FAMILARA, MILENA MARI D.

ARC 4106

CASE STUDY OF CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

LOCAL
1. MAKATI CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
The Makati Central Business District (CBD) is where most of Makati's financial resources
are concentrated. This is an informal district bounded by EDSA, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue
(formerly Buendia), Antonio Arnaiz Road (formerly Pasay Road), and Chino Roces
(formerly Pasong Tamo). It mainly encompasses Legaspi Village, Salcedo Village, Ayala
Center, and parts of Bel-Air. Much of the area is owned by Ayala Land, Inc. and
administered through Makati Commercial Estates Authority (MACEA), its subsidiary.

Many skyscrapers rise in this area. PBCom Tower along Ayala Avenue is the country's
tallest building and reaches up 259 meters. It is the headquarters of the Philippine Bank of
Communications, or PBCom. The Business District is also considered as one of the most
vibrant commercial districts in South-East Asia. Makati CBD is considered to be a major
metropolis affecting world economies.

One of the trading floors of the Philippine Stock Exchange is housed in Ayala Tower One
and at the old Makati Stock Exchange Building, both also along Ayala Avenue. The Bank
of the Philippine Islands (BPI), the country's oldest bank, has its headquarters at the corner
of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas.

Other companies that have their offices and country/regional headquarters within
Makati City, most within the CBD, include Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank), IBM, Procter &
Gamble, Citibank, Ayala Corporation, Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP),
Metrobank, Intel Philippines, Microsoft Philippines, Nestlé, Syngenta, Shell, Convergys
Corporation, Commonwealth Insurance Company (CIC), Teleperformance, Pan Pacific
Computer Center, Inc. (PPCC), Holcim Philippines, and JG Summit, Accenture. Hewlett
Packard's main Philippines office and an HP service center are in Makati City. Asiana
Airlines operates a sales office on the sixth floor of the Salcedo Tower in Makati City.

It occupies parts of Barangays Pio del Pilar, San Antonio, San Lorenzo, Bel-Air, and
Urdaneta.

MAKATI CITY ADVANTAGES

By all rights a techno-city, Makati is the most preferred location of investors. It is the
country's undisputed financial center and commercial hub, being home to the
headquarters of 40 percent of the top 1,000 multinational and local corporations. To
date, it has a total of 62,878 establishments, which include 461 head offices of banks, 10
major IT companies, and 27 contact centers.

Superior Infrastructures
Makati's highly developed multi-modal transport infrastructure has made it the most
centralized city in Metro Manila and the National Capital Region. The availability of
various forms of public transportation, such as the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), jeepneys and
buses, complemented by a road network that links the city to the rest of Metro Manila,
ensures accessibility and convenience.

The city has the most developed telecommunications infrastructure in the country. With
the presence of two major providers for land-based telephone services, the PLDT and
Globe Telecom, Makati's teledensity far exceeds the national average.

Expat-friendly
As host to 54 embassies and 35 consulates, Makati has highly developed foreign transient
support institutions. Likewise, it is home to the headquarters of international organizations
like the World Health Organization, UNICEF, IFC, and UNDP.

World-class amenities
The presence of six five-star hotels, eight shopping malls, and 2,901 restaurants and bars
in the city has strengthened its bid to become the “Urban Tourism Capital” of the
Philippines. In fact, it was declared by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a “prime
urban tourist destination” in 2002 as part of the “Visit Philippines” tourism campaign.

Local and foreign tourists flock to Makati commercial centers, such as Ayala Center and
Rockwell Center, primarily because of convenience, accessibility, quality of stores,
ambiance, and interior and exterior environment that match world-class standards.

Investors likewise find Makati a “home away from home”, given the high-end yet
reasonably priced residential condominiums, villages, and apartments that abound in its
midst.

Its restaurants offer all kinds of local and international cuisine that cater to varied
preferences, while its night spots and daytime bars give a wide array of choices for those
who wish to unwind after work, or simply relish the pleasures of nightlife, Makati-style.

Peace of Mind
The Makati police and fire departments have both been cited as the country's best units
in 2004. At present, the city government is building a state-of-the-art police headquarters,
patterned after that of the Los Angeles Police Department, near the Central Business
District. It will form part of an Integrated Central Command Complex that will house all
protective sectors, including the city's fire and rescue teams, and the Disaster
Coordinating Council.

The City government also takes pride in having recently established the nation's first free-
standing emergency care facility, the Acute Care Center (ACC) Ospital ng Makati in BEl-
Air. It is staffed round-the-clock by a full complement of qualified doctors, nurses, and
support personnel trained in responding to life-threatening illness or injury via the team
approach.

The ACC gives crucial support to the major hospitals in the city, which include the Makati
Medical Center and the Ospital ng Makati in Barangay Pembo.

Going the ‘extra mile'

The above-mentioned attributes of the city have won the confidence of leading
multinational and local corporations, including big players in the IT industry like Microsoft,
Oracle, and Hewlet-Packard.

But mindful of the needs of the working class as well, the city government has gone out
of its way to promote programs that would benefit employees. One such initiative was
the establishment of what are now popularly known as “jolly-jeeps” in strategic areas of
the Central Business District. These are mobile canteens that provide affordable, yet
clean and nutritious meals to ordinary employees of Makati-based companies.

And as the number of call center locators grew, the city government responded by
allowing these jolly-jeeps to operate on a 24-hour basis for the benefit of call center
employees and other night-shift workers in the city.

ICT-readiness
Makati is the top choice of IT locators because it has ICT-ready buildings that allow them
to plug in and immediately start operations. To date, seven IT Zone buildings in the
Central Business District have been proclaimed by PEZA, namely: Exportbank Plaza
Building, G.T. Tower International, PBCom Tower, RCBC Plaza, The Enterprise Center, MSE
Center, and Multinational Bancorporation Centre. These buildings all have double-fed
electricity and managed power that ensure continuous operations, with most having
their own additional backup power.

Ten more buildings are awaiting similar accreditation. These are 6750 Ayala Avenue
Building, DPC Place Building, Solid House, and the Paseo Center IT Building.

IT Zone buildings allow the locator to take advantage of the following PEZA incentives.

Income tax holiday (ITH) or exemption from corporate income tax for four years,
extendable up to a maximum of eight years.
After ITH period, the option to pay a special 5 percent tax on gross income in lieu of all
national and local taxes.
Exemption from duties and taxes on imported capital equipment, spare parts, supplies,
raw materials.
Domestic sales allowance equivalent to 30 percent of total sales.
Exemption from wharfage dues and export taxes, imposts and fees.
Permanent resident status of foreign investors and immediate family members.
Employment of foreign nationals.
Simplified import and export procedures
The presence of leading telephone companies (i.e., PLDT, Globe Telecom) provides
value-added services to corporate locators. Broadband is available throughout the CBD.

Data security is easily addressed by a local community of cyber-security experts.

Business Friendly City Hall

To promote a more ‘business-friendly' environment, the city government has taken steps
to streamline permits application and processing at City hall. Through its “Express Lane”
service, processing time has been considerably reduced to a maximum of two hours.

Downloadable application forms for Business Permit, Individual Mayor's Permit, and
Locational Clearance have also been made available through its official
website, www.makati.gov.ph, for the convenience of investors.

2. BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY

BGC - Bonifacio Global City, formerly known as Fort McKinley and once a Philippine Army
camp, is now a major urban development and financial district. It houses high-rise
residential towers, multinational companies, world-class schools, hotels, and hundreds of
commercial establishments including high-end restaurants, wellness hubs, and parks that
add quality to life. It is the Home of the Passionate Minds where residents know how to
live life in the fast lane. They know how to juggle career and personal life cleverly.

No matter what passion one has, BGC can support. Upper-middle class residents and
visitors frequent go-to hangouts including High Street, The Fort, Park Triangle, and Burgos
Circle. For those who love the arts or just want to geek out, there are museums and
libraries within the neighborhood. Famous and Instagram-worthy restaurants and cafés
are where families, friends, and workmates meet up to dine and spend time no matter
what time of day it is. At night, bars and clubs are open to let guests have fun. Overall,
despite BGC being a progressive central business district, its vibe is laid-back and
welcoming.

Fort Bonifacio Global City often referred to as Fort BGC or simply The Fort is located right
next to Makati in the city of Taguig and is an absolutely amazing contemporary
development.

It is literally a new city that was basically a bunch of paddocks when I first arrived
in Manila back in 2003.

Formerly part of the Philippine Army Camp (hence the name “the fort”), it has become
the leading commercial and financial district in Manila.

Consisting of shopping malls, residential complexes, office and commercial buildings,

retail stores, restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs, supermarkets, international schools and
major hotels such as the Shangri-la, Ascott and the Grand Hyatt, – you name it, it really is
a self-contained city.

Bonifacio High Street

Bonifacio High Street forms the physical core of Fort BGC. This is essentially designed as a
three-by-three matrix. It consists of high-tech offices and residential buildings, retail shops
and pedestrian-friendly roads and walkways.

It has become a very popular location for families. One of the main attractions is that it’s
pet-friendly. It’s one of the few places in the metro with green grass.

It also contains a number of water features running through the entire centre of the
complex.

Another popular section of Fort Bonifacio Global City is Forbes Town Centre. This area
features a combination of low-density residential apartments, retail shops, restaurants
and gastro pubs, supermarket, banks and other service facilities.

This area is a lower-key end of town and has a real village type of environment. It doesn’t
get quite as busy as High Street, so it’s a great place to chill out.

One of my absolute favourite places in BGC is the night food market. There are dozens of
food stalls here offering everything from local delicacies right through to international
specialities. Watch my vlog below for more details.

3. FILINVEST CORPORATE CITY

THE CITY

It was all spurred by the vision of Filinvest Development Corporation founder Andrew L.
Gotianun Sr.

In 1995, the ambitious transformation of the underutilized Alabang Stock Farm into a fully-
integrated,
self-contained, and future-ready urban development began.

DEVELOPMENT FEATURES

Privately-Operated Estate Management

With its own estate management team, Filinvest City fulfills its promise of providing safety
and convenience within and around the self-sustained masterplanned community.

Its team of experts in estate management, utilizing modern and ecological urban
planning and design, is more than ready to respond to the evolving lifestyle needs of
residents, workers and visitors of this garden city.

Centralized Water System

Filinvest City is equipped to provide residents and businesses with 24 hours of

uninterrupted water supply.

And being true to its commitment of being a green city, waste water is recycled and
used for irrigation within the city.

Emergency Response Group

As the premier CBD south of Metro Manila, Filinvest City boasts of its very own Emergency
Response Group and Crisis Management Team operating 24/7 with professionally-trained
emergency response team that is fully equipped with fire and rescue equipment and
tools.

Filinvest City 360-Eco loop

The Filinvest City 360 Eco-Loop is the country’s first fully-integrated electric-powered
public transport system in a private development. With 28 designated stops, it is the main
mode of public transportation within Filinvest City. The 17-seater vehicles have
exceptionally quiet engines and are energy-efficient with zero carbon emission.

Filinvest City Fire Station

Filinvest City has its very own Fire Station as part of its Central Emergency Command Post.
Recognized by the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Filinvest City Fire Station is equipped
with a Fire Engine truck and a first responder pick-up truck, 10-kilometer radio coverage,
and can immediately respond to fires within a 3-kilometer radius.

Lifeline Partnership

In its effort to provide residents, businesses and visitors with round-the-clock peace of
mind and convenience should an emergency arise, Filinvest City has partnered with
Lifeline to support its existing security and safety efforts.

Lifeline is the country’s first dedicated Emergency Quick Response service with its own
Advanced Life Support Ambulances, and offers for Filinvest City residents, guests, visitors,
staff and management free use of ambulance, medical supplies and equipment and full
endorsement to hospital.

Harmonizing with nature

Filinvest City is a visionary township designed to provide modern conveniences in

harmony with nature. It is a residential haven, business central, leisure destination,
learning and education zone, and medical and wellness hub amid lush, green
landscapes in a modern urban development.

Sprawling over an expansive 244 hectares of prime property in Alabang, Muntinlupa City,
Filinvest City is a fully-integrated and self-contained community divided into districts that
provide a balanced mix of developments that is competitive with the world’s most
modern cities.

MASTERPLAN

Creekside Park
The Riverside Park is an exciting green attraction being developed in Filinvest City that will
feature retail and dining establishments set in a relaxing and inviting natural environment
for everyone to enjoy.

Central Park

A breath of freshness at the center of the city, the Central Park will have a distinct, lush
landscape for residents, workers and visitors to enjoy.

Bisected by the Spectrum Linear Park, this green retreat will be anchored on the northern
end by the Festival Mall.

Spectrum Linear Park

The Spectrum Linear Park is an innovative "green spine" of tree-canopied walkways and
landscaped pathways, lighted seating areas and stimulating outdoor art installations for
the enjoyment of people on foot.

Spanning across the northern and southern ends of the township, Spectrum Linear Park
provides a perfect balance between city living and nature, making Filinvest City truly a
pedestrian-friendly community.

4. ORTIGAS CENTER

The center is located within the a 100-hectare area enclosed by the following
thoroughfares: Ortigas Avenue to the north, Meralco Avenue to the east, Shaw
Boulevard to the south, and EDSA to the west. In 1966, the 31 members of the Asian
Development Bank (above left) voted to have the headquarters of the regional
development bank in Ortigas Center, which is located along ADB Avenue. Standing 215
meters, the BSA Twin Towers in St. Francis Square, completed in 2000, are the Philippines’
4th and 5th tallest buildings.
Along Exchange Road stands the PSE Center (formerly the Tektite Towers) where the
second trading floor of the Philippine Stock Exchange is located.

Ortigas Center is also home to many top-notch education institutions, the most notable
of which is the University of Asia & and the Pacific, whose five schools focus on instruction
on political economy, development, and international relations.

5. CEBU BUSINESS PARK

When it comes to developments, Ayala Land is always at the helm of renewing the
potential of burgeoning cities all over the country. We’re creating new real estate
footprints in Central Visayas with Cebu Park District, celebrating the Cebuano spirit and
the city’s further rise as a major center of commerce.

Cebu Park District is the fusion of Ayala Land’s Cebu Business Park and Cebu I.T. Park, two
unique destinations now transformed into one dynamic business and lifestyle mecca.
Taking inspiration from Ayala Land’s master-planned districts in Metro Manila, Cebu Park
District is poised to become Cebu’s premier residential and corporate address, offering
Cebuanos the finest in cosmopolitan living.

ALVEO

A subsidiary of Ayala Land, Alveo provides upscale living spaces within thriving and
emerging cities across the country. Alveo Land offers Cebu with fresh approaches to
living and residential developments that blend innovation, comfort, and convenience in
one fast-paced location. See how Alveo in Cebu nurtures individuals and gives
Cebuanos a place where they can live and work well.

SOLINEA
Solinea is Alveo Land's first multi-tower development in Cebu City, where city resort living
shines throughout the three condominium towers. Solinea merges Cebu City’s vibrant
tempo with the relaxing ambience of a resort-inspired environment, offering residents a
unique experience when it comes to rest, relaxation, and recreation. Embrace this new
brilliant living experience within one of Alveo's vibrant leisure communities - the warm
glow of a mellow home balanced with the invigorating energy of the city.

Solinea has a total of three residential condominium towers: Solinea Tower 1 (Cyan),
Solinea Tower 2 (Turquoise), and Solinea Tower 3 (Lazuli). Choose from any of the towers
to experience the joy and convenience of residing in an amazing address where you
can live, work, and chill in a city resort locale.

AYALA LAND PREMIER

Exclusive and distinctive living experiences are the trademarks of Ayala Land Premier,
and we provide the same level of standard to our residents in Cebu. With a portfolio of
high-end residential condominiums, Ayala Land Premier in Cebu offers discerning
homeowners with condos that redefine the concept of home and luxury living.
Experience the prestige of owning an Ayala Land Premier condo in Cebu Park District
and enjoy all the upscale facilities and amenities of a first-class urban lifestyle.

THE ALCOVES
Centrally located at Ayala Center Cebu, The Alcoves is a two-tower condominium
where lifestyle is characterized by luxury and convenience. Residents enjoy spacious
units, elegant common areas, and a wide array of recreational amenities that go hand-
in-hand with the tower's premium lifestyle offerings. With designer brands and select
opportunities for dining and leisure in the surrounding area, you can live the ultimate live-
work-play lifestyle in an amazing new residential destination.

AYALA CENTER CEBU

Ayala Center Cebu brings all of the best of the Queen City
of the South to one stunning, sophisticated setting. Housing
the first Ayala Mall in Cebu, the lifestyle destination offers
unparalleled retail, dining, and entertainment options,
where you and your family can unwind, eat out, and
shop ’til you drop. It leads seamlessly to Ayala Terraces
Cebu, a multi-level dining, leisure, and entertainment
enclave where you can stroll along beautifully landscaped
parks, enjoy the gorgeous greenery, and admire its
refreshing water features.

With an extensive combination of world-class offerings and

local retailers, and the warm ambience that’s reflective of
the Cebuano culture, Ayala Center Cebu personifies the
cosmopolitan city and enlivens the heart of the business
district. You’ll never get tired of this urban retreat and
lifestyle oasis.

CITY SPORTS CLUB CEBU

ABROAD

1. Midtown Manhattan - Neighborhood in New York City, New York

Busy Midtown Manhattan is home to iconic attractions like Times Square and the
Museum of Modern Art, and architectural landmarks including the Chrysler Building,
Grand Central Terminal, the Flatiron Building, and the Empire State Building. Concerts are
held at Radio City Music Hall in Rockefeller Center, or Madison Square Garden, home of
the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.

STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE
Beaux Arts Style, Art Deco, International Style
Within a relatively small parameter, this neighborhood offers the possibility to explore the
top examples of three architectural styles: the Beaux Arts Grand Central Terminal, the Art
Deco style Chrysler Building and the International Style Seagrams Building on Park Ave.
Each one of the buildings is a gem in its own way. The train station enchants us with its
19th Century elegance and charm despite its enormous scale. In the Chrysler Building the
neoclassical Gods become contemporary American construction workers and engineers,
full of optimism in their own ingenuities, surrounded by an abandon of sensuous,
entertaining detail. Mies van der Rohe’s Seagram’s building uptown takes the classical
ideals and turns them into a most elegant, chaste skyscraper following his credo of ‘less is
more’; the Four Season’s Restaurant inside, designed by his pupil Philip Johnson was one
of the finest original interiors of the period, but has recently moved to a nearby location.
SITE PLAN ANALYSIS
The two main analytical tools we adopted are mapping and modeling. Mapping
presents the spatialization of data, which also gives a sense of scale and illustrates the
border conditions6 . Moreover, by overlapping different maps, correlations between
different sets of data are revealed (for example, the map of residents’ average age per
block and the map of average rent per block), which give new information about the
site. Modeling is useful as a realistic representation. By making a 1:1000 site model, we are
able to observe the volumetric compositions of the built environment of our site from
various point of view. This is also helpful considering the studied area is as big as the
whole Midtown Manhattan, such a site model as well as scaled maps gives us a zoomed-
out overview of the whole site, from which scale certain patterns start to emerge.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS

SOM Design
Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) has shared new renderings of a tower to replace the
Grand Hyatt Hotel next to Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. With over 2.2
million square feet of space, the project is being developed by RXR Realty and TF
Cornerstone with SOM, Beyer Blinder Belle and Field Operations. The mixed-use project
would rise over 80 stories to 1,646 feet tall, making it the second-tallest building in New
York City.

KPF
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) completed One Vanderbilt, the tallest office tower in
Midtown Manhattan. Part of New York City’s East Midtown Rezoning, the highrise
explores the future of the central business district, “with public realm benefits, carefully
crafted materiality, and a tapered form that establishes a striking skyline presence”.
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) have designed One Vanderbilt the soon to be tallest
contemporary office facility in Midtown Manhattan, at 427 meters in height. The tower’s
spire was recently raised and upon its completion, the building will offer a new type of
experience in the Grand Central District.

HUDSON YARDS
Built on Midtown Manhattan’s West Side, the project is New York’s largest development
to date and the United States’ largest private real estate development, covering almost
14 acres of land (more than 56,000 sqm) with polished residential towers, offices, plazas,
gardens, shopping centers, and restaurants, all designed by some of the world’s most
iconic architects.

AD CLASSICS: EMPIRE STATE BUILDING / SHREVE, LAMB AND HARMON

Even in Manhattan—a sea of skyscrapers—the Empire State Building towers over its
neighbours. Since its completion in 1931 it has been one of the most iconic architectural
landmarks in the United States, standing as the tallest structure in the world until the Twin
Towers of the World Trade Center were constructed in Downtown Manhattan four
decades later. Its construction in the early years of the Great Depression, employing
thousands of workers and requiring vast material resources, was driven by more than
commercial interest: the Empire State Building was to be a monument to the audacity of
the United States of America, “a land which reached for the sky with its feet on the
ground.”

DOCOMOMO
structure’s critical acclaim and essential place within Modernist architectural history,
urging the Commission to calendar the building for designation as quickly as possible.

270 PARK AVENUE

Designed by Natalie de Blois and Gordon Bunshaft of SOM and completed in 1961, 270
Park Avenue (formerly known as the Union Carbide Building) is considered a key
example of the International Style in New York City that extended and even improved
upon the precedent set by Mies van der Rohe’s Seagram Building.

But after new zoning legislation for the neighborhood was passed last year, the building’s
current owner, JPMorgan Chase, has announced plans to raze the 707-foot-tall building
in favor of a new, hi-tech supertall replacement. If plans go through, it would be the
world’s largest and tallest building ever to be intentionally demolished.

METLIFE BUILDING
Recently the subject of a competition to reimagine its expansive facade, the MetLife
building is one of Manhattan's most noticeable - and hated - buildings. In this article
originally published on 6sqft as "Great Game Changers: How the MetLife Building
Redefined Midtown Architecture," Carter B Horsley tells the tale of how the building
came to be.

Perhaps the most detested midtown skyscraper by the public, this huge tower has,
nevertheless, always been a popular building with tenants for its prime location
over Grand Central Terminal and its many views up and down Park Avenue. It is also one
of the world’s finest examples of the Brutalist architecture, commendable for its robust
form and excellent public spaces, as well as its excellent integration into the elevated
arterial roads around it.

However, it is also immensely bulky and its height monstrous. As shown in the photograph
ahead, the building completely dominates and overshadows the former New
York Central Building immediately to the north, which had been designed by Warren &
Wetmore as part of the “Terminal City” complex. The New York Central Building, now
known as the Helmsley Building, straddled the avenue with remarkable grace and its
distinguished pyramid. As one of the city’s very rare, “drive-through” buildings, it was the
great centerpiece of Park Avenue. But by shrouding such a masterpiece in its shadows,
quite literally, the Pan Am Building (today the MetLife building) desecrated a major icon
of the city that will unfortunately will never recover from this contemptible slight on such a
prominent site.

SHOP ARCHITECTS
SHoP Architects' ultra-thin, 100-unit apartment tower has now won approval from the
New York City Landmarks Commission. Once complete in 2016, the 1,350-foot structure
will offer luxury apartments that peer down at the Empire State Building and rise just
above the One World Trade Center’s roofline.

When Vishaan Chakrabarti, principal at ShoP Architects, spoke recently of building high-
density cities, he meant it.

Renderings from the architecture firm show Manhattan's skyline will soon welcome its
newest "super tall" building, a strikingly skinny residential tower rising 411 meters (1,350 feet)
on a puny 13 meter (43 feet) wide site just two blocks south of Central Park.

PROS AND CONS

PROS CONS
Jobs Say goodbye to your car
Nightlife and entertainment options Noise
schools Cost of living
Networking opportunities weather

2. PARIS LA DEFENSE
La Défense is the chief central business district of Paris, France, adjacent to the Seine
River, in the 50th century Construction began in the 1980s and more than 1,500
companies of various types settled here. The regional functions are complete and it is a
symbol of French economic prosperity. The new Arc de Triomphe, one of the landmarks
of Paris, is located here.

STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE
Haussmann style of architecture

La Défense, the international business district situated in the western suburbs of

Paris, is a fascinating artifact of the planning and architecture of global cities.
Since 1958, the state-run agency EPAD (Établissement Public pour l’Aménagement
de la Région de la Défense) has wielded impressive powers to transform a low-
income suburb into one of Europe’s premier global business centers. The result has
been a unique experiment in urban renovation, architecture, and power- broking
that shows little sign of letting up more than half a century after its inception.

The scholarly treatment of La Défense has lagged behind the coverage of

comparable projects like Docklands in London and Battery Park City in New York.
Several collected volumes from the early 1990s and doctoral theses make up the
bulk of the literature on the Parisian business district. The new dictionary and atlas
of La Défense, coordinated by the architectural historians Pierre Chabard and
Virginie Picon-Lefebvre, is thus a welcome addition. The two-volume set covers the
history of the site from the 1930s to the present and “from the Seine to the Seine” –
in other words, the 1,800-acre site managed by EPAD, not just the international
business district that most people associate with La Défense. Thanks to
collaboration between scholars, EPAD archivists, and the Paris planning agency
Atelier Parisien d’Urbanisme (APUR), the work is handsomely illustrated and brings
new sources to light. Finally, those who do not read French will be happy to learn
that a shorter English-language volume, highlighting the main contributions of the
current work, will go to press later this year.

Architecture, design, and governance

The dictionary’s main focus is on architecture and urban design, but it also
provides entries on the politics, economics, and sociology of this fascinating urban
district. Its 133 articles cover La Défense’s most recognizable monuments – such as
the Grande Arche building opened in 1989 – but also its hidden underbelly. We
thus learn that the underground parking system is so vast that only half its spots are
ever rented out and so labyrinthine that renovation projects have turned up long-
forgotten lots.

A series of entries on EPAD, its sister agencies, and the politicians and
administrators who ran them shed new light on the exceptional governance
structure created for the project. With its technocratic authoritarianism, EPAD has
long symbolized the Gaullist dirigisme of the 1960s. The dictionary both confirms
and complicates this interpretation. Various articles show that the EPAD model was
in fact rooted in the Fourth Republic. Since the 1960s, moreover, the agency has
gradually bowed to the growing power of businesses and local authorities, but has
also managed to preserve its basic setup despite major transformations in the
French political landscape.

La Défense’s fantastic urban design was meant to overcome the congestion of

the contemporary metropolis. Applying modernist principles, planners sought to
maximize the flow of people and goods to the west of Paris while removing, even
“liberating”, pedestrians from traffic and other nuisances. Their solution was to build
a giant concrete platform (dalle) over a vast network of highways, service roads,
rail lines, and bus terminals. The articles on the dalle and the transportation system
paint a complex picture. In many respects, the setup has worked remarkably well.
A vast, calm, and indeed beautiful public space sits atop one of France’s most
bustling transportation hubs. La Défense is superficially associated with the postwar
frenzy for urban highways, but in fact it is overwhelmingly reached by public
transportation and then navigated on foot. Yet this gigantic complex also has its
downsides. It drains workers from all over the Paris region, can be a nightmare for
daily commuters, and leaves engineers struggling against the constant saturation
of its transportation networks. The authors’ takes on the dalle system are thus
decidedly mixed. Is it a remarkably efficient urban machine, a bucolic public
playground, and even a democratic agora for the modern city? Or is it a
disorienting labyrinth – the Situationist game of dérive cruelly imposed on
employees just trying to get to work (as Stéphane Degoutin suggests, pp. 153–155)?
 Architecturally, La Défense has been a permanent testing ground. Initially a
showcase for modernist monumentalism – particularly vibrant in postwar France – it
quickly shifted to a more eclectic skyline with the liberalization of building codes
and the growing importance of prestige designs for corporate branding.
Numerous articles show the importance of context and conflict in this evolution.
Several real-estate crises, one of which almost ended the La Défense experiment
in the 1970s, forced architects and planners to abandon as many projects as they
implemented. The public outcry over skyscrapers on Paris’s historic skyline has also
been a recurrent factor in planning decisions. Finally, an equally interesting
architectural evolution was occurring to the west of the business district proper, in
the “Zone B” of the EPAD perimeter. Dedicated to residential development, Zone B
was a laboratory for postwar collective housing. Over time, however, its fanciful
designs became impoverished cités sitting in the shadows of global finance.

The atlas provides another, fascinating part of the story. It first traces what was
planned, built, and destroyed at La Défense through three chronological series of
maps and aerial photographs. We watch the creative destruction of the district, as
homes, shantytowns, and industries give way to vast infrastructures and office
towers. We also get a good sense of the gap between ideals and realizations in
each period. An explanatory text, a statistical morphology of La Défense today,
and a striking collection of aerial photographs taken in 2010 round out the volume.

Strengths and weaknesses

The two volumes have a certain number of limits. In terms of coverage, the
dictionary is, as the editors note, an “inaugural rather than exhaustive effort”
(p. 12). The relative lack of scholarly material on La Défense means that the new
synthesis called for in the introduction will have to await further research.

Unfortunately, the editors do not facilitate this task by drawing together the
themes, debates, and research questions that emerge from the current
volume. Future scholars will find several other aspects of the dictionary frustrating.
There are numerous repetitions and overlaps among the articles. Readers
interested in the evolution of the business real-estate market, for instance, will have
to cross the information from at least nine entries. Since the general index only
includes people’s names, there is also no way to search for locations or themes
that do not appear in the entry headings. Finally, source referencing is uneven – a
shame for a work intended to spur new research. Hence we learn that the
planning journal Urbanisme repeatedly featured stories on La Défense, but we do
not know in which issues (p. 133). We can only take the authors’ word for a number
of interesting assertions, such as the claim that one mayor was “known for his
ability to block all major operations in order to obtain benefits for his town” (p. 94).
And it can be hard to know when the authors used EPAD’s collections or simply
relied on secondary literature.

Despite these limits, the dictionary and atlas provide a wealth of information and
offer an unprecedented visual grasp of La Défense’s history. They will be an
indispensable tool for scholars. For others interested in French architecture and
planning, they provide a handsomely illustrated overview of an exceptional urban
laboratory. And if the story of La Défense attracts new attention to Paris’s century-
long transformation from an industrial capital of empire to a new kind of world city,
the authors will have achieved their aim.

3. THE FINANCIAL CITY OF LONDON

The financial city is divided into the new and the old financial city, and the new financial
city attracts more attention. There are several high-rise buildings that are rarely seen in
London. There are a large number of banks, stock exchanges, gold markets and other
institutions in the area. The new and old financial cities are not far apart, echoing each
other, and have made great contributions to the British economy.
PROS AND CONS
PROS CONS
Endless amounts of things to do You can suffer from choice overload
Tons of History and famous llocations Sharing the city with hordes of tourists
Loads of green space Commons and parks arent always well-
maintained
Higher wages Cost of living
Well connected by tube Many lines are insanely crowded at rush
hour
Beautiful character homes and flats Expensive and competitive rental market

4. HONG KONG CENTRAL

is located in Hong Kong, China. It is the earliest developed area in Hong Kong with
frequent commercial activities. It is the heart of Hong Kong, the commercial center and
The political center, densely packed skyscrapers gather here, and it is also a famous
shopping center, which is world-renowned. The beautiful night view of Victoria Harbour is
one of the three best night views in the world.

PROS AND CONS

PROS CONS
Great Outdoors Air pollution
Transport System noise
Glorious Octupus Card crowds
food Wrok hours / workload
safety rent

5. TOKYO SHINJUKU
Shinjuku is a special district in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the most prosperous business
districts in Tokyo and even the whole of Japan. Well-known corporate headquarters and
government agencies. This area is only a representative. In addition, Tokyo also has many
commercial areas such as Ginza and Marunouchi.

Strength
Abundant entertainment
Tokyo provides a range of attractions for visitors looking for authentic Japanese culture,
numerous shops, restaurants, museums, art galleries, and sightseeing, including modern
buildings and historic architecture.

Center for business

Tokyo is a global business hub, including international conventions. Tokyo’s stock
exchange is one of the world’s big three stock exchange

Weakness
Expensive
Though Japan has experienced deflation in recent years, prices in Tokyo are still much
higher than in other Asian countries. Also public transportation and accommodation are
expensive.

Few Direct International Flights

Most international flights arrive at Narita International Airport. Tourists are required to take
a one hour train ride from the airport to get to the city. Only 11% of visitors arrive at Tokyo
Haneda International Airport.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://www.google.com/search?q=site+plan+analysyis+of+midtown+manhattan&oq=si
te+plan+analysyis+of+midtown+manhattan&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i10i160l2.13905j0j9&so
urceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://www.hellolanding.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-living-in-new-york-city/

https://daydaynews.cc/en/international/165286.html

http://wikimapia.org/12726976/Makati-Central-Business-District-Downtown-Makati
https://bgc.com.ph/

https://filinvestcity.com/

https://www.ayalaland.com.ph/estates/cebu-park-district/