In the light of climate change and extreme weather, potential flooding risks in Kowloon City have increased over the recent years. The proposal to build an underground stormwater storage tank and at-grade pumping station at Argyle Street Playground prompted the need to understand existing usage patterns and engage with stakeholders who will potentially be impacted by the construction.

By adopting a Design Thinking approach, a series of community engagement activities were devised to reimagine the future potential of the redeveloped open space and the stormwater storage scheme. Early in the process, four key topics were identified for discussion and definition. They include:

1. The current perception of the site

2. The redevelopment of sports and leisure facilities on site

3. The potential integration between leisure and cultural events on site

4. The exploration of public co-usage of the proposed stormwater storage facilities

Reflecting Kowloon City and its rich culture, Argyle Street Playground is an inherently complex site. Being the location of the third largest 7-a-side football pitch in Hong Kong, the annual site for three intangible cultural heritage festivals, and adjacent to one of the oldest Anglican church complex in Hong Kong, the site has long had a special place in the hearts of local residents from To Kwa Wan, Ma Tau Wai, Sung Wong Toi and Kowloon City. It remains a significant centre for Kowloon City and traditional Chinese culture.

While street polling and quantitative survey with local Kowloon City residents kickstarted the process in discovering issues related to the site, focus groups and 1-1 interviews reached out to specific interest groups and users of different ages to further define particular pain points and how the proposed public works can potentially impact their usage in the long-term. We have worked closely with the Holy Trinity Cathedral community, local cultural associations such as the Kowloon City Chiu Kiu Yue Lan Association and football enthusiasts throughout the Design Thinking process.

In May 2023, two co-creation workshops were subsequently held to deepen participants’ knowledge on the project and to explore potential design ideas for the overall scheme and stormwater storage tank co-use. Using results from the persona analysis, participants were invited to explore journeys as a user of the site and the pain points collected in the process serve to reinforce comments identified throughout the engagement process. Co-use scenarios and prototypes were created through the making of low fidelity models, discussions and self-reflection of public open space habits.

In all, we have engaged with over 500 persons, and reached out to over 30 local groups. A report consolidating all engagement findings, analysis and recommendations on the way forward for the design and consultation strategy of the detailed design stage were provided to the Drainage Services Department.