairs

City University of Hong Kong

Course Code : GE2244

Course Title : The Hidden City: Space, Power and Social Process in Hong Kong

Offering : 2023 – 24 Semester B

Semester Class Meeting: Wednesday 1700 – 1950
Credit Units : 3
Course Duration : One Semester
Course Lecturer : Prof. Ho Alfred Tat-Kei (Week 2, 10 – 12)

Email: alfredho@cityu.edu.hk Office: LI-5302 Tel: 3442 8902

Course Leader / Dr. Lawrence YUNG

Lecturer
Email: sayung@cityu.edu.hk Office: LI-5537 Tel: 3442 4890

Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)

1. Describe the urban processes and diversity of densely populated cities.

2. Analyze hidden processes and diversity of the city with alternate perspectives.

3. Derive new perspective(s) in interpreting local urban issues and processes.

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is central to the conduct of academic work. Students are expected to
present their own work, give proper acknowledgement of other’s work, and honestly report
findings obtained.
Academic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offence in the University. Any related offence can
lead to disciplinary action with a penalty including expulsion from the University and
debarment from re-admission.

Extracted from Rules on Academic Honesty, City University of Hong Kong

http://www.cityu.edu.hk/provost/academic_honesty/rules_on_academic_honesty.htm

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 Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools

Students are prohibited to use generative artificial intelligence tools in this course’s
assessment tasks. AI-generated text detection tools will be used to check all student works
submitted for this course. Commensurate penalties from mark deduction to a fail grade will be
imposed in identified case(s) of using generative artificial intelligence tools in the assessment
tasks of this course. Students should refrain from any use of generative artificial intelligence
tools in the assessment tasks of this course. As a group project, all members in a project group
must ensure collectively that no member(s) use generative artificial intelligence tools in the
assessment tasks.

Assessment Tasks 100% by Coursework

Class Participation: 5%
Presentation of Group Project: 5%
Report for Group Project: 50% (due on 17/4 17:00)
Individual Paper: 20% (due on 19/4 17:00)
Final Quiz: 20%

Please submit your assignments to the designated folders on Canvas. Late submission will be
penalized 5% per day.

Schedule
Lecture Lecture Topic Lecture Overview
1 Introduction and Overview Course Intended Learning Outcomes
Virtual-tour-based Project Demonstration and
17 Jan Assessment Tasks
General Introduction of Hong Kong

2 Multiple Diversities in the Economic Diversity

City Demographic Diversity
24 Jan Ethnic and Cultural Diversity
Managing Diversity

*Class Participation Task

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 3 The Hidden Space: The Values of the Long-distance Trails in the
Biodiversity and Country Country Parks of Hong Kong
31 Jan Parks
*Grouping in Week 3

4 Public Open Space and the Spatial Triad of Henri Lefebvre (conceived space,
Production of Space perceived space, lived space)
7 Feb
*Class Participation Task

5 Skills and Techniques Approaches, Format and Methodologies of the

Group Project
21 Feb Video Making and Data Collection

Group discussion on topics for group project

6 Planning the Study: Reviewing the topics for group project

Approaches and Group discussion on planning the study
28 Feb Methodologies

7–8 Conducting Fieldwork Study Conducting Fieldwork at your group’s own pace
and arrangement
6/13 Mar
9 Preparing for the Consultation by appointment
Presentation
20 Mar
10 – 12 Presentation of Field Study All groups will take turn to present the results of
Findings Fieldwork Study, followed by Q&A
27 Mar
3/10 Apr *Class Participation Task

13 Conclusion and Quiz Short Quiz on materials covered from Week 1 – 7

17 Apr

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 Group Project (55%)

Learning Objectives (and also assessment criteria):

• Demonstrating the ability to integrate course content and theories introduced in the
course in the Group Project
• Construction/ interpretation from an alternative or innovative perspective
• Implementing skills on video-making effectively and innovatively
• Demonstrating solid research outcome
• Communicating the message to viewers effectively

Students will form a team of 5 students in Week 3. Group discussion and planning on the group
project will be in Week 6. Presentations are in Week 10 – 12. Submit your presentation file to
Canvas the day before your presentation. Presentations should be around 20-25 minutes.
Students are expected to actively participate in asking questions and offering suggestions
during presentations.

The Report for Group Project should consist of the following parts:
• The rationale and objectives of the study conducted by the group
• An account of the research effort paid by the group and the research outcome
• An account of the technology used in the group project
• A list of reference

The word count should be around 3000 – 3300 words, with 10 – 15 photos, and 2 – 3 video
clips (each about 2 – 3 minutes). The photos and video clips should be produced firsthand by
the team. Other visual materials from the internet can also be added (but need to properly
acknowledge the source and, if necessary, seek copyright approval).

Excellent Group Projects will be posted on CityU website and used for international
engagement.

Individual Paper – A Reflection of Your Learning (20%)

Learning objectives
• Critically evaluating the learning process
• Discussing an urban issue that interests you
• Communicating the message to viewers effectively

Each student shall write a reflection on their learning process and the insight acquired from
such process.

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 The reflection will include 3 sections:

1. A reflection (~300 words) on the required reading in an area you are NOT doing your
group project (i.e. if Public Open Space is your group project topic, it cannot be your
reflection topic).
2. A summary (~300 words) of what you have learned from the course.
3. Field Notes (~300 words) to record your participation in the group project – what role
you perform, how you evaluate the process of the group project (what have you
learned, what problems you encountered, what can be improved. The notes should
include both texts and photos.

Required Readings

Multiple Diversities in the City

• Almeida, S. (2019), Mythical encounters: challenging racism in the diverse city,

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 39(11/12): 937-949. [Link]
• Elias, A., Mansouri, F. & Sweid, R. (2021) Public Attitudes Towards Multiculturalism
and Interculturalism in Australia. Int. Migration & Integration 22: 1063–1084. [Link]
• Graham, K. A., & Philips, S. D. (2006) Another Fine Balance: Managing Diversity in
Canadian Cities, Institute for Research on Public Policy, vol III: 1- 40. [Link]
• Kwan, Shawna (2020) How Covid Helped Gentrify One of Hong Kong’s Poorest
Districts, Bloomberg CityLab. [Link]

The Hidden Space

• Brown Will (2020) A New Way to Understand the City: Henri Lefebvre’s Spatial Triad.
[Link]
• Jian, I. Y., Chan, E. H., Xu, Y., & Owusu, E. K. (2021). Inclusive public open space for all:
Spatial justice with health considerations. Habitat International, 118, 102457. [Link]
• T. O. Cheung & Fook Yee Wong (2022): Overview the Values of the Long-distance
Trails in the Country Parks of Hong Kong, Tourism Planning & Development. [Link]

The Hidden Inequality

• Chen, H., Ng, M. K., Es, M., Lee, J., Mak, W. W., Tong, Y., ... & Zhou, H. (2018). Socio-
spatial polarization and the (re-) distribution of deprived groups in world cities: A case
study of Hong Kong. Urban Geography, 39(7), 969-987. [Link]
• Cheung, K. C. K., & Chou, K. L. (2018). Child poverty among Hong Kong ethnic
minorities. Social Indicators Research, 137(1), 93-112. [Link]

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 • Ho, W. C., Kwan, P., & Hu, L. (2022). A longitudinal study of intergenerational
transmission of poverty in Hong Kong across the 2010s: Social investment,
homeownership and mother’s education. International Social Work,
00208728211065741. [Link]
• Lai, E. T., Yu, R., & Woo, J. (2020). The associations of income, education and income
inequality and subjective well-being among elderly in Hong Kong—A multilevel
analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4),
1271. [Link]
• Lee, Kim Ming, Wong, Hung, Law, Kim Yee (2007) Social Polarisation and Poverty in
the Global City: The Case of Hong Kong, China Report, 43(1):1-30. [Link]
• Siu, J. Y. M. (2021). Health inequality experienced by the socially disadvantaged
populations during the outbreak of COVID‐19 in Hong Kong: An interaction with social
inequality. Health & social care in the community, 29(5), 1522-1529. [Link]

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