Research on the Revitalization Modes and Mechanisms of Historical Buildings in High-density Cities: A Case Study of Hong Kong

Abstract

The conservation and revitalization of historic buildings constitute a critical challenge for high-density cities in balancing urban development with cultural continuity. Hong Kong’s practice in this domain offers paradigmatic insights. This study systematically examines the evolutionary trajectory and defining characteristics of heritage revitalization in Hong Kong, identifying three prototypical modes through the analytical framework of multi-stakeholder interest coordination. This study reveals that negotiable interest commonality serves as the inherent driver shaping these differentiated models, with governance processes involving interest concession, value co-creation, and benefit-sharing mechanisms. Hong Kong’s experience provides actionable references for Asian megacities undergoing urban regeneration, such as integrating differentiated incentives with rigid protection, synthesizing cultural inheritance with innovation, and strengthening whole-process public participation to forge preservation consensus.