To strengthen communication with the residents of WFE and extend care for them along the way, HD has been actively liaising with the residents and various stakeholders since 2018 by listening carefully to their voices, answering their questions about the redevelopment arrangements, and exploring together ways to create a new community more liveable for everyone. Meanwhile, HD also takes a stroll down memory lane with the local residents through organising various events to have a nostalgic look at the rich history and share the memories of WFE over the past 50-odd years, including its friendly and nice neighhourhood, distinctive public space along the hillside, and the caring culture unique to the public housing community. HD has compiled these stories and the latest information about the redevelopment into a regularly published newsletter titled “On the Road to Redevelopment” for distribution to all residents. These interesting stories not only refresh the collective memories of WFE residents and inspire their designs for the future community, but also convey the residents’ aspirations for their new homes.

In order to better gauge the residents’ views on planning, design and public space of the new community, HD has organised the “Subjects of Wah Fu” design workshops from 2022 to 2024. At a workshop held in June 2023, a grandmother recalled the blissful moments she spent with her granddaughter in WFE gazing up at the starlit sky together and recounting legends of myth, hoping that such an experience might help nurture her granddaughter’s interest in learning more about the universe, and her granddaughter would get admitted into university in her pursuit of knowledge. Much inspired by her story, the project team of HD modified the initial design of a pavilion for leisure into a multi-purpose “Stargazing Pavilion” for stargazing, shelter from the sun, and social activities. HD expects that this distinctive facility will serve as a landmark in the new community featuring the fond memories and aspirations shared by all the residents, while allowing the legacy of the star-gazing story to inspire many others in the new neighbourhood.

As civil servants, the project team members of HD have an important mission of building a liveable community. They believe that as long as they serve in the public with enthusiasm and proactively responding to their needs with an innovative mindset, they can build a better Hong Kong together. It is expected that the new community that will emerge after WFE redevelopment will not only enhance the living environment of residents, but also enable the passing down of the unique history, culture, and values of WFE to future generations for Hong Kong’s further advancement.