The government launches a two-month public consultation today on its draft of the city’s official urban master plan, according to which the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) will be divided into 18 districts in its total area of 36.8 square kilometres.
The draft urban master plan for 2020 to 2040 is based on the government’s estimate of Macau’s population at 808,000 in 2040.
The government’s draft urban master plan is based on Macau’s desired position as a world tourism and leisure centre, a business service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs), an exchange and cooperation base of multiple cultures’ co-existence with the Chinese culture as the mainstream, a central city of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), and a “beautiful home” for Macau residents, according to the public consultation document released yesterday.
A press conference about the public consultation was held yesterday at the Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT).
The objective of the urban master plan is to make Macau a “happy, intelligent, sustainable and resilient” city, according to the document.
According to the Urban Planning Law, which came into force in 2014, the government is required to draft an urban master plan. Civic leaders and lawmakers frequently slammed the government for having failed for years to come up with a draft urban master plan after the law had taken effect.
During yesterday’s press conference, DSSOPT Director Chan Pou Ha said that she expects her bureau to submit the final version of the urban master plan to Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng in September next year for his final decision and approval. Chan said that according to the Urban Planning Law, the government is required to carry out a 60-day public consultation on the draft of the draft urban master plan, which starts today, after which the consultancy hired by the government to draft the plan will have to prepare a draft report within 180 days summarising and analysing opinions collected during the public consultation.
Chan said that then the government will have to consult the Urban Planning Council (CPU), a government-appointed consultative body tasked with advising the government on its urban planning policies, about the report during a 60-day period, after which the consultancy will have to complete the final version of the urban master plan within 90 days, which will then be submitted to the chief executive.
After the chief executive approves the final version of the urban master plan, it will take effect after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO) as an administrative regulation (by-law).
According to the draft urban master plan, residential areas will account for 22 percent of Macau’s total land area, which will be able to meet the housing demand of the estimated population of around 800,000 in 2040.
The 18 proposed districts will comprise 10 districts on the peninsula, five districts in Taipa, Cotai, Coloane and the University of Macau (UM) campus on Hengqin Island.
The 10 districts on the peninsula will comprise northern districts 1 and 2, eastern districts 1, 2 and 3, central districts 1, 2 and 3, and Outer Harbour districts 1 and 2.
The five districts in Taipa will comprise Taipa northern districts 1 and 2, Pac On, and Taipa central districts 1 and 2.
According to the public consultation document, the Outer Harbour district 1 will cover Zape, while the Outer Harbour district 2 will cover Nape, the Nam Van Lake area and the Zone B land reclamation area.
Cotai district will also include the Macau checkpoint zone of the mainland-Macau joint checkpoint on Hengqin Island.
According to the public consultation document, the peninsula’s eastern district 2 will cover the Zone A land reclamation area, while its eastern district 3 will cover the Macau checkpoint zone of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB).
Taipa northern district 1 will refer to the Zone C and Zone D reclamation areas. The Zone C reclamation project is ongoing while the Zone D project has still not got off the ground.
Reporters raise their hands to ask questions during yesterday’s press conference about the government’s public consultation on its draft of Macau’s official urban master plan. The same press conference also presented details of the government’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) “East” section project. The public consultation on the LRT “East” project also starts today. Photo: GCS
