Revitalizing Rural Communities

This book highlights the challenges and opportunities of (re)constructing a sustainable rural community on the outskirts of the urban community. Based on knowledge and experience accumulated through implementing a rural revitalisation project in Hong Kong since 2013, the book provides an in-depth analysis of a case study along with related concepts from the literature. In particular, the concept of rural resilience is broken down and used to examine how communities at the urban-rural interface can leverage their position and connections to (re)create vibrant sustainable communities. The revitalisation project was showcased in the databases of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Equator Initiative and the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) as well as achieving Special Recognition for Sustainable Development in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2020.  This book teases out the key issues in the process of revitalising a rural community in the peri-urban context and examines the complexities embedded in each issue and how they can be addressed in the quest for rural sustainability.

Vivian Chu is Assistant Lecturer at the Centre for Civil Society and Governance. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Geography) and a Master of Science (Environment, Science and Society) from the University College London and received her Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include environmental policy, collaborative governance, and sustainability, and her doctoral research focused on the role of policy entrepreneurs in cross-boundary environmental management in Southern China. Her recent research on cross-sector collaboration is centered on the building of sustainable rural communities.

Jessica Williams is Post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Civil Society and Governance in the Faculty of Social Sciences. She holds an LLB in Law from the University of Exeter and a Master of Science (International Relations) from Cardiff University. She received a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests lie in environmental policy, collaborative governance and sustainability. Her doctoral research focused on the transboundary water security issues in South and Southeast Asia, in particular, the governance and management of the major river systems originating from the Tibetan Plateau.  Her current focus is on the governance of rural areas and communities, with a focus on sustainability issues.

Wai-Fung (Danny) Lam is Professor of Public Administration, Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG), Co-Director of the Centre for Water Technology and Policy (CWTP), Director of the Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) Programme, and Director of the Master Public Administration (MPA) Programme at The University of Hong Kong. He finished his undergraduate study at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and received a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Indiana University, Bloomington. Professor Lam is an expert in common-pool resource management, institutional policy analysis, public policy process, public governance, and civil society. His research has focused on the design of efficient institutional arrangements for the governance and management of public resources, a core issue in public administration, sustainable development, and civil society.

Winnie Law is the Deputy Director and Principal Lecturer at the Centre for Civil Society and Governance of The University of Hong Kong. She conducts policy research, action research and knowledge exchange projects on rural revitalization, social innovation, community engagement and corporate sustainability. Dr. Law has been active in the nonprofit sector and has served on a number of HKSAR Government’s advisory committees including Advisory Council for the Environment. At the regional level, Dr Law was engaged in the capacity of planning and social monitoring expert in the EU and UNDP planning and environmental management programmes in Southeast Asia.