RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

College of Engineering and Industrial Technology

Department of Architecture

NEOSIS: A Model Compact Community towards the new normal

Addressing the challenges of Covid-19 Socioeconomic

Impacts in Lipa City, Batangas

An Undergraduate Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Department of

Architecture

College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology

Rizal Technological University

City of Mandaluyong

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Bachelor of Science in Architecture

Presented by

Meraki I Tektura Architects

2021
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

Abstract

The Philippines is one of the most highly populated countries in South-

East Asia, second to be exact as of 2020. This then brings a whole new question

for the growing country, with its massive population, improper urban planning

and majority of its people now resolving to squatter settlements, how they are

going to capitalize and take advantage areas that as of this moment, continues

to grow and at the same time prevent overcrowding in its process of upgrading.

A community that upholds the meaning and essence of “inclusivity” strives to

create and provide spaces that are Universally accessible that would give the

necessities and needs of “non-compliant bodies” of different ages, races,

genders, religions, and socioeconomic status.

A Compact Community and building design strives to allow communities

to be designed in a specific way that there would be more of an open space and

promotes vertical growth instead of horizontal thereby minimizing the usage of

land resources. With this principle at hand, not only that it would conform to the

New Normal Pandemic response (Covid-19), but it will also be prepared and

ready for future possibilities of health related disasters.

In addition, the idea of a compact community provides a diverse and

mixed neighborhood with less car dependence, and low carbon emissions. It

allows the community to minimize heat gain and especially pollution. The project

aims to achieve the best quality of life of its users by providing all the necessities
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

in a community without harming the environment. It is also ideally designed to

be walking distance to each other to promote a healthy lifestyle for the people

in the community.

Lipa, Batangas will be the main site for the proposed project, although

still growing in numbers, it is yet considered as urban rather it is still rural. The

project would take advantage of the growing numbers in the said city. A compact

community in this city would mean that despite of a present pandemic, important

and necessity spaces would be easily accessible. The development includes a

variety of uses such as residential, commercial, institutional, and mixed-used

facilities, all of which are linked by a well-designed transport system, with its

basic needs just within the proximity of the users.

The proposed project is a good stepping stone to overcome the country’s

socio-economic problem such as low economic mobility, poverty and income

inequality, poor health care and nutrition, environmental degradation, and etc.

And it is more likely to encourage other cities to apply the same principle. If a

community have all its basic needs, there is no need to risk of moving into the

metro or neighboring cities.

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Socioeconomic challenges and poverty reduction are driven by

urbanization. Economic related activities while concentrated in the cities which

are essential when it comes to providing opportunities for employment and

businesses alike that would mostly benefit those people in poverty, the majority

of un-urbanized areas and their population resulted to flock within the over

populated cities. The advantages of urbanization are not properly realised if the

handling, management, and planning of growing cities and development of it

are not carefully played out and carefully designed.

The concept of Compact City has been recognised by urban planners

around the world due to its potential in mitigating urban challenges, as well as

its effectiveness in addressing environmental and economic concerns of a city

or community. It is recognised as the most relevant model to stimulate

sustainable urban development in the world. Compact cities discourage the use

of private vehicles thus allowing the exemplification of mobility management in

the city or community which favours the use of public road systems. As a result,

walking and cycling together with the use of public transport are promoted as

sustainable modes of transportation. It is also necessary to consider the

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

increasing densities around the compact city as the public transport system

might not meet the demands of the people with continuous urbanisation rate.

Previous studies relating to compact communities and cities have been

described, as established, includes a sense of compactness in terms of

proximity within the structures present within the allotted site, open spaces to

capitalize with the saved land resource, accessibility and universally accessible

with different “non-compliant bodies” of different ages, races, genders, religions,

and socioeconomic status, and transport system as its significant indicators

focusing mainly on the sustainability and economic benefits and mostly

conducted in developed countries. Although the concept of compact

communities and city developments is still in a work of and is still yet to attain

its potential due to differences with cities all around the world, studies about

compact city development have been made by other developing countries

through the African and Asian continent to prove and lay a foundation to the

potential of Compact communities and cities to mitigate existing significant

urban issues in a country like the Philippines. With the Philippines being one of

the fastest urbanisation rates in the Pacific region, the population grew up to

fifty (50) million over the past decade. It is quite a common question on how this

will affect the population especially those who have been dubbed as “the lower

fringes of Society”. This implies that approximately more than sixty-five percent

(65%) of the country’s population are more likely to move to cities by 2050,

owing to the belief that there’s “more opportunities” waiting for them in the city.
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

While urbanisation in the Philippines poses many positive impacts, it has not

been as fruitful as compared to other countries due to the underlying issues and

constraints still present in the country. This is where compact communities and

cities come in place, this type of approach would involve strategies that intend

to address some of these underlying issues to achieve a greater benefit that

urbanisation poses, and most importantly in places that are yet to be fully

urbanised. The compact city development is being followed by some promising

developments in the Philippines to a limited extent like Bonifacio Global City

(BGC).

This data has led the researchers to propose the idea of a Compact

community, seeing as its purpose and essence is in line with the current

situation of the country, with its adjustment to new normal and rapid increase of

population and improper urban planning. The proposed project would not only

conform to the United Nation’s (UN) standards but would also maximize the

usage of land resource throughout the site location, thus adjusting to the New

normal brought by the pandemic easier and reachable. With the Government

under Duterte’s administration project “Build, Build, Build” program, which will

involve infrastructure projects all around the Philippines, it is expected to have

a spike in terms of creating opportunity for the country’s economic growth, rose

of numbers in relation to employment and the decreased in poverty.

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

In conformity with the United Nation’s (UN) goals and the “Build, Build,

Build” program of the current administration, the proposed study then aims to

design an economic and socio-economic aligned project in a city with a fast

urbanisation and population growth, which would be of vital importance when it

comes to providing opportunities for employment and businesses that would be

easily accessible and would benefit those people whose livelihood is in the

lower class of society. With this all considered, the urban planning and

development of the design should be handled with care with regards to long

term goals.

Theoretical Framework

The study is anchored from the theoretical support of the “The Effects of

Urban Sprawl on Daily Life by Andre Bunner (2012)” where Urban sprawl is one

the issues of Socio-economic growth. In the Western and Southern parts of the

United States, rapid population growth is a major contributor to urban sprawl

which results in rapid land consumption where cities swallow up surrounding

rural areas. It negatively impacts urban mobility where commuters have to travel

a greater distance. Sprawls can threaten Human health, green spaces, and

ecological habitats and increase the vulnerability of natural disasters. According

to “Urban Sprawl, Smart Growth, and Deliberative Democracy by David B.

Resnik (1852–1856)”, one of the suggested solution for the Urban sprawl is

having a Smart growth which promotes an urban development marked by high

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College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

population density, walk-able and bike-able neighbourhoods, protected green

areas, and mixed-use development.

This solution was also called “a Compact City”. There are multiple views

and definitions of what a compact city should be or look like and thus various

ways of conceptualizing it. The researchers chose the summary cited by

Dantzig and Saaty (1973) and the idea of Burton (2002). According to Burton

(2002), the so-called compact city is taken to mean “a relatively high–density,

mixed–use city, based on an efficient public transport system and dimensions

that encourage walking and cycling.” Burton’s definition of Compact city is the

most relevant to the aims of this study; given the emphasis it supports the

researcher’s idea in addressing challenges of Covid-19 Socioeconomic impact.

Dantzig and Saaty (1973) provide an explanation of the densification

characteristics based on three elements: the urban form, the space, and the

social functions:

Urban Form

A city’s physical characteristics. It refers to the size, shape, and

configuration of an urban area or its parts. How it will be understood, structured,

or analyzed depends on scale. Characteristics of the urban form range from, at

a very localized scale, features such as building materials, facades, and

fenestration to, at a broader scale, housing type, street type, and their spatial
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College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

arrangement or layout. The concept of urban form encompasses also

nonphysical aspects such as density.

Space

The principle of space: in order to keep population densities low,

conserve land use, and avoid the problems of urban sprawls, man must more

effectively utilize the vertical dimension.

Social Functions

The characteristics of Compact City which is expected to have an

important effect in the life of its inhabitants is the accessibility of its part both in

time and space. It will also affect the quality of services in terms of Health care.

Urban Form Features Spatial Features Social Functions

High dense settlements Mixed land use Social fairness

Less dependence on Diversity of life Self-sufficiency of daily life

automobile

Clear boundary from

surrounding areas
Clear identity Independence of government

Dantzig and Saaty (1973)

Figure 1. Densification Characteristics

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

Today, with the rapid increase of urban populations, consequently

increasing the urban service units, the efforts to maintain sustainable principles

without compromising the quality of urban life has become one of the most

important problems in the city. Sustainable cities are places where the

environment is least polluted, resources are used effectively and efficiently,

buildings are obliged to rise vertically instead of growing horizontally, urban

mobility is minimized, but spatial designs are realized where the concept of

acquisition is highlighted. In recent years, compact urban theories have been

introduced that can be answered. The fact that urban planning has been done

does not always mean that they are liveable places. It can be defined as the

places that allow limited spaces, high density, mixed use and less energy

consumption in compact cities (Zulal Nurdan Korur, 2020).

The aim is to discuss the definition of compact city, the risk of compact

city, the change of urban identity, the loss of sense of belonging, the concepts

of “planned” and “unplanned” accompanying urban planning. Within the

framework of the importance of compact city, sustainable city, sustainable

development quality of life, it was realized by examining an unapplied project

proposed for Western Kowloon vertical park and water culture Centre.

Due to the continued rise of Covid-19 cases in the country, the

researcher’s chose the study cited by Fernando Straface (2020) in his

discussion of Redesigning cities on a human scale in the post-pandemic in new

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

normal. According to Straface, while the world recovers from this pandemic,

every country must learn to build a new city which prioritizes the implementation

of safety protocols against Covid-19. Cities that allow public spaces to generate

while prioritizing the social distancing and safety protocols of the country.

On the case study of Iman Khan, Muhammad Naveed Iftikhar, Saleem

H. Ali and Shua Khalid from the Cambridge University (2021), Countries must

be encourage to adapt sustainable modes of travel and encourage the

community to built an Urban friendly environment to be resilent in the pandemic.

Mick Lennon added in his discussion of Green Space and the Compact city:

Planning issues for a ‘new normal’. According to Lennon, the practices in

creating a compact city may apply in the new normal which is conceiving green

spaces in an isolated fashion. The way of planning might improve the amenity

value of green spaces by giving more options to the users to pick whenever they

want to exercise . It may help to disseminate users across a larger space,

therefore the community can improve their social distancing.

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College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

Conceptual Framework

The study was broken down into three sections: (1) input, (2) procedure,

and (3) output using the IPO model.

INPUT

Identification/ Formulation of the Problem

Stating the Problem and Sub-Problems

Setting the Main Goal and Objectives

PROCESS

Gathering of Information and Data Site and

Environment Analysis

Study Findings, Observation and Problem

Analysis

Setting the Main Goal and Objectives

OUTPUT

Conclusion and Recommendations of the

Study

Designing and Planning Development

Design Proposal

Setting the Main Goal and Objectives

Figure 2. Research Paradigm

Identifying the primary problem and subproblems is the first step of this

study. It is important to know and as well establish the main architectural aim
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College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

and goals. Having an analysis of the existing situation, in which the respondent

municipality is evaluated to see whether there is a potential or opportunity to

create this proposed study.

During the "Process” phase, it is all about gathering facts and data that

will be utilized to substantiate the recognized problem and provide support for

the developed solution's justification.

On the other hand, the "Output" phase, in which all of the acquired data

and information is distilled into a single architectural solution. Also, the

Guidelines, design considerations, and planning techniques are employed in

this phase to provide a single architectural design solution.

Statement of the Problem

This study seeks answers to the following research questions:

1. How can the model compact community provide opportunities for certain

MSMEs?

2. How will the proposed project respond to potential threats in the new

normal?

3. How can the model compact community better the lives of its user

through proximity design?

4. In what way open spaces should play its role in terms of the ff:
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College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
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a. Application to New Normal

b. Land Use and Zoning

c. Planning and Anthropometrics; and

5. What are the indicators for the proposed project to function during the

transition to the new normal?

Research Hypothesis

The researchers of the proposed project have come up with this

alternative hypothesis: there is a significant difference in the livelihood of the

residents of the Compact community in relation to the opportunities presented

for the Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSME's) and the New Normal living

conditions than the pre Pandemic living.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This section answers the question on providing opportunities for the

MSME’s and the benefits of users of the Model Compact Community. The

study is conducted during the midterm year of second semester school year

2020 – 2021 at Rizal Technological University, Boni Campus.

This study focuses on viewing the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 to

the residents of Lipa City in order to provide the necessary facilities and efficient

planning principles in a community especially in facing the New Normal. The

formulation of the architectural design of the model community focuses on its

planning, model, sustainability, environmental responsiveness, and safety.

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

The study is limited to analysis and feasibility of the model compact

community. Due to the presence of COVID-19, the researchers ability to explore

and collect more data are restricted. With this condition, the study does not

include a complete architectural drawing, also with the time constraints given to

this study.

This study will only focus on developing a model community located in

Lipa City called Compact Community. The other functions such as detailed

structural, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing engineering design are beyond

the researcher’s capacity. The researchers are only engaged to architectural

and design for planning.

Significance of the Study

The proposed study ought to give an architectural approach towards a new

normal. It aims to create a well-organized community that is designed to be

universally accessible to meet the needs of everyone. By promoting vertical

growth rather than horizontal to provide a possible solution to make more

efficient use of lands. This will preserve more space, improve the lives of the

people, and boost the socioeconomic status of the municipality of Lipa. The

following in particular are the beneficiaries for this study:

The residents of Lipa, the study will give job opportunities equally as the

metro without sacrificing their safety and the environment around it with the

threat of the pandemic. Even though Lipa City is the capital of Batangas, a large
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College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

portion of its workforce still travels to the metro to seek employment and improve

their living conditions.

The residents of the proposed Compact community model will benefit

from knowing that, although not technically safe from bacteria, germs, and

viruses, they can be rest assured that exposure will be reduced. By planning

compact buildings with proper control and mitigation, this will help from

spreading these infectious diseases. This proposed project takes consideration

of having a compact community that concerns the safety and well being of the

residents.

This study will encourage Micro Small Medium Enterprises to reestablish

the liveliness of the market economy and provide small businesses with the

opportunity to improve their lives and meet the community's basic needs while

ensuring their safety from the pandemic.

The study will also benefit neighboring communities by encouraging

them to consider living in a compact community where you can meet your

family's basic needs and their safety. This will motivate local municipalities to

set the standard for community development, regardless of whether or not a

pandemic is present.

The future researchers who will cover this study will benefit from the

project as they will obtain knowledge on how to adapt to the continuous change
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College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

of the environment and improve their architectural approach in addressing the

current problems they are facing.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally:

Architectural solution is the process of design solution through architectural

works.

'Build, Build, Build' program (BBB) is a project under Duterte's Administration

providing infrastructure projects for various sectors and aims to be the Golden

age of infrastructure in the Philippine.

Compact Community is an efficient design of land resources into community-

based society that aims to strengthen socio-economic growth.

Densification characteristics simplified as urban form, spatial characteristics

and the social functions given by Dantzig & Saaty (1978).

Economic is the process of organization in terms of distribution, production,

and consumption of goods and services in an economy.

Economic growth is the process of economic wealth development over a

period of time, specifically in producing goods and services.

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Department of Architecture

Green space is an area covered by vegetations that can be use as recreational

areas such as parks, garden, exercise areas etc. to maintain the aesthetic and

environmental quality of a community.

Inclusivity means not excluding anyone that everyone will receive equal

access, benefits and opportunities.

Mobility is the amount of distance traveled by someone from one place to

another either by walking, cycling or other modes of transportation.

MSME's also known as Micro, small and medium enterprises is an business

activity that has a major role in economic growth and development of the country

and help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

New Normal are the significant changes of doing things than before. The new

way of living before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proximity is an idea of closeness in terms of infrastructure and lessen the travel

distance in a community.

Socio-economic is the interaction between social and economic factors;

education, occupation and income.

United Nation’s goals, also called Global Goals, began in 2015 with 17

Sustainable Development Goals and aim to be achieved by all United Nations

members in 2030.
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College of Engineering and Industrial Technology
Department of Architecture

Urban Planning is a planning process concerned with the development,

regulation and management of land spaces, infrastructure, built environment,

air, water, transportation system etc.

Urban sprawl is the rapid and excessive population growth in Urban areas.