The Government of Macau announced today that it has decided to develop a new tourist and cultural attractions zone, which is expected to include a contemporary art museum and a performing arts center, on reclaimed land previously zoned for housing.
During a public consultation session held today regarding proposed amendments to the region’s Master Plan, it was revealed that the new ‘Integrated International Tourism and Culture Zone’ will be developed in Zone C, a reclaimed area of approximately 33 hectares built near Taipa Island, which has remained unused since its completion in 2022.
According to Pui Lam Law, a representative from Arup, a consultancy firm hired by local authorities to evaluate the project, the purpose of the reclaimed land will be reclassified from a “residential and commercial zone to a collective-use facilities zone.”
Under Macau law, a zone designated for collective-use facilities can be utilized for public, municipal, cultural, educational, social, recreational, sports, or healthcare facilities.
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Pui indicated that the plan was amended “in response to the development needs of the diversified ‘1+4’ industries” and “to guarantee the availability of the necessary land.”
The “1+4” strategy is Macau’s economic diversification plan aimed at reducing its reliance on the gaming industry through a greater focus on the tourism and leisure industries, while simultaneously promoting four key sectors: health and wellness, modern finance, high technology, and conventions, exhibitions, trade, and sports.
According to the Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU), “three large-scale facilities” will be constructed in Zones B and C, two reclaimed land plots located between the Macau peninsula and Taipa Island.
These include the National Cultural Museum of Macau in Zone B, and the International Contemporary Art Museum and the Macau International Performing Arts Center in Zone C, with the goal of “promoting the integrated development of diversified industries, such as tourism, culture, and commerce.”
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Pui explained that Zone B interacts in a complementary manner with “existing cultural infrastructures,” namely the Macao Science Center, the Macau Cultural Centre, the Kun Iam Statue, Nam Van Lake, and Sai Van Lake, “as well as with the cultural and recreational resources of the Macau Tower,” something she points out is already “favorable to the diversification of industries and the reinforcement of the overall attractiveness of the area.”
Furthermore, both reclaimed zones present a “situation that allows for the strengthening and enhancement of the scenic characteristics and the profile of the urban skyline on both shores,” and “they also possess the potential to promote cooperation between Macau and Zhuhai,” the neighboring Chinese city.
At the same press conference, the representative highlighted that the demographic projections for the region ‘s population in 2024 were reduced from 808,000 to 783,000.
Macau SAR currently has a population of around 688,000 people.
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A plot of land situated on the west side of Zone E1 of the New Urban Reclaimed Land, previously classified as a residential zone, will also be reclassified as a commercial zone; additionally, a plot of land located on Wai Long Avenue will be reclassified from a residential zone to an industrial zone.
These two areas, located next to the Macau International Airport and the Taipa Ferry Terminal, will be used for the construction of a Science and Technology Research and Development Industrial Park.
According to Pui, both zones already “possess privileged conditions for external transport access,” favoring the efficient circulation of people, technologies, and goods, and “simultaneously strengthening Macau’s connection with regional and international innovation networks.”
The public consultation for the draft amendment to Macau’s Master Plan runs until August 27, including three briefing sessions open to the general public.
