An example on using the exploratory study and keywords-based research theme formulation: for Housing Studies students (information from perplexity.ai): on the topic of urban redevelopment
My question 1: "What is urban redevelopment all about with reference to the subject of housing market?"
The reply: "Urban redevelopment in relation to the housing market refers to large-scale efforts to revitalize, upgrade, or transform urban areas, especially those with aging or dilapidated buildings and underused land. It aims to improve land utilization, optimize urban space, enhance the living environment, and ultimately increase urban livability. The process often includes demolishing old structures, constructing new residential and commercial buildings, and improving urban amenities.
In the housing market context, urban redevelopment has several important impacts:
It usually leads to an increase in housing prices in the surrounding areas during different stages of redevelopment such as announcement, construction, and operation phases, with price rises typically ranging between about 3.5% and 4.5%.
Redevelopment increases the supply of construction land and the floor-to-area ratio, potentially adding to the existing housing stock and affecting local housing prices.
It improves housing conditions and urban amenities, thereby attracting demand and pushing up property values, which can also lead to gentrification in some cases.
The redevelopment process often includes rehousing tenants and housing policy interventions, which aim to address urban decay and improve living standards.
Spillover effects from urban redevelopment influence local housing markets beyond the immediate redevelopment area, creating a positive premium for nearby properties.
Overall, urban redevelopment is a critical strategy for addressing urban decay, optimizing land use, and boosting the housing market by transforming older urban districts into more vibrant, livable, and economically valuable urban spaces. It affects housing prices, supply, and living environment quality, shaping both demand and supply sides of the housing market."
My question 2: "What are the main research gaps on this topic?"
The reply: "The main research gaps on urban redevelopment with reference to the housing market include:
Limited empirical evaluation of the externalities and broader impacts of urban village or large-scale redevelopment projects on local housing markets, such as how supply and demand channels balance out and the long-term consequences for housing affordability and availability.
Oversupply issues caused by government and developer responses to redevelopment that are sometimes driven by growth motives rather than nuanced demand forecasts, leading to inflated housing supply and resulting price distortions.
A skew in research focus toward supply-side challenges, with insufficient attention to demand-side dynamics such as speculative demand growth, changes in market expectations, and household behavioral responses during redevelopment processes.
Lack of understanding about how urban redevelopment influences housing price gradients before and after projects, including the spillover effects to neighboring areas and the varied impacts across different income groups or districts.
Limited insight into the social and community effects of urban redevelopment, including gentrification processes and displacement issues, and their interaction with housing market changes.
Insufficient knowledge on how policy instruments and planning innovations (e.g., plot ratio transfers, land use flexibility) can better align redevelopment with housing market needs, especially in contexts of weak property markets or land shortages.
Emerging challenges of integrating sustainability and decarbonization imperatives within urban redevelopment and real estate market dynamics remain underexplored.
Overall, future research needs to balance supply and demand perspectives, adopt more comprehensive and dynamic analytical methodologies, and investigate the socioeconomic and policy dimensions of urban redevelopment’s impacts on housing markets to provide more holistic and actionable insights."
My question 3: "What are the Hong Kong public media-reported issues on this topic?"
The reply: "The Hong Kong public media-reported issues on urban redevelopment in the housing market revolve around several key challenges:
Oversupply and Market Downturn: Reports highlight an ongoing oversupply problem in the housing market, with new private residential inventory reaching a balance only by the end of 2025 but unsold units remaining high. Home prices have declined recently, partly due to economic uncertainties and elevated interest rates impacting demand and investment sentiment. Developers face high financial costs and must adopt aggressive pricing to maintain sales velocity during this property downturn.
Need for Policy Review and Incentives: There are calls to simplify land sales conditions, divide sites into smaller parcels, and adjust the Urban Renewal Authority (URA)’s Home Purchase Allowance criteria to better align with lowered housing prices. These measures aim to stimulate developer participation in redevelopment projects amid a market downturn.
Aging Building Stock and Urban Decay: The rapid ageing of buildings in Hong Kong drives urgent urban renewal needs. The Urban Renewal Authority faces financial challenges amid a sluggish property market, complicating redevelopment progress. This aging stock problem amplifies the need for revitalization to maintain livability and safety.
Public Housing Supply and Affordability: The government has pledged to speed up public housing supply with significant unit production planned from 2026 onwards to address Hong Kong’s chronic housing shortage and affordability issues. Expanding public housing production and revising ownership schemes for younger families are priorities amid redevelopment initiatives.
Urban Renewal Authority Acquisition Challenges: Recent media reports mention acquisition offers and negotiations with property owners affected by redevelopment projects, indicating ongoing complexities and sensitivities in property acquisition phases.
Calls for Efficiency and Innovation: Public discourse includes support for streamlining urban renewal processes, enhancing land use efficiency through zoning flexibility, and incorporating modern construction technologies to reduce costs and accelerate project timelines.
In summary, Hong Kong’s media reports frame urban redevelopment as crucial but challenged by market oversupply, aged infrastructure, financial and policy hurdles, and urgent housing affordability and supply needs. The topic is deeply intertwined with broader economic conditions, government policy interventions, and efforts to balance revitalization with social equity."
My question 4: "Please propose 4 concrete Housing Studies dissertation research themes based on the following keywords: urban redevelopment in Hong Kong, Housing Market, urban decay in Hong Kong, urban space."
The reply: "Here are four concrete dissertation research themes in Housing Studies based on the keywords urban redevelopment in Hong Kong, housing market, urban decay in Hong Kong, and urban space:
Gentrification and Displacement Effects of Urban Redevelopment in Hong Kong
Investigate the socio-economic and cultural impacts of URA-led urban renewal projects on original lower-income communities, focusing on displacement, changes in neighborhood identity, and social upgrading. Examine the interplay between redevelopment, rising property values, and community exclusion in decaying urban spaces.
Spillover Effects of Urban Redevelopment on Housing Prices and Land Use in Hong Kong
Analyze the time-varying and land-use induced spillover effects of redevelopment projects on local housing markets. Study how different phases of redevelopment impact residential property values and neighborhood spatial price gradients, with attention to the trade-offs between land use changes and housing supply.
Challenges and Incentives in Urban Renewal: Developer Participation in Hong Kong’s High-Density Context
Explore policy obstacles and market incentives shaping urban renewal participation by private developers in Hong Kong, particularly in high-density areas suffering from urban decay. Examine government interventions, land use flexibility, and financial support schemes influencing redevelopment outcomes.
Revitalizing Urban Space through Sustainable Redevelopment: Balancing Housing Affordability and Quality of Life in Hong Kong
Study how urban redevelopment can integrate sustainability goals with affordable housing provision to improve urban attractiveness and livability. Assess strategies for minimizing displacement, addressing aging building stock, and enhancing social inclusiveness in renewal areas, contributing to sustainable urban development.
These themes align with ongoing research and public discourse on Hong Kong’s urban redevelopment challenges, providing meaningful academic inquiry into housing markets, urban decay, and space utilization."
My question 5: "Please suggest 3 research objectives, 2 research questions and 2 relevant research gaps to each of the 4 research themes proposed above."
The reply: "Here are suggested research objectives, research questions, and research gaps for each of the four proposed dissertation themes on urban redevelopment and housing market in Hong Kong:
1. Gentrification and Displacement Effects of Urban Redevelopment in Hong Kong
Research Objectives:
To understand the socio-economic changes caused by URA-led urban renewal projects on original lower-income communities.
To examine the extent and patterns of displacement and exclusion of original residents during redevelopment.
To explore residents' perceptions and responses to gentrification and neighborhood changes.
Research Questions:
How do urban redevelopment projects affect the displacement and exclusion of original working-class communities in Hong Kong?
What are the social and cultural impacts of gentrification resulting from redevelopment on community identity?
Research Gaps:
Limited qualitative and mixed-method research capturing residents' lived experiences and perceptions of displacement and gentrification.
Lack of in-depth analysis on cultural displacement and social exclusion beyond physical relocation.
2. Spillover Effects of Urban Redevelopment on Housing Prices and Land Use in Hong Kong
Research Objectives:
To quantify the impact of urban redevelopment phases on neighboring housing prices and spatial price gradients.
To analyze how land use changes from redevelopment influence local housing markets.
To identify the temporal dynamics of housing price spillovers surrounding redevelopment zones.
Research Questions:
What are the spatial and temporal patterns of housing price spillovers from urban redevelopment in Hong Kong?
How do land use changes induced by redevelopment projects affect housing supply and affordability in adjacent areas?
Research Gaps:
Scarcity of fine-grained, time-series studies on housing price dynamics linked to redevelopment phases.
Limited integration of land use policy analysis with housing market responses around redevelopment.
3. Challenges and Incentives in Urban Renewal: Developer Participation in Hong Kong’s High-Density Context
Research Objectives:
To identify the main policy and financial obstacles limiting private developer engagement in urban renewal.
To evaluate existing incentive schemes aimed at promoting redevelopment participation.
To compare Hong Kong’s urban renewal approaches with international best practices to propose policy optimizations.
Research Questions:
What are the key obstacles and motivators for developers engaging in urban renewal projects in Hong Kong?
How effective are existing policy incentives in enhancing redevelopment feasibility and sustainability?
Research Gaps:
Under-researched effectiveness and alignment of incentive policies with market realities in a high-density urban context.
Lack of comparative studies benchmarking Hong Kong’s urban renewal incentives against successful international models.
4. Revitalizing Urban Space through Sustainable Redevelopment: Balancing Housing Affordability and Quality of Life in Hong Kong
Research Objectives:
To assess how sustainable urban redevelopment strategies can integrate affordable housing provision.
To evaluate the impact of redevelopment on social inclusiveness and environmental quality.
To identify best practices to mitigate negative effects like displacement while enhancing livability.
Research Questions:
How can sustainable redevelopment balance housing affordability with environmental and social quality in Hong Kong?
What strategies mitigate displacement and improve social inclusiveness during urban renewal projects?
Research Gaps:
Insufficient focus on integrating sustainability and social equity in redevelopment planning.
Limited empirical evaluations of redevelopment effects on environmental quality and social cohesion.
These objectives, questions, and gaps provide concrete bases for dissertation research bridging theoretical, policy, and empirical dimensions relevant to Hong Kong’s urban redevelopment and housing market challenges."
** a relevant reading: the 3-step method.
A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.
