Reasons Why We Need More Conscientious Urban Planning in the Philippines
Construction companies in the Philippines have a bigger responsibility that building sound structures. They are major contributors to what becomes of a locale and the bigger the project, the bigger the impact. One major project like a subdivision or high rise residence can affect the local economy, car and citizen density, supply chain, and ecology. That is why being more involved urban planning or building with an already present urban plan in mind is important for construction companies.
While this is a factor that is better addressed by the local government and their community development team, proponents in construction also play a big part in how traffic flows in an area. Simply by giving a mall an additional 50 meters of clearance from the road, you can mitigate traffic by making mall goers drive a few extra meters to your facility. You can observe antithesis of this in malls that are directly adjacent to major roads—cars tend to line up to enter the parking lot and if it’s a single lane road, traffic can be imminent.
This involves some radical planning from local government, citizen influence & consensus, and construction companies in the Philippines. We could and should be developing to improve a locale’s currently livelihood. At the same time, it should also promote sustainability. Urban planning decision makers have to problematize issues by asking question like “if we construct a new grocery, will it not kill off sari-sari stores?” or “will there be no adverse effects if we convert farmlands into gated residential subdivisions?”
Finally, and most importantly, urban planning should also take into account very long term effects of new “developments”. While it’s easy to equate high rise buildings, luxury centers, and lifestyle hubs to “development”, we might not be seeing how it could disrupt and even destroy the delicate ecological balance. Sure, it may seem inconsequential to level a whole forest to build a parking lot right now, but in the near future, the lack of trees might cause severe flooding. Aside from that, every felled tree will definitely contribute to global warming. In the long run, will this construction build a better and livable community and world for our children?
While it’s easy to attribute progress to more and more buildings, we fail to realize that urban planning is crucial in addressing long term concerns not only of business entities and government units, but more importantly of the people and the ecosystem. If we really want progress, it should be long term, sustainable, and holistic and urban planning is our definite chance towards that.
Road Congestion
While this is a factor that is better addressed by the local government and their community development team, proponents in construction also play a big part in how traffic flows in an area. Simply by giving a mall an additional 50 meters of clearance from the road, you can mitigate traffic by making mall goers drive a few extra meters to your facility. You can observe antithesis of this in malls that are directly adjacent to major roads—cars tend to line up to enter the parking lot and if it’s a single lane road, traffic can be imminent.
Livelihood and Sustainability
This involves some radical planning from local government, citizen influence & consensus, and construction companies in the Philippines. We could and should be developing to improve a locale’s currently livelihood. At the same time, it should also promote sustainability. Urban planning decision makers have to problematize issues by asking question like “if we construct a new grocery, will it not kill off sari-sari stores?” or “will there be no adverse effects if we convert farmlands into gated residential subdivisions?”
Radical planning
Eco-preservation
Finally, and most importantly, urban planning should also take into account very long term effects of new “developments”. While it’s easy to equate high rise buildings, luxury centers, and lifestyle hubs to “development”, we might not be seeing how it could disrupt and even destroy the delicate ecological balance. Sure, it may seem inconsequential to level a whole forest to build a parking lot right now, but in the near future, the lack of trees might cause severe flooding. Aside from that, every felled tree will definitely contribute to global warming. In the long run, will this construction build a better and livable community and world for our children?
While it’s easy to attribute progress to more and more buildings, we fail to realize that urban planning is crucial in addressing long term concerns not only of business entities and government units, but more importantly of the people and the ecosystem. If we really want progress, it should be long term, sustainable, and holistic and urban planning is our definite chance towards that.
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