The Old Harbor Area of Kaohsiung refers to the districts surrounding the First Port of Kaohsiung, including Cijin, Yancheng, and South Gushan. These regions currently face industrial decline and population drift due to urban expansion and commercial relocation. To rediscover the power and potential of the future of wellbeing in this area is the mission of the interdisciplinary researchers at the NSYSU, funded by the Humanity Innovation and Social Practice Project hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology (hereafter shortened as “the Old Harbor Squad”).
Using a field-based participatory action research model, the squad has collected consensus through the rediscovery of the local cultural legacy, engaged in resource docking and skill transfer, outlined the vision for the future, produced action plans, and established social network between residents, community organization, and government agencies, while promoting community autonomy, cultivating local talent, in order to maximize the impact on social engagement. .
The Old Harbor Squad has proposed the project entitled “Civic Engagement in FreeStyle” to enhance community awareness and resource docking potential. Various surveys were conducted to determine regional demand, and games, polls, and social media (Facebook and LINE) were used to communicate with the lay people and obtain external fundings from the public sector.
The squad has also collaborated with local artists to create spaces for inter-group interaction and jointly conduct community surveys and organized training workshops focused on raising collective awareness in the community through local art and cultural revitalization practices .
To provide companionship for senior community members, the Squad has collaborated with local visual artists and NSYSU students in orchestrating inclusive board game and handicraft activities. The Squad has also assisted senior to curate exhibition to bridge generational gaps and increase the possibility of artistic and cultural initiatives in the social praxis.
The Old Harbor Squad plans to collaborate with Sin Pin Pier, Yancheng Senior Activity Center, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, and local community association promote communication and social participation across generations and communities, and meet resource docking demands. The Squad endeavors to build a university-community support network through spontaneous effort and partnership, and to reformulate local functions and ecologies during the transformation..
Co-principal investigator Associate Professor Shih-Hsiang SUNG
Sub-principal investigator Associate Professor TEE Kim Tong、Assistant Professor Hao-ching HSIA、Associate Professor Shiao Yun LU
Postdoctoral Research Fellow Ming-Kuo HSU
Research Assistant Chiung-Chih LIN