Public satisfaction and community participation in urban renewal in Hong Kong

Abstract

The premise of this thesis is the relationship between community participation and

public satisfaction in urban renewal projects. Public satisfaction is different from

those evaluation indicators used in most previous studies. Public satisfaction level

evaluates performance of renewal projects based on public’s perspectives instead of a

set of standards. Performances of renewal projects in satisfying the public personally,

in environmental and social aspects were appraised. Both quantity and quality of

community participation of the renewal projects and other factors believed to have

effects on people’s perception were studied.

Quantity of community participation was measured as community participation level

based on the variety of community participation activities organized in the renewal

projects, while quality of community participation was assessed by the satisfaction

level on community participation perceived by the public using questionnaire survey.

Also, public satisfaction levels of renewal projects in different aspects were collected

by questionnaire survey. The relationship between community participation and

public satisfaction was examined by linear regression analysis. Data was collected

from 181 respondents responding to 5 sample projects regarding their satisfaction

level towards the renewal projects in different aspects.

Quality of community participation and public satisfaction level of urban renewal

projects are positively related in different aspects while negative effect of quantity of

community participation on the public satisfaction level was found. It is anticipated

that if the public are satisfied with the community participation activities organized in

a renewal project, they will also be satisfied with the project itself. However, results

unexpectedly showed that public satisfaction level would increase as less community

participation activities were organized in the renewal projects.

This thesis gives insights into the optimum practice of community involvement in

renewal projects and that of urban renewal to satisfy the public’s needs. The results

are suggestive to the ideas that private developments can better formulate the needs of

the public and the public concern more about the quality of community participation

than the variety or number of it.