The way Abbas explores the “image of a city” here is very fascinating, especially how he explores how the concept of the “image of the city” can affect how people see the city, and how this “image” could backfire and erase the city’s impression on viewers. Then he moves on to the concept of a “generic city”, where I strongly agree and resonate, since this is especially true for cities like Hong Kong. Much of the “unexpectedness” of the city were sacrificed for efficiency and uniformity, all just to conform into the “globalized city” of skyscrapers and towers. This definitely makes the city much more “invisible” and loses its original identity, so I think there should be a balance between the city planning and the space for “unexpectedness” in order to preserve and enhance a city’s identity, as too much planning to boost its “image” could be its downfall.
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Back in 1960, Kevin Lynch actually published a small book titled “The Image of the City”. He thoroughly discussed the city’s structure, identities, and how planners/urban designers could contribute to building a memorable city. Ironically to the “generic city” notion, Lynch pointed out “landmarks” as one of the key elements in setting up the city’s image; one of the reasons that we keep on building landmarks to signify the city. As you pointed out, Hong Kong might have become a generic city, like many other cities worldwide. It could also be intriguing to rethink if there are other ways of producing a city that exudes economic progress and globalisation without diminishing its “unexpected” cultural qualities. If it is of your interest, might be interesting to reflect upon and revisit the relevance of Lynch’s points to the 21st century.