Abstract:This study examines two cases of civil heritage conservation in Macao with significant historical value and social influence: the conservation of the Hotel Estoril and New Garden Swimming Pool, and the conservation of the Lai Chi Vun Shipyard. By comparing the background, development processes, forms and levels of public participation, and governmental decision-making in both cases, this study explores the mechanisms and varying outcomes of public engagement in architectural heritage conservation. The findings reveal that institutionalised participation channels can effectively transform adversarial conflicts into constructive negotiations, fostering positive interactions between the government and the public. Furthermore, the effectiveness of public participation depends on multiple factors: the maturity and depth of engagement, the transparency and accessibility of information, the social collaborative networks within local communities, cultural identity and value recognition, as well as the diversity of interest coordination strategies. The study emphasises the need to achieve social co-governance in urban and rural cultural heritage protection by establishing institutionalised participation channels, constructing multi-stakeholder consultation platforms, actively cultivating community organizations, and exploring strategies to balance diverse interests.
