Bigger Better Kowloon Walled City!

I don't doubt you've at least heard about 'The Walled City' in Kowloon that existed here in Hong Kong. An I can assume that if you know about this place you've at one time picked up the definitive photo book 'City of Darkenss' by Ian Lambot and Greg Girard released in 1994, the same year the 'city' was demolished. Well, now this excellent book is getting revisited and released on Kickstarter. Even if you don't fancy donating, its a super interesting read at your local library.

The Kowloon Walled City was the most densely populated place on Earth in it's day and nothing has come close it since. At its peak it had an estimated 50,000 official inhabitants on 0.026 km2 area of land that's about 1,900,000 people per square kilometer. Compare that to your city at rush hour and it pales in comparison. Originally a military fort, a mass of interconnected 12- and 14-story buildings spun around the city block, forming one huge single unrestrained structure. Self governed and with no oversight it was definitely a unique architectural and social phenomenon and a pretty interesting place.

Although nothing comes close to being like Kowloon Walled City, there are still a few analogues in the world: places that approach it in their social structure or the way they’re constructed, even if nowhere comes close to its population or density. Finally the increasing disparity between conditions in the Walled City and conditions elsewhere across Hong Kong led the Hong Kong and British governments to take steps to dismantle the city. It took 10 years and billions of Hong Kong dollars to complete the project.

Now the land is just a faceless city 'park' with only peoples memories and this excellent book to show. Check it our today.