Hacking Kowloon East

Even before the pandemic, digital technology challenged patterns of social and economic life in cities. With the growth of e-commerce and other digital platforms, urban experiences are increasingly mediated through virtual platforms. While lockdowns have led to a diminished urban social life, the crisis also presents opportunities to re-imagine how citizens relate to one another. This virtual design course brought together students from Hong Kong and MIT to develop a master plan for Hong Kong's Kowloon East area. 

Hacking Kowloon East: Technology for Activating Urban Life

MIT SA+P, in partnership with the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, is proud to offer a 'virtual design course' brining students from Hong Kong and MIT together to address some of the challenges cities are facing now. Students were expected to participate in a January charette, held virtually and synchronously between Hong Kong and Boston. Throughout the Spring, the course met weekly. Students were organized into groups, each focused on developing a comprehensive plan for activating a particular part of Hong Kong's Kowloon East area. 

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