MANY
an urban planner probably dreams of a chance to build a new city or
area from scratch, working with a clean slate, so to speak. This chance
comes once in a while when, for example, one is able to work with a
newly reclaimed piece of land sufficiently large to work in many of the
ingredients that a small town or city would need. The project is further
enhanced when and if a substantial property is made available, one the
size of a major metropolitan city itself.
Well, the government
now has such an opportunity to work with such an area, one that has been
around for some time, with interesting infrastructure already in place.
Depending on how much land is allowed to be freed up, the land astride
the Clark Ecozone that makes up the Clark Subzone, stretching from the
towns of Bamban to Capas at one end, and all the way up to Crow Valley
at the other end, could come up to a total of at least 30,000 to 60,000
hectares.
The
topography is interesting, too, starting with the Sacobia River and a
low-land plain that gradually morphs into a hilly and sub-mountainous
terrain. The higher areas would appear to be like what one would find in
Tagaytay ridge itself, probably higher, leading to cooler weather and
freedom from the oppressive heat that one finds in the typical
metropolitan area.
Of
course, the former American bases, namely Subic and Clark are nearby,
which would provide the necessary logistical and transportation hubs
needed to support such a magnificent enterprise.
Furthermore,
the new city would probably have to be put up along strict clean,
green, and ecologically sound lines, with lots of trees and plants
abounding to make the whole city a pleasant place to live in. Utilities
would be placed underground; power and water would be generated, using
the latest in clean and green technologies. Mass transportation matrices
would be part of the mix, and roadways made sufficiently wide with room
for expansion in the future. Biking and hiking trails would be part of
the equation, and these would pass through a substantial number of urban
mini-forests and parks. Would this not be a wonderful place to live and
work in?
In fact,
if I and some friends have our way, we would make it a punishable crime
to litter streets or one’s environs, or to even cut down any tree. All
trees will be numbered and catalogued, especially since the promotion of
native species will be undertaken. Maybe, if the economics warrant it, a
two-pipe system for water would be mandated or encouraged, so that
drinking water would be separated from brown recycled water that could
be used for flushing toilets, watering plants, and the like.
Consider
further, the possibility of moving the seat of government into the new
city to be created, which would probably be midway up the hilly areas.
This would give planners an opportunity to work out the proper
structures to be set up at levels that would free these establishments
from the vagaries of flooding and traffic, among the more annoying
problems that plague a metropolitan area.
This
would free large areas of land within Metro Manila that could be
converted to better uses, and maybe keeping the existing government
buildings as the metropolitan regional office. This strategy would then
mimic similar moves made in Malaysia, Brazil, and other countries that
have separate areas that allow for planned growth in the future.
BCDA
already has a master plan that is in the process of being drawn up for a
substantial portion of the property. But even as this plan is being
developed, the idea is beginning to excite some people who see this area
as a place for future business and residence.
A
word of warning though to those who think that they can get away with
the usual highest and best-use type of development in the new green
city: DON’T! The whole idea is to migrate away from the type of
willy-nilly development that we now see in Metro Manila, the creation of
a concrete jungle that only increases the carbon footprint of the
country and fails to improve the lifestyle and level of happiness of its
inhabitants.
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