Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with an overall density of some 6,250 people per square kilometer. The tiny portion of flat land available for construction in Hong Kong (estimated to be around 200 sq. kms) has led to a hyper-concentrated high-rise environment. Most Hong Kong people do not have enough private space for their needs, therefore public space becomes private space. Private acts happen in public places: laundry, even vegetables are dried on fences surrounding the housing estates, house plants are raised in back alleys, shoes are jammed under outside water pipes because there is no space inside for them, washed gloves are hug to dry on barbed wire. If there is no more space inside, something must go out: mops, shovels, pots and pans are hung on hooks on the walls outside of apartments. In order to survive in this dense environment, one must be able to adapt. In comparison to the ordered and well planned European cities, Hong Kong is almost like a plant - it grows organically, making space for itself wherever possible. The face of a newly built public housing estate is a blank slate - several years later its facade reflects the ingenuity and improvisational talents of its inhabitants.