Urban Waterfront Space in Macao: Distribution Characteristics, Existing Problems and Design Strategies

Abstract

As a new urban culture emerged, waterfront spaces underwent a historic transformation in terms of humanistic aspects, functionality, and spatiality by shifting their primary functions to include leisure tourism, landscape effects, ecological services among others. By combining Macao's unique developmental history with its environmental topography, a distinctive coastal cityscape belonging to Macao has been created. Through extensive field investigations, the fundamental distribution characteristics of waterfront spaces in Macao have been comprehensively summarized. Furthermore, this study examines the prevailing issues and challenges associated with Macao's urban waterfront space resulting from extensive land reclamation, such as the repercussions on the natural ecological environment, the reinforced susceptibility to ecological catastrophes and the reconfiguration of urban waterfront spatial structure. At last, based on the case studies and public participation, the present study proposes countermeasures and strategies for the design of waterfront spaces in Macao, with the objective of creating urban waterfront areas that are environmentally safe, resilient to climate change, ecologically friendly, convenient, and possess a sense of historical significance and composite attributes.