Green, Green, Green

“road diet” in progress involves the famous Gran Via in Madrid, which will be widening sidewalks by decreasing car lanes.

The benefits are significant. If the daily walk or bike ride to work, school or home can be made safer and more pleasurable, it would improve the quality of our lives tremendously. More people would abandon that long and stressful car drive. With more pedestrians and visitors strolling by shops instead of driving in motor vehicles, it would also be good for local business.

Some people argue that Filipinos avoid walking because of the hot and humid weather. True, but having a walkable or bike-able city can attract people to take on healthier and more active lifestyles despite the climate.

A 2017 Stanford University study tracked the number of steps people take daily, using data from 717,000 mobile phones in 111 countries. The study found that “in cities that are more walkable, everyone tends to take more daily steps, whether male or female, young or old, healthy or obese.” In Singapore (which is as hot and humid as the Philippines), the average number of daily steps per person was 5,674 compared to only 4,008 in the Philippines. Singaporeans are taking 42% more steps daily than Filipinos!

Many of us lament the huge shortage of green space and poor walkability of many Philippine cities. Roads vehicles, both moving and parked. Homes and buildings occupy most of the urban land. Sidewalks are narrow or non-existent.

We joke about how shopping malls have become venues for family recreation on weekends, instead of parks, plazas or playgrounds. We have come to accept the loss of open space and the absence of walkable streets as the new normal.

But it does not have to be so. The urban landscape can be corrected. New programs are underway to tackle and greenways.

For FY 2018, the Department of Budget and Management ( DBM) has allocated P2.5 billion to kickstart a partnership with 145 cities nationwide to expand green spaces, improve walkability and re-develop streets and waterways. According to Julia Nebrija, the DBM’s manager for the Assistance to Cities Program and “Green, Green, Green” project director, the budget is allocated to cities based on a formula with equal weight to land area and population (top recipients being Quezon City, Davao and Puerto Princesa).

This initial funding from the national government is intended as a catalyst for local governments to develop programs for creating public open space and more walkable streets. Cities can blend national government funding with local resources to implement priority projects. Projects to develop greenways and parks have relatively short gestation periods, generate employment and - ments of society.

The DOTr and the BCDA are also gearing up. Consultants are being recruited to plan “greenways” for pilot cities, including Metro Manila and New Clark City. The aim is to create citywide networks of high quality walkways and bikeways that will enable commuters to travel safely to train stations and bus stops or even reach their destinations entirely by walking or biking. Imagine: One day, you will be able to walk or bike on a protected path along the Marikina and Pasig Rivers all the way to Ayala Avenue, Ortigas Center and BGC.

Local governments are transforming streets to allow safe walking and biking and into public spaces for community activities. Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig and Iloilo are among the cities that have allocated space for bike lanes and proper footpaths along major roads.

Pasig City has declared several roads to be car-free on Saturdays and Sundays. Visit F. Ortigas Jr. Road (Emerald Avenue) in the heart of Ortigas Center on any weekend and witness kids and adults biking and jogging along this safe zone. There are free Zumba and aerobics classes; bicycle rental is available on site for those without their own gear. (Baguio City is thinking of making Session Road entirely car-free—it would be a great way to revitalize the center of the city and cleanse the air, while promoting sustainable mobility.)

We desperately need more quality open spaces in every city. Thankfully, there are many options for addressing this gap. Let’s support leaders that share this vision and are ready to take action.

Robert Y. Siy is a development economist, public transport advocate. He can bereachedatmobilitymatters.ph@yahoo.com