March_1965 — Page 17

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View from the sea with the S. Januario and Guia hills in the background

volve the presence of technicians, which the administration ranks structured to deal with past problems and realities did not comprehend. Thus Macau became the scene of a handfull of activities. alienating for the city as each conflicted with another. Enterprises such as the sub-divided buildings, the "Vila" (guest-house). or the massive ploitation of single

a

industrial branch,

are clear

examples of the price to be paid for lack of plan- ning in the not so long run.

No Stability

ex-

All these enterprises, have been based on a short sighted evaluation of an assembly of opportunities or situations, with no assured stability, and above all of limited capacity. No stable progress for the commu- nity could result from these policies. only opportunities for more or less adventurous investors to get quick and fat profits.

The sub-divided building enter- prise, for instance, was only based upon the temporary inflow of over- sea Chinese. As a result countless flats are still awaiting their buyers today and rents have fallen far be- low previous figures, which anyhow

concern,

had reached far beyond the means of the local medium income group.

Another matter of equally serious which arises from the sub- divided building craze" is that al- though it has not affected until now any of the individual landmarks of Macau's historical past, it has never- theless annihilated invaluable urban areas which in themselves deserved the classification of monuments.

Preservation

This is in fact one of the most serious implications of the lack of planning or overall vision which could provide a minimum of ordination among the various enter- prises.

Co-

Since tourism has evolved as the basis of Macau's economy, the city has to be

equipped accordingly (hotels, transportation, amusements, etc.) and above all preserved and improved in those things which are a major focus of interest to a flow of tourists.

What in Macau is more likely to charm and arouse the tourist's at- tention than its character of cultur- al blending, so precisely expressed in its monuments and in its urban physiognomy?

D. LENÖR BLDG.

TOWN PLANNING

This physiognomy and the monu- ments, with their artistic and cul- tural significance to the city's social balance, must be preserved, restor- ed and in the end taken

as the foundation for the inevitable urban renewal.

The town planning "division" set up in 1962 by five Portuguese architects soon concluded that the immediate drafting of a comprehen- hensive master plan was an impos- sibility. They decided instead to undertake the study of two or three development plans for those zones still unbuilt upon, such as hills and recent reclamations.

The basic idea was to provide private enterprise with enough sites for immediate development so as to allow the remaining areas of the city to be frozen until the comple- tion of the general master plan.

Hostitility

Hindrances met by the division in the course of its action were

not

unexpected, especially in a part of the world where the economy is still in the "laissez faire, laissez passer" stage and where any plan- ning meets obvious hostility.

مان

RCIAL

TING SCHOOL

SPORTS FACILITIES

FOR BOTH SCHOOLS

·PROPOSED CASINO HOTEL

Far East Architect & Builder March, 1965

HIGH DENST

ATS (are next issue)

Cherib

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