STOP THE CEBU FLYOVERS! A POSITION PAPER BY THE USC-COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND FINE ARTS
BY THE FACULTY, STUDENTS AND STAFF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SANCARLOS – COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND FINE ARTS AND THEGRADUATE SCHOOL FOR URBAN DESIGNIt is a reality that street crime, visible poverty, deteriorating infrastructure,informal settlers and blighted neighborhoods are becoming increasingly common in our urban setting. But we have probably become so callous to thesituation that we fail to recognize this dangerous and silent progression that isnot being given the attention it deserves. And it has the potential, in the end,to hinder Cebuano society’s quest for a decent urban life. Already, there is asteady flow of residents and commercial establishments moving out of thedowntown areas toward new developments along the hillsides and in the urbanfringes, leaving the inner city blighted.SYMPTOMS OF URBAN DECAY To be able to fully absorb the situation, we only have to observe what ishappening in these areas. Cleanliness and sanitation are increasingly aproblem, traffic congestion has worsened, criminality is on the rise, flooding,illegal vendors and informal settlers... These are typical symptoms of urbandecay.Contributing to this dire situation are government policies which by themselves further exacerbate conditions. The proposed construction of moreflyovers in Cebu is a potential problem just about to happen. And it does nottake that long to see and feel the results. Some existing flyovers are atestament to the fact that flyovers are not the solution to specific intersections.There is a need to conduct a thorough study and let the results of those studies be the basis for the formulation of specific solutions to particular problems.THE INTANGIBLES
Much has been said against the construction of the flyovers. Among thosealready mentioned by the “movement” are the violation of the people’s right toparticipate, the need for a comprehensive masterplan, increase in vehiculardensity and air pollution, etc.These are points which speak for themselves and are understandable owing totheir tangible nature. We could readily see the need for citizen participation,the worsening traffic or air pollution. But there are the “intangibles” - factors which are not clear or definite enough to be seen nor felt easily. Many of thesefactors are related to urban design or the concepts of space. Much of it has todo with the City’s image which is crucial towards acceptability and ownershipof the City by the residents themselves. That image must impart a sense of security and livability for the city-dwellers.The classic book, entitled “Image of the City”, a required reading for urbanplanners, by Kevin Lynch, theorizes extensively about urban design. In the book, Lynch imparts that the design of cities is a temporal art, very much likethe design of buildings or paintings or literature. The difference lies in thescale of the City and the limited control which can be exercised by its plannersor administrators. While painters can exercise full control over his work of art,the many factors which influence urban design make it more difficult forplanners to control the design of the City.In designing a building or a residence, it is a basic design principle that its planshould be legible and transparent to the user. As one enters the structure, oneis able to perceive the spaces within, the circulation is clear, the location of stairs, toilets and other spaces are perceptible. With legibility, a user is able tonavigate successfully inside the building. Similarly, cities should be legible andunderstood by the residents. The streets and views are unobstructed, differentareas of the City are perceptible and boundaries between districts are clear. Ina legible environment, there is order to things, where people feel a sense of security and the City achieves a sense of place. According to Lynch, the Image of the City can be defined with reference tophysical forms conveniently classified to 5 types of elements namely: Paths,Edges, Districts, Nodes and Landmarks. Paths are the channels or the streets where people move. Along these paths, the other environmental elements arearranged and related. Edges are the barriers or boundaries of different areasor districts of the City. Districts are areas with common or shared identifyingcharacter. Nodes are strategic points where people can enter or depart.Landmarks are points of reference which may be either man-made or natural.
Coincidentally, in another book by Oscar Newman entitled, “Defensible Space”,the author contends that natural surveillance is necessary for residents to takecontrol of their environment. Visibility is a prime factor in naturalsurveillance, where mere visual contact deters intruders and helps preventcrime. This concept may explain the prevalence of crime in visually deprivedneighborhoods such as in Barangay Kamagayan in Cebu. The blocked roadsand intricate alleys have reduced visibility towards its interior areas andprevented natural surveillance. It is clear that the residents of Kamagayanhave lost their ability to come together against criminality which, unabated,has grown increasingly rampant through the years.THE FLYOVERSThe proposed flyovers are by themselves not objectionable except for the factthat they may be improperly located and misplaced. As espoused by the“movement”, the flyovers could benefit from a necessary review throughcomprehensive planning and urban design.Traditionally, the city can basically be defined by its boundaries which are thedowntown area or the inner urban core from the pier up to Sanciangko St., theuptown area up to Mango Ave., the outer urban core up to Escario St. and theurban fringes which used to be up to Lahug. Today, of course the City hasgrown tremendously. What used to be rural areas (Banilad up to Talamban) inthe 1970s are now our new urban fringes. Even so, this traditional urban fabricdeserves to be preserved if only to maintain the sense of place which we allknow and long to be CEBU!From an urban design perspective, the visual form of the City can emanatefrom an orderly arrangement of its distinctive elements including “Paths”(flyovers and streets). By its very nature, flyovers bode well if located at theurban fringes rather than the urban core because of narrower streets,congestion, pollution, and all the tangibles.The reason why opposition to the planned flyovers are more intense than evertoday, is precisely because these are now intruding on the urban core – a very private space which residents consider sacred. A public image of the City is being maintained by large numbers of the City’s inhabitants which they treasure and protect. With these new flyovers, the traditional sentiments andfeelings of Cebuanos are being violated.The boundaries between the inner urban core (downtown), uptown area, outer
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