We are all rooting for the future. All of our resources today are built and nourish in order to create a brighter and better years ahead.
The creation of smart cities is an evidence of the human kind’s first step into a better future. Smart city refers to a developed urban area that has sustainable economy, high-quality life, mobility, grand infrastructures, and of course efficient technology. All of these can be achieved by good governance, effective transportation system, wise traffic management, health care, and good real estate.
We have seen the growing number of infrastructures in the Metro. This is in part of building a sustainable city that resembles a smart city. With all of these urban planning and building, is it possible for a flourishing country like the Philippines to create its own smart city?
The answer is yes. Even though we are currently plagued by our horrible transportation system and a less than stellar environmental efforts in the urban area, the Philippines still has a chance to build a smart city that can help nation push forward in the coming years. Here’s how the Philippines can make it possible:
1. A chance to focus on other locations
Metro Manila is not the only location in the Philippines that has a chance on becoming a smart city. There are other places in the country that prove to have the resources to make this dream a possibility. The growing interest in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan is spark that says that perhaps we should take a chance on these growing locales.
2. The turn for vertical cities
Aside from the mega infrastructure, there is also a current demand for more sky-high buildings for commercial and residential purposes. This means that the Philippines is open for vertical cities. Vertical cities can help in sustaining the growing population in the Metro and welcomes a possibility of better transportation. Vertical cities are known as the first step towards smart cities.
3. More mobility
One of the problems of Metro Manila is its lack of empathy for the people. It gives space to private cars and public buses but not to the people. Urban planners are saying that this lack of sensibility to the people’s needs is one of the reason why the traffic is in its worst state. To solve this, developers and urban architects must be able to create spaces for people to walk and to bike, creating a more efficient mobility to Filipino people.
4. Taking a chance on San Juan City
Known as “Little Baguio,” San Juan City shows a lot of promise into becoming an effective smart city, according to urban planners. San Juan City has a special ecological terrain that can turn into a mobility dream if matched with good urban planning. A project collaboration between Palafox Associates and the government of San Juan City aims to give the said location zoning, mobility, and climate change adaptation.
What does it mean for real estate?
Creating a smart city is not easy and everyone has to adjust, including the local real estate industry. In order to get in line with this country’s aim, developers must build properties that are sustainable and that work co-dependently with the transportation system of the country. Scouting for other locations other than Metro Manila is also a must. All in all, what the real estate community must do is to coincide with the government’s plans in order to create a more efficient city.
