Urban planning Future of Jockey Club: Opinions differ on future land use

Rui Leao

Following the government’s decision to cease all horse racing activities in Macau with the closing of the Macau Jockey Club and the planned reversion of the facilities to the government, various opinions, suggestions, and speculations regarding the future use of this nearly 400,000 square meters of space have emerged.

While the government has ruled out using the land for other gaming-related purposes, alternative options are being considered.

Several entities and individuals have expressed their views on the future of the land over the last few days. Amid differing opinions, urban planning experts converge into one aspect: the final decision should exclude high-rise buildings. Meanwhile, economists have expressed a preference for a mega structure, such as a theme park.

Local architect Rui Leão said to public broadcaster TDM that the land area should be reserved as part of Taipa’s future “green lung,” the idea being that the area should be maintained as a green and tree-covered area without visual barriers caused by buildings.

Leão suggested that this land be used for anything but buildings, saying, “given that Zone A [of the new landfills] has been almost entirely allocated to housing, I believe that this area [the Jockey Club] should be for everything but housing.”

Leão added that as Taipa has been converted into a largely suburban area, it therefore needs a new central area of public and leisure space.

To the same broadcaster, architect and scholar Nuno Soares supported the idea of the creation of a large-scale leisure area.

“That space is in an area with proximity to housing and is very well served by public transportation, with both buses and the Light Rapid Transit. It also has proximity to Taipa [Olympic] Stadium along with many other sports facilities, the casinos and waterside. It is important to take advantage of the geographic location to serve the public and the Macau population in general,” Soares said, adding that this area can be an “emblematic space and meeting point for leisure and quality of life of Taipa. It is a space that has potential to be a great park.”

Henry Lei

He suggested that an ‘Ideas Competition’ be organized to gather diverse proposals for the best possible use of the space, with a focus on increasing the population’s quality of life and wellbeing.

Conversely, economist and vice-president of the Macau Economic Association, Henry Lei, told the Chinese language newspaper Macao Daily News that he believed the best solution would be the construction of a mega theme park with Chinese and Portuguese cultural elements to differentiate itself from parks in neighboring regions.

Lei noted the government’s goal of transforming Macau into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, advancing that the creation of a theme park would “integrate well with existing several sports facilities, casinos, and hotel units” in the area.