The residential environment is a prominent factor in one’s physical, mental, and social conditions. Local governments around the world have been developing solutions to create sustainable, prosperous residential neighborhoods. This SDG story introduces the Well-being Design Guide for public housing in the Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China.
Thanks to insights from an interview with the Hong Kong Housing Bureau, Hong Kong Housing Authority and the Secretary for Housing, Ms. HO Wing Yin, Winnie Justice of the Peace (JP), this article wants to share the power of people-centred and design in fostering the sense of well-being among residents.
Hear from Ms. HO Wing Yin, Winnie JP, here.
Background: what inspired this project?
The project starts in late 2022, when the new government term faced the challenge of building over 300,000 public housing units to meet Hong Kong’s housing demand. Realizing this large number of new homes would soon shape Hong Kong’s neighborhoods for decades, the Housing Bureau asked a key question: what would future housing estates need?
Several key considerations emerged.
- Firstly, sustainability is essential since residents are staying in their new homes for many years.
- Secondly, public housing estates should promote inclusiveness by offering equal opportunities to residents, especially those who are socially or economically disadvantaged.
- Thirdly, age-friendly design is vital given the projected rapid increase of elderly populations.
- Fourthly, market dynamics and budget allocation need to be carefully managed to ensure that the interests of both public and private housing owners and tenants are met.
From these reflections, the Housing Bureau arrived at a guiding question that inspired this project: “How to cultivate a sense of well-being among residents?“
It is worth noting that “well-being” here does not refer to international frameworks such as the Quality of Living Index or the WELL Building Standard, but rather to something subjective, perceptual, and personal—the residents’ own sense of happiness and well-being.
What is the Well-being Design Guide
The Well-being Design Guide is a practical resource for Hong Kong’s public housing estates aimed at enhancing residents’ sense of well-being by the Housing Bureau and Housing Authority. It addresses the Housing Bureau’s question on fostering well-being by offering both physical and digital support.
Hardware-wise, the guide translates the abstract idea of well-being into eight concepts, more than 50 strategies, and over 180 design tips that estates can customize to local contexts. Software-wise, the Guide includes the “HAppy Family,” 10 mascots derived from typical public-housing floor plans. These anthropomorphized figures help communicate how life in public housing can be happy and vibrant.
Credit: Hong Kong Housing Authority
Development process: listening and conceptualisation
The key task of this project is the conceptualisation of well-being. The challenge lays in defining the concept of well-being among millions of public housing residents, each with their own understanding. The Housing Authority’s consultant team visited all 17 districts with public housing estates in Hong Kong to hear directly from the residents.
Recognizing that such an abstract concept might be hard to put into words, the team used a method that allowed graphical representation of residents’ ideas of well-being. Through conversations and engagement with over 3,000 residents, the team gained insight into how residents perceive well-being.
To explore the concept of well-being, the Housing Authority followed four steps:
- Listen
- Define
- Ideate
- Co-create
Because well-being is personal and evolving, the Housing Authority uses an iterative process, reviewing and updating the concept and guidelines constantly.
Credit: Hong Kong Housing Authority
Key concepts of well-being
The Well-being Design Guide encompasses four layers and eight key concepts of well-being. These four layers of well-being are individual, family, community, and society. Connection with the community and the city, as the team has found, is a prominent contributor to well-being beyond one’s own happiness.
The eight key concepts of well-being are as follows:
- Health and vitality: to create an environment that fosters health and active living.
- Sustainable and green living: to encompass nature, urban green environment, and sustainable design.
- Family and communal connection: to provide an environment that cultivates social connections, community engagement, and family bonding.
- Inter-generational and inclusive living: to enhance social connections between different ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds.
- Age-friendliness: to design an age-friendly environment, particularly for the elderly.
- Upward mobility: to enable residents to access support from service organisations, develop their potential and enhance their confidence in upward mobility.
- Urban integration: to enhance community mobility and accessibility to transportation networks for urban connectivity.
- Perception and image: to build a sense of belonging that cultivates a positive neighbourhood image.
Credit: Hong Kong Housing Authority
Government mechanism driving the project
Behind the scenes, several government mechanisms are the catalyst of the implementation of the project:
- First, cross-departmental collaboration. The public housing estate development project involves several departments, for instance, the Highways Department, the Lands Department, and the Architectural Department. These departments regularly meet with the Well-being Design team to better understand each other’s needs. They also developed a good relationship during the co-development process.
- The formal and informal connections between departments enable close collaboration. For instance, the creation of vibrant bicycle parking facilities under an overpass requires collaboration among the estate manager, the Highways Department, and the Well-being Design team.
- Another essential component is the communications mechanism, which ensures the efficient implementation of the project. Several new public housing estates and estate renewal were developed together with the Guide. Therefore, the public housing team can update their observations and needs to the Well-being Design Guides team, making the guide a “living” document that responds to on-the-ground realities.
- Moreover, the public housing design and management team constantly reports to the assistant director of the Well-being Design team, who oversees the implementation of the guidelines.
Putting into practice: Yip Wong Estate
Yip Wong Estate in Tun Mun is a public housing estate that exemplifies the concepts and strategies in the Well-being Design Guide.
The estate is filled with co-created products. From handrails designed for older adults’ ergonomics to leaning rails in elevators and hangers next to mailboxes for groceries, the designs focus on people and are tailored to diverse needs.
To know what residents truly wanted, the Well-being Design team partnered with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to prototype, for example, multiple bench designs. Residents were then invited to test them and share their preferences, ensuring that the final designs reflected their true needs and comfort.
These innovative designs are turning the neighborhood into a fun and enjoyable place.
Ho Wing Yin, Winnie JP
Secretary for Housing
Hong Kong SAR, China
For us, the process of creation is just as important as the end product. […] The estate is full of designs that show genuine care, thoughtfulness, and a willingness to go the extra mile.
Events and service organisations
Beyond physical design, workshops, mobile services, and events are active features in estates like Yip Wong Estate.
The Well-being Design Guide is now applied to all new public housing developments, with plans to renew 10 existing estates each year in line with its principles.
Lessons learnt
The Well-being Design Guide in Hong Kong shows how listening, engagement, and thoughtful design can promote well-being and build more vibrant neighborhoods. It views public housing as a platform for health, inclusion, and opportunity. In an era focused on standardization and quantitative metrics, this case provides a helpful reminder to pay attention to the lived, subjective experiences of residents.
