Spring Conference Macau, 28-31 May 2006

Macau, 28-31 May 2006- Spring Conference: “Innovations in the Urban Habitat, making the most of new resources”

Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16 century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. Nowadays Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China with a high degree of autonomy. The region of Macau consists of three islands (Macau-Taipa-Coloane) and has an area of 24,5 sq. km, almost 450 000 inhabitants and a 41Km shoreline.

The theme of the conference was “Innovations in the Urban Habitat, making the most of new resources” in which Macau stands as a good example. Macau is essentially urban with high-rise housing blocks, offices and casino hotels; although it’s in the Island of Taipa that enormous developments have taken place during the last decades (Airport in the sea, top-class hotels, etc). The region’s countryside is located on the Coloane island, where traditional villages and beach-lined bays build up the identity of this third island.

The programme of the event was divided in three morning plenary sessions addressing the following sub themes:

• “Growth for the Future Value: New Land, New Habitat, New Chances”;
• “Culture and Diversity: New Designs for Differentiation”;
• “Healthy and Sustainability: Urban Settlements and Housing Policies”.

The afternoons were completed with two Study Tours that showed the 300 participants the “Cultural Heritage” of Macau as well the “Old and New zones” where new developments took place at the time. Keynote speaker Richard Marshall RAIA (Architect planner and urban designer) reviewed the growth of urban population in the world and emphasized the fact that Asia accounts for 13 of the 23 Megacities of the world and for 47,5% of World population. Related to his company, Marshall explained some projects that are currently taken place in some cities of China.

Professor George Teodorescu, of United Global Academy (UGA) elucidated the audience of how design, innovation and leadership can influence the urban models. The multicultural matrix and the back draws of the “Techno Model” in the world, and how this model tends to contribute to making a uniform and monocultural world. The “culture of innovation” appears as the opposite of the “culture of consumption” that characterizes the world as we know it. With the idea that “conceptual innovation generates sustainable leadership” Teodorescu showed some practical results of the Master of design, and how the design is “knowledge driven by imagination”.

Professor Che Ming Chiang (Department of Architecture at National Cheng Kung University) gave his perspective in “Health and Sustainability: Urban Settlements and Housing Policies.

Last Updated @ Thursday, 06 March 2008