The Northern Metropolis is developing rapidly with aims to actively promoting innovation and technology industries and building a new metropolis that is good for living, working, and visit. In this process, the government needs to engage residents in villages and make necessary relocation arrangement so as to develop the future innovation and technology parks, a university town, public and private housing and transport infrastructure. Facing competition from cities around the world and in the region, how can we preserve Hong Kong’s unique culture and everyday life experiences, and rebuild local economies, community facilities, and social connections so that they become cultural assets of the new metropolis? This seminar aims to identify social practices that keep pace with the time. Through evaluation and reflection, participants will explore the details and outcomes of these practices and imagine new forms of practice or service intervention. In this session, we will have artists, curator, urban planner to share how “art, design and community curation” can support the transmission of local culture, economic revitalisation, and the building of close knitted communities. The effectiveness and impact of community curation and planning will be explored as well. If you are interested in this event, please register online ...

We cordially invite social service practitioners to take an afternoon to experience decades of transformation in the northern part of the New Territories. In the past, vast closed areas in the Northern New Territories separated the Mainland and Hong Kong, limiting the movement of people between the two sides. The absence of large-scale development preserved its rural scenery. Later, Mainland migrants moved to Hong Kong due to political unrest, some of them settled in the New Territories, forming villages and sustaining generations through fishing and agriculture. Times have changed. Across the border, Shenzhen transformed into a Special Economic Zone focused on high-tech industries. Subsequently, the Hong Kong government reduced the size of the Frontier Closed Area to develop the borderland, constructing the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Loop to complement the tech strengths of both cities. The Park is a cornerstone project of the Northern Metropolis. Yet, the neighboring Ha Wan Tsuen—a village that witnessed decades of cross-border history—will soon be demolished under this new wave of redevelopment. Its land will be incorporated into the San Tin Technopole to fulfill the vision of Hong Kong-Shenzhen innovation collaboration. Meanwhile, in Fanling North, extensive construction is underway to generate ...

Hong Kong is undergoing significant demographic shifts, notably a steady increase in the number and proportion of single-person households. In the first quarter of 2026, single-person households accounted for 22% of all households in Hong Kong, which means more than one in five households now consists of a solo dweller. Government projections indicate that the solo-living population will exceed 700,000 by 2041. Attentive to the societal impact of these demographic changes, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) hosted the exhibition Unlock: My Story of Solo-Connected Living in March this year, sharing the personal journeys of 12 individuals living on their own. The real-life stories and artwork formed the core of the exhibition, drawing visitors to delve into their experiences and reflections. This newly published booklet (in Chinese) serves as an extension of the exhibition, featuring an expanded collection of 13 detailed stories. Through these narratives, several distinct characteristics of living alone emerge: Challenges and difficulties in family or peer relationships often make living alone become a viable alternative.  Eventually, solo living, for some of them, help improved relationships over time. Lack of stable housing poses significant hurdles to dating, marriage, and upward social mobility, making solo living a ...

According to the Hong Kong Mental Health Survey and related statistics, approximately one in every six to seven people in Hong Kong experiences a Common Mental Disorder (CMD), such as depression and anxiety, indicating an urgent need for mental health support among citizens. In the past, there have been critical incidents in the community where persons in mental recovery committed self-harm or caused harm to others due to a lack of timely support. This highlights the pressing urgency to strengthen the community mental health support network and establish long-term preventive mechanisms. This sharing session aims to bring together the social service sector, frontline teams, and cross-sector partners to jointly explore community support strategies from the perspective of "Prevention and Early Intervention." Key focus areas include: Deepening Medical-Social Collaboration: Exploring referral, case follow-up, and collaboration mechanisms between the Hospital Authority’s Psychiatric Department and Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness (ICCMWs) to enhance the effectiveness of follow-up care for recovering persons in the community. Expanding the Community Gatekeeper Network: Given that many community crises occur in residential areas, housing estates, and shopping malls, we will discuss how to strengthen Mental Health First Aid and identification training for frontline property management practitioners. Additionally, ...

As Hong Kong moves towards a super-aged society, there is a growing demand for elderly care, carer support, end-of-life care, and post-death arrangements. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has implemented the Advance Decision on Life-sustaining Treatment Ordinance on 31st July 2026.Against this background, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) will collaborate with cross-sector stakeholders to organise the “Compassionate Festival 2026” from 16th October to 29th November, 2026. As part of this initiative, the HKCSS will host the “Goods4Death” Market & Exhibition from 30 October to 1 November. Focusing on the needs and stages of care journey, the event has invited 20 organisations, social enterprises, corporations, tertiary institutions, and government department to showcase and offer services and resources across different stages, enabling the public to undertake life planning early and enhance their death literacy. The three-day event will feature a variety of workshops and talks. The HKCSS will also set up an exhibition on the value of life and death and 7 stages of care and its corresponding community resources in order to increase the public understanding of life and care management.. Details are as follows: Date: 30th October to 1st November (Friday to Sunday) ...