Community organisations are invited to take part in the Partnering Organisation Programme of the Review on Urban Renewal Strategy (URS Review) to further enhance public participation in the review process.
District Councils, professional bodies, and educational and community organisations are invited to submit proposals for running activities related to the review. These activities may take the form of exhibitions, competitions, workshops, discussion forums, and so on.
The project proposals will be assessed according to their objectives, creativity, feasibility, outreach scale, cost effectiveness and the applicants' experience in the organisation of similar events.
Successful organisations will become the URS Review's partnering organisations and each may receive up to $10,000 to implement the approved projects during the "public engagement" stage of the review from February to December 2009.
A spokesman for the Development Bureau said today (December 12) that the partnering programme aimed to encourage the public to take a more active part in the review and to stimulate more creative ideas to help shape the future direction of urban regeneration in Hong Kong.
The URS Review Partnering Organisation Programme will be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 is for proposed projects to be started from February to June 2009, and Phase 2 is for those from July to November 2009. Interested applicants should submit their proposals for Phase 1 on or before January 30, 2009. Details of the programme are available at the URS Review website (www.ursreview.gov.hk).
The Government set up the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) in 2001 with the mission of creating quality and vibrant living in Hong Kong and published the current URS to provide broad policy guidance for the URA's work.
To ensure that the URS will continue to reflect the community's changing aspirations and priorities on urban renewal, the Government launched a review of the strategy in July 2008. The two-year review comprises three stages: the envisioning stage (July 2008 - January 2009), the public engagement stage (February - December 2009) and the consensus building stage (January - April 2010).
Ends/Friday, December 12, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:18
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