OUR RIGHT TO LIVE IN LIVEABLE CITIES
Our Right to Live in Livable Cities
Featuring: The Municipality of Bani, Pangasinan, Philippines
What makes a city a place where people want to live? Are we aware that it is our right to live in one?
According to an article by the The World Economic Forum, there are three critical factors to consider for our cities to be categorized as Livable. First, the residents should be able to safely connect to the members of their community. Second, the people must have a healthy environment that they can enjoy and sustain for years to come. Lastly, the community must be made up of Green and Healthy Homes that are conveniently linked to public amenities such as public transportation, pedestrian & bike lanes, parks and other open spaces. The combination of all these things, of being sources of good health and wellbeing, is important to the identity of a Livable City.
The World Health Organization emphasizes in their Manifesto for a Healthy Recovery from COVID-19 that in order for us to have healthy, green and livable cities, we must protect and preserve the source of human health: Nature. City designs must reduce the impact of humans on the environment in order for people to continue to experience the multiple benefits to health that nature provides. There are landscape architecture designs that can help boost the health and wellbeing of the people as reflected on the WHO Manifesto. Pedestrian lanes and bike paths can promote active living and sustainable mobility. Socially inclusive open spaces such as plazas, squares and parks can foster unity among the diverse groups of the community through shared therapeutic activities that are good for mental health.
While these are all nice to have and will truly enrich the lives of city dwellers, not all are familiar that our very own Philippine Constitution recognizes the following rights: “an improved quality of life, health, protection for the children’s physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being, and a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.” Every Filipino has the right to live in a sustainable environment that is safe, clean and healthy.
Leadership and strategic foresight in the Municipality of Bani, Pangasinan, Philippines has resulted in redevelopment plans for its public and open spaces as far back as 2017 that focus on making this emerging city better prepared for the future. Dubbed as the “The Pearl of the West”, Bani is about a six-hour bus ride from the National Capital Region and used to be a part of Zambales. It is well-known for its exceptionally sweet and juicy watermelons and one of its leading industries is salt-making. Bani’s emphasis on orienting the economy around the transformation and improvement of its natural environment plays a significant role in elevating it as an emerging city.
To help their town develop and become more sustainable and healthy, they have reached out to AJM Planning and Design to come up with a concept design that could help them map out a vision for their open spaces and great outdoors. Recognizing the impact of regular contact with nature to a person’s holistic wellbeing, they envisioned parks and green spaces that can be venues for various physical activities that studies show, also offer mental health benefits. Accessible parks strive to bring together people of different generations, including those with physical disabilities, at no financial cost. The goal is to open nature to all and allow every person to breathe freely in it while respecting the social distancing and other health recommendations set for the community.
The design quality of their streets caters to the unique Filipino social practice of group walking in sidewalks. Instead of the standard width of four feet, Bani’s town center sidewalks are wider and allows for more pedestrians to walk side by side comfortably. Coincidentally, this sidewalk design fits perfectly into the new normal guidelines as well because they are wide enough for pedestrians to stay far apart. Furthermore, the planned outdoor commercial spaces in their town plaza can also intensify the diverse and resilient local economy by providing venues for livelihood for the people. Pedestrians, children at play, and bicyclists can all move around the area safely and comfortably as vehicular and pedestrian circulation standards shall be strictly applied. It is quite evident then that for Bani and other Philippine cities to be considered livable, its local government must first find solutions to two important things: health threats and economic insecurity. And investing in green infrastructure can definitely help jumpstart both because a healthy environment that produces a healthy population is essential for economic development.
More than just a beautiful concept, a livable city for all people is both a human right and a human need. In the age of a global pandemic, the vulnerability of our lives demands that we protect these rights more than ever and desire for our government to do more for our environment. We must demand for an acceptable life condition in our cities that safeguards the overall wellness of our future generations. Just the same, as citizens, we all have a duty to do our part as individuals to carry our country forward into the future by taking simple steps that have a big impact on our natural surroundings. Empathetic government leaders with a committed citizenry can result in greener, healthier and more sustainable future cities we would all want to live in.
CLIENT MUNICIPALITY OF BANI
LOCATION BANI, PANGASINAN, PHILIPPINES