Chapter 11

Multi-Dimensional Planning and

Public Space in the Philippines
GRACE C. RAMOS

Introdnction

From the Spanish colonial period of the 16th century up to the early 1980s, the
traditional policies and processes in the development and maintenance of public
places in the Philippines could be considered "uni-dimensional." Different cities
prepared their own plans independently from each other and without national co-
ordination. Each of these local plans had unrelated sections for housing, health,
agriculture, etc.' In addition, the planning tools used were often physically-oriented
and a physical planner (e.g., an engineer) usually controlled the planning team.
Plans were basically graphic presentations of proposed land use zones, beautifica-
tion projects, or physical infrastructures, with no explanation of how these might
be realized socially and financially.2
The results of the old approaches were the usual urban problems: traffic conges-
tion, power and water shortages, crime, squatting and blight in public areas. Fin-
ished projects followed a consistent pattern of growth and decay despite numerous
studies conducted prior to their creation to avoid that outcome. 3
In the last decade, public space in the Philippines has gradually taken a new
shape. The change in the physical landscape may be attributed to design approaches
characterized as "multi-dimensional." National and local government agencies have
realized that a city must be integrated with the area outside of itself and that a phys-
ical plan must be tied in with the economic, social, cultural and political aspects of
the area. 4 The shift in planning has created a parallel change in the nature of the
participation of professionals, particularly technocrats.

Pu Miao (ed.), Public Places in Asia Pacific Cities, 237-256.

© 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
238 G.C.RAMOS

a.

Figure 1. Map of the Philippines. (a) Map of the entire country. (b) Map of Metro Manila. (c) Map
of Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, and Taguig (the central city area within Metro Manila).