The local government yesterday presented its final proposal on amending Macau’s urban master plan to members of the Urban Planning Council (CPU) – after a 60-day public consultation on the matter held earlier this year. During yesterday’s regular meeting of the government-appointed council, Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) Director Lai Weng Leong underlined that after the urban master plan is amended, the government will reveal draft urban development plans for various districts across the city one after another.
The bureau is the public entity tasked with the city’s urban planning.
The meeting was open to the media. The council is a consultative body tasked with advising the government on its urban planning policies.
The official urban master plan covers the period between 2020 and 2040.
It will be the first time that the government is amending the urban master plan since it came into force in February 2022.
In alignment with its planning of three future large-scale projects aiming to inject new impetus into Macau’s long-term development – the Macao International Integrated Tourism and Cultural Zone, the Macao Science and Technology Research and Development Industrial Park, and the Macao International Aviation Hub for the Pearl River West Bank – the government decided to amend the urban master plan for the first time, proposing to revise the designated land use on the areas earmarked for the three large-scale projects.
The public consultation was held between June 29 and August 27. After assessing the opinions gathered during the public consultation period, the government published a report earlier this week summarising the public opinion.
Afterwards, during yesterday’s regular meeting of the Urban Planning Council, DSSCU officials presented the government’s final proposal on amending the urban master plan, drafted in compliance with the public consultation report.
Yesterday’s meeting aimed to enable councillors to voice their opinions regarding the final draft. Lai, who chaired the meeting, said that they are required to submit their written opinions on Wednesday next week at the latest. Afterwards, the bureau will prepare and submit a report on the matter to the Chief Executive, who will then decide whether the draft should be amended.
After the Chief Executive approves the final draft on amending the urban master plan, it will be promulgated in the Official Gazette (BO).
The amended urban master plan will take effect on the day after its promulgation in the gazette.
During yesterday’s meeting, Lai also underlined that after the urban master plan is amended, the government will – one after another – reveal draft urban development plans for various districts across the city, including the Outer Harbour District 1, Outer Harbour District 2, Northern District 1, and Central Taipa District 2.
18 ‘subareas for planning’
The Macao Special Administrative Region’s (MSAR) urban master plan for 2020 to 2040 divides the city into 18 “subareas for planning”.
After the urban master plan took effect in February 2022, the government drew up its first urban development plan for a subarea for planning, i.e., Eastern District 2, which covers the Zone A land reclamation area. The government’s Eastern District 2 urban development plan took effect in March 2024.
The Eastern District 2 urban development plan is the first and so-far the only one currently in force for a subarea for planning listed by the urban master plan.
According to the urban master plan, Outer Harbour District 1 covers Zape, while Outer Harbour District 2 covers Nape as well as the Nam Van Lake and Sai Van Lake areas.
The Nam Van Lake and Sai Van Lake areas are where the Macau Tower and the Legislative Assembly (AL) building are located.
Northern District 1 covers Ilha Verde, Fai Chi Kei, and Lam Mau Tong in the north-west peninsula, while Central Taipa District 2 covers central Taipa, the island’s “city centre” where numerous high-rise residential buildings are concentrated.
Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) Director Lai Weng Leong (centre, right) chairs yesterday’s meeting of the Urban Planning Council (CPU). – Photo: CPU
