The government has announced that it has completed drawing up its urban development plan for “Eastern District 2”, according to which the Zone A land reclamation area is earmarked to have a population of 96,000.

According to the plan, Zone A is primarily earmarked for residential buildings as well as green areas and areas for other types of public open spaces.

The plan will take effect on the day after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO).

Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon, who is also the spokesman for the government’s top advisory Executive Council, made the announcement during a press conference at Government Headquarters on Friday.

The Eastern District 2 urban development plan will be promulgated as an administrative regulation, which does not require the legislature’s approval.

Macau’s official urban master plan took effect in February 2022 when it was promulgated in the Official Gazette.

The Macau Special Administrative Region’s (MSAR) urban master plan for 2020 to 2040 divides the city into 18 “subareas for planning”.

Only after the urban master plan takes effect, can the government draft the respective detailed urban development plans for the 18 subareas.

The Zone A land reclamation area is covered by Eastern District 2, one of the 18 subareas listed by the urban master plan.

Eastern District 2 is now the government’s first detailed urban development plan for a subarea.

The government is currently working on drafting urban development plans for several other subareas.

Zone A off the peninsula’s north-eastern coast is primarily being developed for public housing projects, where construction of three subsidised home-ownership scheme (HOS) estates is scheduled to be completed later this year.

The government carried out a 60-day public consultation on its Eastern District 2 draft urban development plan between October 7 and December 5, 2022.

During Friday’s press conference, Cheong said that the government has drawn up its Eastern District 2 urban development plan after fully considering the opinions and suggestions collected from members of the government-appointed Urban Planning Council (CPU) and during the public consultation.

According to Cheong, the plan points out that Zone A is situated between Areia Preta district in the peninsula’s north-eastern area and the man-made island where the Macau and Zhuhai checkpoints of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) are located.

Zone A faces the neighbouring city of Zhuhai in the north and looks towards Big Taipa Hill (aka Taipa Grande) on Taipa island in the south, Cheong pointed out.

According to the Eastern District 2 urban development plan, Cheong said, the Zone A land reclamation area is earmarked to have a population of 96,000.

The official urban master plan for 2020 to 2040 is based on the government’s estimate of Macau’s population at 808,000 in 2040.

According to official data, Macau’s population stood at 683,700 at the end of last year.

Zone A, whose land reclamation project was completed in 2017, currently covers an area of 1.38 square kilometres, Cheong noted.

Eastern District 2 draft urban development plan released for the 2022 public consultation proposed to further reclaim land in the waters between the peninsula’s north-eastern coast and Zone A’s north-western coast. The proposed additional reclaimed area earmarked for green areas would cover 0.36 square kilometres.

The local government said during the 2022 public consultation that it had requested the central government’s permission for the proposed 0.36-square-kilometre reclamation project. If the central government green-lights the project, Eastern District 2 would cover an area of 1.74 square kilometres.

The local government said last year that the central government was still assessing its request for permission for the project.

During Friday’s press conference, Cheong did not elaborate on the proposed 0.36-square-kilometre reclamation project.

Cheong also said that according to the Eastern District 2 urban development plan’s final version, Zone A is primarily earmarked for residential buildings as well as green areas and areas for other types of public open spaces.

Eastern District 2 has a total of 76 plots used for construction development, according to the plan.

Cheong said that green areas and areas for other types of public open spaces will account for 41 percent of Eastern District 2, including the island’s central green corridor, coastal green corridors and parks for sport.

Cheong noted that Eastern District 2 will be served by the Light Rail Transit (LRT), namely the LRT East Line which is scheduled to open in 2029. Zone A will be extensively covered by a walking system comprising walkways, footbridges and underpasses, making it easier for residents to travel to LRT stations there, according to the plan.

According to Cheong, the plan also lays out measures to ensure the protection of the view of Guia Lighthouse on the top of the peninsula’s Guia Hill.

This handout photo downloaded from the Public Works Bureau’s (DSOP) website yesterday shows the ongoing flyover project, officially known as A2 Link, last month connecting Zone A (right) and the peninsula near the Macau Peninsula Wastewater Treatment Plant.