The Urban Renewal Authority (URA), officially launched a thematic exhibition, “Urban Renewal Gym”, today (2 November 2026) at H6 CONET in The Center in celebration of its 25th anniversary. Creatively blending the concepts of “vitality and well-being” with “urban renewal”, the exhibition guides visitors through interactive virtual reality (VR), physical, and sensory experiences. This novel approach allows the public to explore the URA’s quarter-century journey of development, its fruitful achievements, and its vision for a future liveable city.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ar Donald Choi, Managing Director of the URA, said, “The theme of this exhibition, ‘Urban Renewal Gym’, is inspired by the familiar concepts of physical fitness and health management. Through this exhibition, we hope to convey a message: much like maintaining physical health, urban renewal is an ongoing, thoughtful and long-term process.”
Ar Choi remarked that the URA has made numerous breakthroughs over the past 25 years. The urban renewal strategies have been evolving continuously to meet societal needs, leading to today’s “district-based, planning-led” approach. He added, “The diverse experiences showcased in this 25th anniversary exhibition reflect the strong support received by the URA, which motivates us to continue injecting vitality into communities through creativity and innovative thinking.”
Key highlights of the “Urban Renewal Gym” Exhibition include:
- Tong Lau Challenge
Visitors can experience firsthand the challenges faced by residents of old tenement buildings (tong lau) as they walk up narrow, worn-out stairs and encounter poor living and hygienic conditions. This firsthand experience allows them to gain a deeper understanding of the pressing urgency of urban renewal. - Riding Through Transformation To Future
By putting on a VR headset and hopping on a stationary bicycle, visitors can embark on a virtual journey through time, experiencing the community benefits brought by the transformation of urban renewal strategies over the past 25 years. - Flower Market’s Changing Room: A Sensory Journey
Conceptually modelled on the Sai Yee Street / Flower Market Road Development Scheme, this exhibit features two standalone, soundproof sensory booths. Infused with a specially blended floral fragrance, the spaces allow visitors to put on headphones and immerse themselves in a vision of the future Flower Market through scent and sound. - Co-create Your Ideal Community
This interactive experience allows visitors to colour a building, a park, and a playground on a touchscreen. Once completed, their creations are immediately projected onto a digital wall display, merging with those of other visitors to form a colourful community blueprint and put the co-creation of an ideal community into practice. - Get Featured on the Cover of URA Time Travel!
Visitors pose against the artist’s impressions of either of the two URA’s signature upcoming projects: new Harbourfront near the Victoria Cove Central (VCC) in To Kwa Wan, or the future Flower Market. Their photos are processed by an AI photobooth and printed as a personalised “URA Time Travel” magazine cover, serving as a unique memorable keepsake. - 25 Fun Facts: Urban Renewal Explorer
A dedicated themed wall features old letterboxes salvaged directly from the Kim Shin Lane / Fuk Wa Street Redevelopment Project, alongside letterboxes handcrafted by local artist Mr Naam Yu using traditional sheet metal techniques. This setup allows visitors to discover 25 fun facts and trivia about urban renewal, beautifully blending historical preservation with engaging exploration.
Upon completing the exhibition journey and filling out a feedback questionnaire, visitors can redeem free limited-edition souvenirs. These include the “Urban Towel” sports towel, representing a fresh new look for urban districts, or the “City Socks” creative socks, symbolising walking hand-in-hand with the public into the future.
The exhibition is open to the public from tomorrow (3 November 2026) until 18 December 2026, from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., at H6 CONET, G/F, The Center. Admission is free, while online pre-registration is required. Guided tours will first visit the fully renovated Urban Renewal Exploration Centre to explore the progress of urban renewal and the blueprint for future development, before heading to the “Urban Renewal Gym” for the immersive experience.
The public can make online reservations starting today at: https://ebooking.ura-vb.org.hk/en/urbanrenewalgym