Is your city clean and green?

Ar. Amado de Jesus.

Singapore’s clean and well-maintained colorful shophouses in this famous tourist and commercial area lend attraction to the city state. (AR. ARMADO DE JESUS).

In Copenhagen, Denmark, residents recycle electronics, garden, and bio wastes in addition to the standard paper, plastic, metal, glass, and cardboard items. (Alexander Spatari via Getty Images)
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In Sapporo, Japan, many places do not have garbage bins. People have been taught to take responsibility for their own mess and to take home garbage they create to dispose of. (PIXABAY).

Estero de Paco in Manila was the first tributary to be rehabilitated by the Pasig Rehabilitation Commission under the late chairperson Gina Lopez. (DEVELOPMENT.ASIA).

Many years ago, a famous Hollywood actress was in Manila to shoot scenes for a movie. During the filming, the cast was exposed to the impoverished locations of the city. In an interview by a popular magazine, she described Manila as a “ghastly and weird city.” In another interview, she was quoted as saying that Manila “smelled of cockroaches, with rats all over, and that there is no sewerage system…”

After many locals condemned her for what she said and the city government declared her “persona non grata,” she later apologized and said she was referring only to the location where the movie was filmed and not the Filipino people who are warm, friendly, and supportive.

Generalizations or sweeping statements about certain sites or locales are never accurate. They tend to give the impression that the statements apply to the entire city or country.

Metro Manila boasts of many world class residential and business centers spread out in the city, thanks mainly to enterprising private developers. For public places, we have the Rizal Park, Intramuros and Paco Park, to name a few. Furthermore, we have the world famous two-kilometer stretch of coastline known as the Manila Baywalk, a popular leisure area and a favorite sunset location among city dwellers. These areas are mostly clean and green spaces.

Inner core city deterioration

Regrettably, Metro Manila, a megacity composed of 16 highly urbanized cities with a population of over 14.6 million (www.macrotrends.net), has its own share of dirty and squalid conditions in many parts, especially in the inner core. Overflowing garbage bins that are uncollected for long periods of time; water leaks flowing continuously with authorities taking no action; road excavations by utility companies and government contractors left unfinished; deteriorating buildings filled with graffiti; vacant lots used as garbage dumps; rusty broken vehicles abandoned in the streets; non-existent street names; and busted streetlights—the list goes on and on.

The worst part is that many people in these areas have grown tired of complaining to the authorities or are totally indifferent to what’s happening to their community.

How are other cities coping?

2023 cleanest cities in the world

According to WOW Travel, the following 12 “squeaky clean” cities made it to the 2023 list, based on air quality, garbage disposal, traffic congestion, drinkability of water, and sewage systems. These are Copenhagen, Denmark; Singapore City, Singapore; Helsinki, Finland; Brisbane, Australia; Hamburg, Germany; Stockholm, Sweden; Sapporo, Japan; Calgary, Canada; Wellington, New Zealand; Honolulu, Hawaii; Tallin, Estonia; and Oslo, Norway.

Singapore’s success story is now legendary. For this city state, cleanliness had two implications. The first was environmental or physical cleanliness. The second was a clean government and society that did not condone corruption, a most significant difference from its neighboring countries in the region.

Metro Manila had its chance to initiate a massive cleanliness project when the late Gina Lopez was appointed as chairperson of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission from 2010 to 2016. I was part of the team from the United Architects of the Philippines in charge of the green housing project.

Her strategy to clean Pasig River was to stop the dumping of trash and sewage along the 17 tributaries which was choking the river. Estero de Paco was the first tributary to be rehabilitated. The local community is now keeping the creek and its surroundings clean with the help of a wastewater treatment facility built under an ADB-supported project. In August 2019, Lopez passed away.

Why do we need clean cities?

Clean cities are a passport for a healthy and sustainable future. Cleanliness is an important facet of a city’s image and reputation and is associated with good public hygiene practices. Clean cities help us to stay fit and healthy, providing us with a longer life span. Keeping our cities clean is a great human virtue.

How do we clean our cities?

Apply the 15-minute city concept

In this concept developed by scientist Carlos Moreno, cities should be redesigned so that from your home, you should be able to walk or bike to several community amenities, facilities, and services within a 15-minute span of time. It has been described as a return to a local way of life. It is estimated that most able-bodied people can walk up to slightly over a kilometer within a 15-minute timespan.

Possible services within a 15-minute walk may include playgrounds, green parks, grocery stores, drug stores, schools and libraries, hardware stores, restaurants, coffee shops, dental and medical services.

By limiting the area into a small and manageable zone, continual upkeep can be sustained reducing human and capital costs. Once the zone cleaning is successfully done, the target area can be expanded gradually to include other areas in the city.

Study and apply successful strategies done in clean cities abroad

Singapore has three key ways to maintain its cleanliness: cleaning of public areas, public education, and enforcement. They also slap heavy fines on litterbugs, and they mobilize volunteers to prevent littering.

In Japan, many places do not have garbage bins. People have been taught to take responsibility for their own mess and to take home garbage they create to dispose of.

In Calgary, Canada, they are nearing 70 percent reduction in landfill usage by 2025. They have steep fines for littering on the road and the sidewalk. The fine for throwing trash on the ground can be as much as $1,000. They also have municipal program that offers free graffiti removal for buildings.

In Copenhagen, Denmark, they have taken steps to reduce littering and create trash and recycling schemes that make it easier to sort individual items. Their residents recycle electronic, garden, and bio wastes in addition to the standard paper, plastic, metal, glass, and cardboard items. It also stands out because of its air quality and is on track to be carbon neutral by 2025.

Honolulu, Hawaii has the cleanest air among US cities, according to the American Lung Association’s 2021 State of the Air report, thanks to the Pacific winds and the few major manufacturing operations on the islands. It holds quarterly clean-ups of its famous beach. They have also enacted strict litter laws with severe penalties for violators.

A key element to reduce pollution in cities is increasing the space dedicated to urban forests and green areas.

Public and private sector involvement

If we can get our act together, with the involvement of the private and public sector, in collaboration with city planners, architects, landscape architects, artists and engineers, Metro Manila can be a clean, safe, and green city.

The 16 cities that form part of Metro Manila can adopt the 15-minute city concept. This can be the start of an annual competition that will rank all 16 cities based on air quality, garbage disposal, traffic congestion, drinkability of water, and sewage systems.

When we talk about the future of Metro Manila and the Philippines, many experts cite financial and technological advancements. Let us put cleaning up of our cities on the top of our list.

The author is the Principal Architect of A.P de Jesus & Associates–Green Architecture. For comments or inquiries, email [email protected]