The need for more (and better) cities is becoming increasingly evident, as the mass exodus of Filipinos from rural to urban areas continues. But this movement is not just a local phenomenon; the whole world is in the midst of a historic shift. According to a report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), for the first time ever in 2008, more than half of the world’s population was living in towns and cities. This number has continued to swell, and the UNFPA estimates that close to 5 billion people will be living in urban areas by 2030.
The case for why cities will play a monumental role in 21st century global development—from social, economic, and cultural standpoints—has been well discussed and documented. This has led to increased scrutiny of the world’s cities to see if they can handle the influx.
High density
For instance, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) have released a publication titled 10 Principles for Liveable High Density Cities: Lessons from Singapore, which cites the city-state as one of the world’s best cases of successful, sustainable urbanization despite having a high population density.
The 10 principles include having a plan for long-term growth and renewal; developing affordable, mixed-use neighborhoods; making public spaces work harder; prioritizing green transportation and buildings; and advocating safety and security.
The publication, as quoted by Robert Krueger in a report, stated that “For new cities that are forming and older cities that are redeveloping…the ten principles can be a starting point for city planners, developers and dwellers to trigger ideas about how they want their city to evolve and be shaped. Creating a highly dense yet liveable city, while not always easy, is very possible.”
These are great lessons indeed for Manila to follow. As a matter of fact, the ULI also published 10 Principles for Sustainable Development of Metro Manila—with lessons not unlike those prescribed by the Singapore report. But while our capital city is certainly one of the country’s cultural, political and business epicenters, it is arguably lacking in several—if not all—of the ULI’s principles. Traffic, pollution and flooding are perennial problems, and these are major factors to consider in city livability.
Manila is not a solitary case. Metro Manila, in general, is suffering from the effects of heavy urbanization. As the most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines (and 11th most populous in the world), its carrying capacity is about to be reached—as shown by ever-worsening traffic, flooding and informal settler problems. The metro traffic alone costs the country P2.4 billion in lost productivity every day.
Granted, Metro Manila is one of the country’s biggest growth drivers, making it a highly desirable location for dwellers, workers and migrants. It is responsible for 36 percent of the country’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP). But as the area becomes increasingly saturated, it becomes clear that for the country to thrive and sustain its remarkable growth in the decades to come, we must look to cities outside the metro.
Building new ‘cities’
Aside from latching on to already-established cities like Cebu and Davao, this means organically developing rural areas into urban centers over time, or building new “cities” from scratch and accelerating their growth, similar to what has been done with Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the fruit of a collaboration between the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the private sector.
And there is a huge potential to do this. While Metro Manila contributes 36 percent to the GRDP, its land area, which at 639 sq km, represents just a little more than 0.2 percent of the country’s total land area. Even the Greater Manila Area, which covers the area surrounding Metro Manila and accounts for 62 percent of our GRDP, covers less than 2 percent of the country’s total land area.
Almost all economic activity and wealth are concentrated in megacities like Metro Manila with no spillover of benefits to neighboring regions. Yet it is clear that the staggering area of nonmetropolitan land in the country is just out there, waiting to be tapped and developed.
It is definitely hard not to get excited about the prospect of seeing new metropolises around the archipelago in the future, cities that are comparable in size and function as Manila, but cleaner, more modern, better planned and more efficiently utilized. It will be a game-changer for the country.
But if we want to be able to meet the demand for more cities, we need to act fast. Because the UN predicts that by 2030, the country’s population will reach 130 million. The Greater Manila Area will be accommodating 40 million people. Metro Central Luzon’s population will double to 10.25 million, while the whole of Region 3 will hit 20 million. Similar rises are expected for other regions.
This will be in 2030—which is just 17 years from now.
Urbanization
Without a doubt, the world is fast urbanizing and globalizing, and so are we. We need to build new cities, new livelihoods, and new modes of transport—and we need to do it outside Metro Manila.
But where exactly?
One area that the BCDA sees as a hugely promising region is Central Luzon, especially once the Clark Green City (CGC) project comes to fruition.
Clark Green City will occupy about 9,450 hectares of land, transforming open plains into a self-sustaining and self-sufficient green and intelligent city. The development is envisioned to cover six districts with 70 percent open space and 30 percent buildable area linked by a transit corridor combined with a drainage channel.
This development will not just solve Metro Manila’s perennial congestion problem, nor will it simply be a new, “bigger and better” economic hub. It will set the standard for how future Philippine cities are built.
How big of a game changer will Clark Green City be? At full development, the project is estimated to generate a total gross output of about P1.57 trillion a year, contributing to at least 4 percent of GDP. This could be attributed to around 4 million people it is envisioned to accommodate in 40 years.
At maximum capacity, CGC will create a total of 925,000 jobs, while at 25 percent capacity alone, 250,000 jobs and 50,000 construction jobs can already be generated. Indirect employment is estimated at 635,000 jobs at 25 percent capacity.
But beyond these figures, this city will completely revolutionize the way people live, work and interact. We envision this to be a place where one’s home, place of work, and places of recreation are walking or biking distances from each other. It will be a place where everyone is connected by both culture and technology. And with sustainability as number one priority in building the city, it is designed with future generations in mind.
With projects like these in the horizon, the future of the country looks tremendously bright indeed—especially outside the crowded metro.
(The article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines. The author is the President and CEO of the BCDA. Feedback at <map@globelines.com.ph> and <adcasanova@bcda.gov.ph>. For previous articles, please visit <map.org.ph>)