2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Service Hubs in East Asian City-regions: From Self-development to Self-preservation?
| Project/Area Number |
19K13444
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 04020:Human geography-related
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| Research Institution | Kyushu University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | Service hub / Homelessness / Foreign workers / Social inequality / Urban inclusivity / Third sector geographies |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
This research was originally concerned with the preservation strategies of inner-city service hubs amidst large-scale urban renewal trends in Hong Kong and Singapore. While gentrification-like encroachment is noticeable on the ground, no significant pressures for displacement were found. On the contrary, the outbreak of the pandemic has had a consolidating effect on the service hubs, especially as frontline service providers to precarious populations. The spatial form of this consolidation process showed different features, though. In Hong Kong, a thickening of services was observed as third sector organizations have entered local housing markets to revive vacant units as social housing. This resembles the wider housing context were new co-living arrangements have been gaining momentum. In Singapore, new civil organizations networks have expended the reach of service hubs beyond their inner-city turf. Both trends have theoretical implications for the concept of urban inclusivity.
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| Free Research Field |
Human Geography
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
Service hubs are highly innovative during social crises, foremost due to third sector services being able to maneuver outside rigid public policy structures. This research has raised social awareness on the indispensable role that service hubs play amidst high inequality in city-regions.
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