Gov’t to control population density by limiting usable floor space and flats

The Land and Urban Construction Services Bureau (DSSCU) is conducting further research on the draft plan for the Nam Wai Kwok redevelopment project on Avenida de Artur Tamagnini Barbosa, implementing restrictions on usable floor area and the number of flats.

The Urban Planning Committee met last week to discuss draft plans for 12 projects. Notably, the Nam Wai Kwok project was sent back to the DSSCU for further review due to objections from individual property owners and committee members.

The draft proposal for the residential building project outlines a maximum building height of 90 meters (currently around 26 meters), a maximum plot ratio of 10, a maximum gross floor area for residential use of 4,900 square meters, a maximum of 104 residential units, and a maximum coverage ratio of 85% (currently around 83%).

Leong Io Hong, department chief at the DSSCU, stated that the restrictions on usable floor area and the number of flats are intended to control population density in the northern district and prevent further increases.

“The area currently has a population density of 180,000 people per square kilometer, which is among the highest in the region. Without restrictions on population growth, infrastructure may struggle to keep pace with increasing demand,” he said.

Addressing committee members’ objections to the restrictions, DSSCU director Lai Weng Leong pointed out that, according to the provisions of the Civil Code, residential units can be divided and merged. He noted that “if the planning conditions are relaxed to a certain extent, it raises the question of whether 10 units could ultimately become 20 units.”

Given that the current population density in the area has reached 180,000 people per square kilometer, classifying it as a high-density zone, the authorities emphasized that the most effective approach to controlling population growth is to limit both the building area and the number of households.