OPINION – Can Macau become a 15-minute city?

José Paulo Esperança

Professor of Management, City University of Macau

Macau is unique in many dimensions, but perhaps none is more striking than its position as the most densely populated territory in the world, with over 20,000 people per km², not counting the huge number of visitors that often clog many streets. The small territory should allow for easy access to the destinations sought by residents and visitors – historical locations, schools, parks, offices, cultural spaces, health care, stores and restaurants. Most of these spaces are distributed throughout the peninsula and the Taipa and Coloane islands, enabling short, walkable distances that can be complemented by an efficient network of frequent buses, allowing easy access to most locations between 6 a.m. and 1 a.m. The light rail system, already covering a substantial part of the island, is planned to be expanded in the Macau peninsula and will gradually attract a larger number of passengers.

However, Macau is affected by a problem of traffic congestion and noise that is caused by its excessive dependence on combustion vehicles – cars and motorcycles. Circulation and parking spaces are highly disputed and cause delays during the rush hours and significant time consumption even for short distances. Many cities have significantly reduced congestion while improving air quality through investment in public transportation and steady building of infrastructure for smooth mobility – namely walking corridors and bike lanes. Copenhagen is considered one of the most successful examples, as bicycles and walking now account for over 50 per cent of daily work commutes, even without an earlier tradition of bike riding, having overtaken even Dutch cities. In Japan, evidence of availability of parking space is required for the purchase of a car. The 15-minute city model, in which access to most daily needs is closely available, popularised by urbanist Carlos Moreno, has been adopted by city councils around the world. Paris, Singapore and Shanghai are among the most prominent examples.

The high humidity and temperature during a large part of the year make alternatives to car transportation difficult to implement, but there are solutions that ought to be considered, even if they require a different mind-set. This is not an easy task because, as Michael Batty, the recent Doctor Honoris Causa by the City University of Macau, explains in the lengthy Cities and Complexity, urban dynamics are unpredictable, as cities are best understood as organisms rather than machines. He suggests that although we cannot predict future cities, we can reinvent them.

The first step for the reinvention of Macau is the establishment of clear goals that can engage both public administrators and citizens. Minimising commuting time is a simple objective that can generate a large consensus, as time is the most valuable asset for most people, and its waste is also a drag for businesses and other organisations. I will suggest possible short-term initiatives and incentives followed by long-term policies that can provide more efficient infrastructure.

Reducing car usage has a strong impact on curbing the average commuting time, for users of public transportation and car riders alike. This can only be achieved if some current car users switch to public transportation or soft commuting modes – walking and bike riding.

Car riding is highly correlated with car ownership as the usage variable cost is relatively low. The initial car price becomes a sunk cost and plays no role in the riding decision. The variable costs include mainly petrol and parking costs. Far lower car usage will be achieved if rental replaces ownership, as all usage costs become variable. Subsidising taxis and car rental, through higher taxes on petrol and parking, creates an incentive for more parsimonious car usage.

Pedestrian-dedicated streets are another short-term solution that leads to lower congestion in both the exclusive zones and the neighbouring streets. The quality of the air and noise pollution can also be further improved through a policy of incentives for electric vehicles – buses, cars and, above all, motorcycles. Electric bikes can also become an efficient mode of transportation, replacing current motorcycles. A solution common to many cities around the world is the regulation of shared streets with a speed limit of 30 km/h.

The implementation of these policies in an optimal way requires deep data analysis of daily commutes by residents and visitors. This study can also pave the way for long-term regulation and policies that combine infrastructure development with optimal decisions by corporations and families – where to set up a new store or office and where to buy or rent a house. The rising integration and commute with Hengqin, which enjoys a robust network of bike lanes and public transportation, is another factor to take into account.

Finally, some infrastructure developments could contribute to Macau’s overall transport efficiency and the population’s well-being, complementing the extension of the light rail and the improvement of the bus network. Offering more elevated sidewalks, similar to the Avenida de Guimarães in Taipa and the path starting at the Outer Harbour, would make walking easier and safer. Another piece of infrastructure that could be a game changer for leisure but also for regular commuting would be the construction of an external lane on the Governador Nobre de Carvalho bridge, dedicated to pedestrians and bike riders. This would be the first bridge out of the existing four to provide full access to soft mobility between the peninsula and the island, offering connecting access to the bike lane in Taipa.

Technology is evolving fast. Individual air transportation is literally taking off, and distant communication, accelerated by the recent pandemic, has a strong impact on the way we work and travel. Living in a cosy city is not a curse but a blessing if access to nature and air quality is preserved. Macau has tiny but beautiful gardens that are perhaps less enjoyed than they could be if more leisure time were available. Macau can become a model 15-minute city.