Beauty attracts people to a city, but good design and viable opportunities are what would make them stay.
The world is full of wonderful places to live in, but only a few places can actually claim that they have happy citizens. While other external factors play a role, well-designed spaces certainly shape the way we perceive our communities. If budget and resources actually permit, many people would choose to live in a well-designed community where they can ensure their safety, security and comfort. This is perhaps why, over the course of history, many places in the world sought to transform themselves.
Good design builds successful cities, and coupled with commercial provisions, they can make the most successful nations.
Here are some examples of cities in the world that benefitted from good design and commercial planning.
Barcelona
Known for its scenic beaches, fantastic architecture and fun nightlife, Barcelona is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. People flock to this city because it is a land of unparalleled beauty and excitement.
This was not always the case though. Only 30 years ago, Barcelona’s seaside was filled with industrial buildings and factories. Tourists were few, and unemployment was pretty high. All these things changed though when the city was chosen to host the 1992 Olympic Games.
As the first European city to host the Olympics since Munich in 1972, the city strived to develop new facilities. Industrial buildings were demolished along beaches to give way to a modern marina. Montjuic Mountain, an elevated area full of museums and historic sites, was further developed to contain a world-class stadium, landscaped gardens and several swimming pools.
Today, Barcelona is as busy as ever, with new commercial centers being built alongside existing structures. The Maremagnum Shopping Center, in particular, has become an iconic party of the city, its reflective cladding highlighting the waters that surround it.
While the Olympics was the primary reason for the city’s redevelopment, the changes turned Barcelona into one of the world’s most popular destinations today. With the continuous influx of people in the area, the city has maximized its profits, providing new retail destinations for visitors and locals to keep coming back for more.
Venice
While floods wreak havoc on a lot of places in the world, the 1966 flood of Venice became a wake-up call for its people. The water line in the city during this catastrophe reached 2 meters high, resulting in millions’ worth of property damage and thousands of people being displaced.
Because of the tragedy, conservation measures were enforced to save the city. A new flood control system was put in place and the city was further protected by coastal reinforcement projects, quayside elevations and improvement of the Venetian Lagoon’s facilities.
Today, the city has turned its water-logged canals into a tourist attraction. It has also become one of the gathering grounds of art and architecture enthusiasts. Amid the heritage structures in the area, locals have created new commercial ventures such as pop-up kitchens, floating restaurants and art shops.
Apart from flood solutions, the city has also redeveloped its professional and creative spaces, offering new experiences for tourists amid a historical setting. Venice shows how you can transform a catastrophe into an opportunity, by fixing and evolving its features.
Singapore
Singapore is Asia’s most famous success story when it comes to urban redevelopment. Originally a marshland, Singapore hardly had any natural resources to sustain its people. Yet this tiny island nation now boasts one of the strongest economies in the region, rivaling some of the richest countries in the West.
The success of Singapore is often credited to Lee Kuan Yew, who led the country when it first came into independence in 1965. While his political policies helped shape the country’s future, his goal to keep locals happy paved the way for the country to achieve progress. Under his leadership, a sustainability plan was implemented alongside Singapore’s economic goals. With little access to natural water, the country devised a system to treat and disinfect used waste.
The city was also filled with plants, as atriums, landscaped walkways, green walls and sky gardens became part of buildings and homes.
In addition, Singapore also became a shopper’s paradise, offering international brands in numerous shopping malls. Orchard Road features the highest concentration of shopping malls in the area. Visitors have a wide array of choices, all within 2.2 km of walking distance.
Overall, Singapore finds its success due to its ingenuity of combining sustainable practices with modern and commercial demands. The nation serves as a model to many hoping to duplicate its economic rise despite its unfortunate limitations.
The Nuvali Estate in Laguna exemplifies an eco-development that successfully merges residential, commercial and office spaces.
Is the Philippines Next?
Various cities and countries have demonstrated that it is possible to improve our surroundings even with a rocky start. The success stories of the examples above show that with resolved leadership, community support and proper planning, it is possible for a place to reinvent itself for the better. Coupled with the creation of commercial opportunities, these places have become almost unstoppable in their path toward progress.
In the Philippines, numerous areas can certainly benefit from a fresh bout of planning. There are, however, areas that have been transformed through good design. Nuvali in Laguna, for one, is an eco-city that has retail, office and residential areas in a sustainable and green environment. Vertis North in Quezon City introduced storm water management technology and eco-development in the busy intersection of Edsa, Mindanao Avenue and Quezon Avenue. These estates were developed by Ayala Land, known for creating beautiful and well-planned communities.
With such partners, our country certainly has the opportunity to plant seeds of progress for the future. Despite the challenges, the Philippines has what it takes to transform existing places through good design and commercial development. Let us do our part and help shape our nation’s growth for the better.
Sources: www.visitsingapore.com , www.ayalaland.com.ph, www.nuvali.ph, www.pixabay.com, www.businessinsider.com, www.metropolismag.com, Timo Volz from Pexels.com, www.barcelona.cat