The rebirth of city estates
What do you think is the most difficult construction project to do in a city? Ask any urban planner or architect, and you’ll probably get the same answer: urban regeneration.
From small structures to vast estates, it’s quite challenging to bring back to life a decaying or outdated part of the city. Whatever the state of the property, the problems are the same: insufficient funding, community opposition, poor planning and weak governance. Bringing a property back to life can be compared to rehabilitating a person from an addiction—it takes patience, determination and a lot of effort.
Despite the challenges, there are actually several places in the world that have found new uses for former eyesores. While these projects may have a few shortcomings, they are considered successful because the social, economic and environmental gains can be sustained in the long run. Let us take a look at some of the most successful urban regeneration projects in our country.
Rockwell Center
Once the site of a Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) thermal plant, the estate now known as Rockwell Center occupies some 15.5 hectares of land, found a few minutes away from Edsa, one of the main thoroughfares of Metro Manila.
The thermal plant was already 40 years old when government officials and its private operators decided to shut it down for good. By then, the plant was no longer in great shape. Rockwell Land Corp., First Philippine Holdings Corp. and Meralco then undertook the project to rehabilitate the estate.
Backed by the government, the developers transformed the site into a high-class community. Starting with four residential towers, the area became the place to be for the wealthy and the posh. The Rockwell Club followed shortly after and became an exclusive sports club. Most significantly, the Power Plant Mall was opened in 2000 in the exact place where the old thermal plant once stood. With the construction of the shopping mall, Rockwell Center became established as one of the prime places to live in the metro.
Today, the area boasts of several upscale residential towers, a few office buildings, a shopping center, a city sports club and a graduate school. Rockwell Center has become the place to go to if you have the means to a luxurious lifestyle. Once a deteriorating part of the city, this area has become the prototype for high-end, urban communities in the Philippines.
Fort Bonifacio
Another successful urban regeneration project exists just a few kilometers away from Rockwell Center. Known as Fort Bonifacio, the area once served as the site of several battles, the resting place of many heroes and the home of the Philippine Scouts, the local division of the US Army in the early 1900s.
Originally, the area was called Fort McKinley by the Americans who first occupied the land. Eventually, the Americans turned over the estate to the Philippine Army and Navy. For many years, it became home to our country’s soldiers, and even became the place of detention of Benigno Aquino Sr., martyr of the Martial Law era.
In the early ’90s, the land became a place of interest for developers when housing and office spaces in nearby Makati City became scarce. Except for key areas such as the Libingan ng mga Bayani, American Cemetery and the Philippine Army Headquarters, the rest of the land was then transformed into a thriving business hub.
To prevent congestion and overcrowding, developers carefully laid out the buildings in the area, keeping in mind tried-and-tested planning practices such as the inclusion of green spaces and respect for building sightlines.
Due to this observation of good design, the estate’s land value grew exponentially over the years, while more foreign investors were attracted to build their headquarters in Manila. From a previous military base and battleground, Fort Bonifacio has managed to keep up with the times and remain relevant in today’s modern era.
The Junction Place
One of the latest ventures of real estate giant Ayala Land Inc., the Junction Place aims to redevelop Novaliches, one of the most crowded areas of Quezon City.
The introduction of this 11-ha project would introduce green spaces, shopping centers and a planned community that would definitely create an impact on the dense neighborhood.
Known for their works on the Vertis North, Nuvali and Arca South Taguig, Ayala Land has always been admired for its curated and well-designed estates. Even if the Junction Place is smaller compared to these projects, the company still aims to bring its signature touch to the area.
Plans for the Junction Place include a 5,000-sqm WalterMart mall, commercial lots and a new transit hub. Over time, the Junction Place intends to create a complete community offering various housing options, schools, markets and hospitals. Once done, the project is seen to significantly improve land values of surrounding neighborhoods and make Novaliches part of Quezon City’s most thriving sections.
Though still in the works, the first phase of the Junction Place will soon be felt in the area. The Junction Place Boulevard is slated to open within this year, Waltermart Mall by 2021 and a retail strip in 2022. In addition, an Amaia Land project providing residential spaces is set to be launched soon.
Overall, the Junction Place is out to prove that a single estate project can be a catalyst of numerous improvements in an already existing urban development.
Recipe for Success
Just what makes these projects successful? Even for works still in progress, you might be surprised that a few common factors have been identified as critical to an urban regeneration project’s success. In his Masteral Research, Ricardo Vives Guerra of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne identified five important elements to take into consideration: project financing, actor involvement, strong leadership, public sector commitment and long-term planning.
All these factors have to be well taken care of to ensure a project’s effectivity.
Beyond aesthetics and short term solutions, urban regeneration needs to consider its effects on the surrounding communities over the long run. To successfully rebirth existing parts of the city, much focus has to be given on the different sectors that will be affected by the project in the years to come.
Sources: bgc.com.ph; makaticity.com; bgc.com.ph; goodfreephotos.com; Hollyckuhno via Wikimedia Commons; Quintin Gellar via Pexels.com; “Critical Success Factors for Large Urban Regeneration Projects in Waterfront Brownfields: the Case of Canary Wharf and Abandoibarra” by Ricardo Vives Guerra (2016/2017)
