The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Planning Forum is a major annual academic exchange conference jointly organised by the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design and the planning associations/institutes from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao since 2017. It aims to contribute ideas for the region’s long-term development and to provide a platform for in-depth exchange and collaboration among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. On 21 September 2024, the Director of Planning, Mr Ivan Chung, led a delegation to attend the 7th GBA Planning Forum held in Shenzhen.
2024 marked the 5th anniversary of the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the GBA, under which Hong Kong and Macao have further integrated into the overall national development. The key to the sustainable development of the GBA lies in a people-oriented approach, while the younger generation is an important pillar in enhancing its competitiveness. In this context, the Forum was held under the theme “Youth Development & Future Cities”. From the perspective of youth development, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on how to optimise the living environment of the GBA city cluster to meet the needs of living, working and leisure, while also addressing the emotional needs of young people, including their sense of belonging, identity, security and fulfilment.
In addition to attending keynote speeches and the annual report session of the Forum, the delegation also shared with experts, academics and planning professionals from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao the Active Design Guidelines completed by the Planning Department in 2023 and presented two pilot cases illustrating the implementation of “active design” at both neighbourhood and building levels, as well as its contributions to the community.
The delegation at the venue
The delegation introduced the “Active Design Guidelines” at the “Future Communities and People-Centered Design” forum
