澳門在殖民史中，因資源自足能力有限與宗主國國力的相對弱勢，形成有別於英、法等典型殖民城市的治理模式。不同於直接透過空間支配與規訓被殖民者的統治方式，澳門的葡萄牙政府更傾向將都市規劃建設作為調節與中國政府及澳門華人之間權力角力的工具。本文借鑑棲位建構理論，將殖民城市視作特殊的人類生態系統，分析殖民雙方作為具明顯異質性且潛在競爭關係的群體，如何透過城市建設實踐形成共存機制。相較於後殖民理論聚焦於文化混雜與認同建構，本文之分析更為關注殖民關係中持續存在的物質實踐與社會位置配置。從行動者之社會位置與其對建設議題抱持之視域兩個分析觀點，呈現其於澳門城市建設中的棲位建構過程，揭示在無法消弭的差異與不平等下，殖民雙方的衝突調和機制。透過澳門城的城防工事、港口改善工程計劃，以及新華人街區之建設等三個案例，本文探討澳葡政府從定居時期過渡至帝國殖民時期的領土主權劃定與殖民地治理實踐，以及在此過程中與中國政府及澳門華人的政治與社會關係重組。從中發現澳葡政府在都市規劃過程中，以經濟發展論述作為調節殖民地衝突的關鍵，從而促成了雙方權宜性的結盟關係。

Macau developed a distinct mode of governance in colonial history compared to typical British or French colonial cities, shaped by its limited self-sufficiency and the relative weakness of its metropole. Rather than directly using urban space as a tool for domination and discipline, the Portuguese-Macau Government tended to employ urban planning and construction as a means of mediating power struggles with the Chinese government and the local Chinese community. This study draws on the approach of niche construction, viewing the colonial city as a unique human ecological system where colonizers and the colonized, as heterogeneous and potentially competitive groups, established coexistence mechanisms through urban practices. In contrast to postcolonial theories that emphasize cultural hybridity and identity formation, this approach focuses on the persistent material practices and the configuration of social positions within colonial relationships. To illustrate how different groups engaged in niche construction within Macau’s urban development, the study adopts the dual lenses of social position and the scope of the actants, revealing how colonizers and the colonized negotiated coexistence under unsolvable differences and inequalities. Through three case studies — the Macau city’s defense fortifications, the port improvement project, and the development of new Chinese neighborhoods — this study examines the reconfiguration of territorial sovereignty and colonial governance as Macau transitioned from a settlement phase to a phase of imperial colonization, alongside the concurrent restructuring of political and social relations between the Portuguese government, the Chinese state, and the local Chinese community. The study finds that the Portuguese-Macau government used economic development discourse as a key mechanism to mitigate colonial conflicts, ultimately leading to temporary and pragmatic alliances between the parties.