Gov’t updates Northern Taipa development plan, lowering density to almost half

Rendering vs. aerial view from Google Maps

Initially planned to be home to some 36,500 people, the Northern Taipa Urban Zone, which comprises the areas formerly known as Cheok Ka and Sam Ka Villages, has been revised by the government, reducing the density by 45.2% to just 20,000 people.

The updated plan was presented yesterday in a plenary meeting of the Urban Planning Committee (CPU) dedicated solely to debate on the topic.

At the initial presentation, Leong Io Hong, Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) department head for urban planning, explained that there was a need to revise the previous plan, dated from 2013, since the government had found several issues in the development of the previous strategy that would clash significantly with land ownership in the area, as well as with the need to protect a group of trees with historical value.

The area addressed by the plan remains unchanged, despite several amendments, namely to the organization of the land plots, streets, and roads, as well as the allocation of space for leisure and public areas, among others.

In addition, Leong also said there is a need for better preservation and use of some classified monuments, such as the Temple of Kuan Tai and Tin Hau, located at the center of the area at Caminho da Povoação de Cheok Ka and that, according to official records from the Cultural Heritage of Macao, were constructed between 1662 and 1723.

The same official also noted that, in the same area, there are 23 classified trees that need to be preserved.

“We need to refine the plan so that all of this can proceed in a smoother way. This plan aims to establish a general framework. That is, to have a residential and commercial zone integrated into the hill’s surrounding landscape,” Leong said, adding that the first goal of the plan is to have a zone for innovation and integration between the city and industry, second, to have a zone with a mountainous landscape, and third, to have a cultural and tourism hub suitable for visits and leisure activities.

He also noted the need to integrate the new area with existing hubs, such as tertiary education facilities, Taipa Grande Hill, and the former Iec Long Firecracker Factory.

Another amendment of the plan was said to be related to the need to improve accessibility, particularly pedestrian links to the Taipa Centre and between the different services to be built in the area, as well as to improve public transport routes.

Although with changes, the idea of expanding the pedestrian flyover of Av. de Guimarães into this new area remains, with the addition of a circular flyover to be built at the Rotunda Dr. Sun Yat Sen, which also includes bridges that link directly to neighboring buildings.

Half of the plotsfor residential use

Despite the expected reduction in density for the new Taipa area, more than half of the 54 available land plots (28) remain designated for residential use.

According to Leong, the new density established for both private and public land plot usage will slightly increase the available space to around 2.7 square meters per person.

He also noted that, when fully implemented, the plan will allow a total construction area of 1.05 million m². He further noted that this is achieved by reducing the areas for industrial use compared with the 2013 version.

Benefiting most from this change will be public spaces, which have increased from 1.8 m² per person to 5 m².

In this regard, Leong remarked that the area now available to public entities, religious groups, and social, recreational, and sports facilities is 1.7 times that of the 2013 plan.

Among some of the additional social equipment to be included in the buildings, he mentioned a new health center, a cultural facility, two social venues, and one municipal service.

Among the plan’s most significant changes concerning this type of facility is the projection of the construction of a Northern Taipa urban park and a new school, both to be located across from the current site of Macau Anglican College and Taipa’s Sa Kong Municipal Cemetery.

The base altimetric quota for buildings in the area was set at a maximum of 90 meters.

General consensus achieved

Despite several concerns and questions about operational feasibility, the plan seemed to have garnered general consensus among CPU members, who said they were more pleased with the current version than the previous one.

Heading the list of major concerns remains traffic constraints at the Rotunda Ouvidor Arriaga, which some members fear may increase with the development of the new area and the influx of more people.

On the topic, the president of the CPU and director of the DSSCU, Lai Weng Leong, said that this is a general plan and that these concerns will be thoroughly addressed when producing the detailed plans, adding that it is also already planned that the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) will have two new lines in Taipa, including Taipa North and Taipa Centre, with Taipa Centre serving as a circular link between the current Taipa Line and the future Taipa North Line.

He said that these new lines will have stations within a “reasonable walking distance” of this area and will also include pedestrian-friendly facilities.