The sole candidate in Macau's chief executive race, Sam Hou-fai, made the first community visit of his campaign on Wednesday.

Sam met grassroots residents of Iao Hon, a densely populated area in the northern part of the SAR that is undergoing redevelopment.

He talked to people in a park, had lunch with young people in the area's municipal market complex, and also spoke to stall keepers.

"There's not enough recreational space overall [for people] to move around. This has to be considered when you're planning the overall layout of the district for the future," Sam told reporters.

"I also feel that traffic is congested in the area, and the pavements are rather narrow. There's also limited space to park cars and motorbikes, or even public transport vehicles. So we'll all have to think about ways to improve this."

The former top judge also said he wanted to learn more about prices and people's everyday lives.

He said such visits help with his team's research and will enable better policy planning when he becomes CE.

Macau's 400-strong Election Committee is due to vote on Sam's appointment on October 13.