How the Kowloon Walled City Worked

The podcast explores the history and characteristics of the Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong, once the most densely populated place on Earth. It details how the city originated from a Chinese military installation and evolved into an ungoverned enclave following the Opium Wars and the 99-year lease of Hong Kong to the British. The discussion highlights the city's unique organic megastructure, formed by buildings constructed without regulations, and the resulting lack of sunlight at street level. Despite the presence of crime and unsanitary conditions, the city fostered a functional society with various businesses, schools, and community organizations. The podcast also covers the city's eventual demolition in the 1990s, after an agreement between China and Britain, and its transformation into a park.