The Death and Life of Hong Kong’s Illegal Façades

Due to a combination of removal campaigns and comprehensive urban interventions over the years, the streetscape of Hong Kong has been cleared of most of its illegal facade structures, including its iconic street signs and neon billboards. As a consequence, the semiotic richness and immaterial heritage value that once reflected the dynamics of local businesses, collective memories and popular crafts has disappeared from what is now an increasingly sanitised urban landscape. Titled in reference to Jane Jacobs’ landmark work, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), this essay studies the rise, persecution and contemporary reappraisal of Hong Kong’s illegal facades within the city’s historical and legal context – with a special focus on the activism of the not-for-profit neon preservation group called Street Sign HK.