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Reinvent the city with socially-ecologically resilient methods to reach sustainability
Overview
Cebu is the second most urbanised and populous city in the Philippines. Rapid urbanisation has led to different urban related problems like traffic, pollution, flooding and unemployment, among others and foremost of which is urban sprawl. Hence, there is a growing call for a comprehensive Metro-wide planning in Cebu today. Such problems have to be addressed through a more strategic rather than piecemeal approach. A strategic initiative would be to redefine the city through socio-ecological resilient methods for sustainability.
The Green Loop, together with Dispersed Growth Centres and the Green Belt, composes a Metro Cebu Land Use strategy to curb urban sprawl. The Green Loop is a transit-oriented and pedestrian-dominated green corridor which traverses the urban centre of Cebu and which promotes green initiatives for a sustainable and liveable city. The aim is to apply controlled densification and to provide green lungs and breathing space to the urban centre as well as to enhance social interconnectedness among the people which is necessary for a resilient society. This project will hopefully involve the participation of Local Government Units (LGUs), the private sector and the community to establish a sense of place that will instil civic pride among Cebuanos.
Background
Rapid urbanisation and climate change are recent global phenomena which are leading experts to study the survival of cities in terms of resilience and sustainability. These two terms have recently come to the fore in the face of the recent twin disasters that befell the Visayas Region. Resilience has been commonly understood to mean ‘bouncing back from a disaster’, a physical manifestation of rebuilding infrastructure damaged by natural or man-made calamities. However, resilience more aptly refers to ‘Adaptive Capacity’, or ‘the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance or reorganize while undergoing change so as to still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity and feedbacks’.
Socio-ecological resilience is the key to addressing these concerns. Social resilience means the strengthening of social systems through improvement of social interconnectedness and the ability to deal with unexpected changes in the environment. This is coupled by Environmental resilience which refers to the preservation of the environment and the application of ’green’ initiatives. Resilience is the capacity of a system to survive, adapt and grow in the face of unforeseen changes and even disasters.
Objectives
The objectives of the Green Loop are as follows:
- To bring back legibility of the city by connecting major land uses - This will also promote the local appreciation of the community and the environment. It will foster ease of negotiation through the city enhancing safety through visibility, familiarisation and defensible space.
- To apply controlled densification and shift developments away from forest reserves – Forest reserves in the mountains at the western portion of the urban core should be preserved as the major source of water supply. The Green Loop encourages developments to move towards the east and promotes densification.
- To enhance social connections among the population - The Green Loop allows for pedestrian dominated streets with pockets of greens and linear parks along the 3 rivers (Butuanon, Guadalupe and Pilipog Rivers), thereby providing for more inclusive public spaces favourable to socialisation and public discourse. It prevents alienation and segregation of the population. It also provides a sense of place, inclusive and democratic.
- Promote resiliency by enhancing social interconnectedness – Resilience refers to adaptive capacity which can be achieved through promoting social interconnectedness among the people to enhance community spirit.
- To preserve the natural environment and apply ‘green’ initiatives - Resilience can also be achieved by preserving and enhancing the natural environment. Various green initiatives along the Green Loop can be introduced such as planting strips, linear parks, permeable sidewalks, solar powered street lamps and amenities, rainwater catchment systems, sewage treatment plants, low-carbon vehicles, E-jeepneys, recycling, etc.
- To promote concept replicability to other metropolitan areas – The Green Loop initiatives may be replicated in other metropolitan areas in the country. The ’looping’ concept begins and ends at the same point along the traverse thereby promoting access from various points of origin and returning to the same point. It also reveals different sites along the loop.
To instill civic pride and to enhance civility among the people – The Green Loop provides a social space with various potentials that people can take pride of. Pride of place promotes civic consciousness toward keeping the place clean, safe, healthy and comfortable.
Activities
The following activities have transpired
- Work with graduating students of USC-SAFAD - The Green Loop Concept is being developed at the University of San Carlos – School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design in the last two years through its graduating architecture students.
- Through Mega Cebu, consultation with local development planners – Through the Mega Cebu Project of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB), the Green Loop has been developed in consultation with some of the local development planners.
- Through Mega Cebu and Jica Study Team, part of the Roadmap Study for Metro Cebu – The Green Loop is now part of the Roadmap for Metro Cebu as adopted by the Mega Cebu Project and supported by MCDCB.
- Participated in the Liveable Cities Design Challenge by USAID, WWF, Asia Society, Urban Land Institute – The Green Loop was an entry to the Liveable Cities Design Challenge Competition in 2014 held by the National Competitiveness Council APEC 2015 for an APEC venue.
- Part of Mandaue Cities presentation for Low Carbon Model Town by USAID and DENR - Last October 15, 2015, Mandaue City won the grant for the LCMT competition.
- Presented in several fora including, UAP, National Conferences (ACARE, 2nd Natcon on Urban Studies), International Conf. (Japan-Phil Conference on Urbanization, 2nd Connective Cities Forum in Chiang Mai, Government agencies PCUP, NEDA, Local Gov’t Units (Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-lapu, Cordova)).
Effects
- Knowledge transfer and learnings by students and faculty including local development planners – The development of the concept for the Green Loop has been carried out in consultation with various stakeholders including local development planners, practitioners, students and others.
- Civil society is now aware of the possibilities of the Green Loop and actually conducting an experiment for pedestrianisation.- In September 2014, the Green Loop experiment was conducted by civil society, business chamber and government along 4 major roads in Cebu to demonstrate road sharing principles and the concept of pedestrianisation.
- Now institutionalized as part of the Metro Cebu Roadmap - The Green Loop has slowly been accepted and is now part of the Metro Cebu Roadmap of the Jica Study.
- Widely disseminated in various forums, on conferences locally, nationally and internationally – The Green Loop Concept has been presented in various forums.
- Support of NEDA Region 7 with presentation to the 4 LGUs comprising the Metro Cebu urban core traversed by the Green Loop – Presented to the city and municipal councils of Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-lapu City and Cordova.
- Mandaue City Council manifested their support and endorsed the Green Loop – In August 2015, the Mandaue City Council officially endorsed the Green Loop and is committed to support it.
- Mandaue City is now making it part of the CLUP and is reserving a 25m strip along the Butuanon River as portion of the Green Loop.
- Cebu City Development Council has recently expressed their interest in supporting the Green Loop.
- The Cebu City Mayor, upon identification by APEC of Cebu City as one of the 5 cities in Southeast Asia to be supported through green initiatives, will be endorsing the Green Loop Concept to avail of a development study grant.
Conclusions
What is described above is an overall picture of what Cebu was before and how rapid urbanisation is now threatening many of its admired traits. The key is to be able to preserve Cebu’s identity as it takes on its responsibility as a centre of development in the Region. The worldwide trend of rapid urbanisation in many instances invariably leads to urban sprawl and its many attendant ills. It is incumbent upon cities especially in metropolitan areas to implement strategies against urban sprawl. Much of that largely depends on an understanding of the larger picture and its implications on the physical aspects of planning. The Green Loop Concept provides the framework to achieve various green initiatives and social infrastructure towards a resilient and sustainable metropolitan area.
Images
Categories:
Integrated urban development
Sustainable mobility
Participation and urban planning
The social city
Urban mobility and public transport
Regions:
Asia
The Philippines
Cebu City
