The Institute For Tourism Studies Summer Heritage Workshop“Integrating Heritage: Public Spaces”

Macao has a series of characteristic tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Since the inscription of the tangible heritage “Historic Centre of Macao” on UNESCO World Heritage list in 2005, the number of visitors to Macao increases day by day. Macao SAR Government pays high attention on how to develop Macao while preserving its cultural heritage sites. It has been the preoccupation of each State Party to the “Convention Concerning The Protection of The World Cultural and Natural Heritage” in guaranteeing the sustainable development of the heritage industry and to enhance the education and cultivation of the heritage preservation. Apart from protecting the heritages physically, the preservation of the peripheral perspectives is of the same importance. The Institute For Tourism Studies (IFT) hopes to raise the consciousness of the comprehensive preservation of the world heritage through providing courses and workshops of various sorts. Following the successful summer heritage workshop last year, IFT organises the second summer heritage workshop with the theme “Integrating Heritage: Public Spaces” from 17 to 26 July, in order to let the experts and students from different areas or countries such as Mainland China, Japan, Hong Kong and Macao probe into the preservation of the cultural heritage in Macao and the development of public spaces around them. The 10-day workshop is organised by IFT, co-organised by Macao Architects Association; University of Macau; Macau Inter-University Institute and IACM, with an aim to foster research collaboration in the area and solutions for improving the streetscapes and public spaces of Macao’s heritage. 32 experts and students of Master or Bachelor Degree in Architecture, Urban Design, Design and Tourism major from Mainland China, Japan, Hong Kong and Macao will form 6 project teams, after discussions regarding themes like “Integrated Conservation in the Urban Context”, “Heritage and Tourism in Macao”, “Ho Tung library, a case study of Heritage Integration”, “History and Development of Macao’s Historical Corridor”, “Macao’s Tourism Trend”, “General Information of Formation of Macao Heritage”, “Moorish Barracks Project” and “Sustainable Development and Scenarios of Macao”, the teams will compete for the “Best Design Award” by devising a streetscaping scheme for either Lilau Square or Camões Square. The findings of the workshop will be written as a report and submitted to the Government for consideration.