We keep lamenting about the wrong direction we were taking in designing our cities for so long. Traffic congestion, crowded communities, urban migration, pollution, dying rivers were the results of our indifference and government’s neglect of what needs to be done in so far as city planning was concerned. We turned a blind eye and dulled our sensitivities to our environment as we preoccupied ourselves with the harsh demands of city life. This global pandemic has changed all of that. Whether we like it or not, it is high time that we need to listen to our hearts and do what is right in our cities.
It is rightly so, as the way we have lived in our cities is a big part of the cause of why we find ourselves in this cataclysmic state. We have become the biggest ally of the virus. Though there is that nonsensical theory about the virus being made in a lab and not in the seafood market in Wuhan, it nevertheless cannot be argued that the city—and it could have been any city globally—provided the conducive environment for hostile viruses to emerge and prosper. As cities became the centers of commerce, urban density grew exponentially. People had to live close to where they work. And that does not only refer to those in the higher tiers of employment who bought the high-rise condos but more so the battalions in the blue-collar sector that crowded the many informal settlements in most cities. We had to feed them, hence, time and volume demand on food led to a lot of environmental damage. Transport had to address the unprecedented commuter demand, resulting in levels of pollution that has made respiratory illnesses the leading cause of deaths worldwide.
This pandemic has changed all of that. Survival has taken the pole position, ahead of economic gains and convenience. We need to rethink our urban way of life and redo our urban environment. The good thing is that our city blueprint for change is there. All we need to do now is allow ourselves to appreciate what is right and demand from our institutions to do what they need to do along these lines.
Our urban planners have been telling us to open up space and review the proper use of our lands. Part of this would be to strictly regulate commercial and industrial areas. All over the mega metropolis, pocket communities need to be self-sustainable. Places of work and community commerce are better to be within proximity of residences together with schools and health centers. As experienced during lockdowns, such a design would complement well the needed travel restrictions.
With regard to transport, greenways need to be prioritized over motorways. Concretely, commuters must have the option to walk and bike “anywhere” to get to their points of destination. Public transport as we know it will take a heavy hit as people will cautiously go back to “mass commuting.” It will help to review routes and the corresponding transport supply and demand per route. Immediate push for low carbon transport needs to happen soon.
Supply chain leading to the urban centers needs to be reviewed as well, most especially food lines. In as much as these need to be prioritized, cities need to have a certain amount of control in terms of dependency on outside resources. Urban agriculture and cold chain logistics must therefore come into play. Also, areas of urban concern such as sanitation, proper waste management and renewable clean energy need to address not just demands brought about by a progressing metropolis but, equally important, the need for urban cities to be safe now and in the future.
The call for rethinking of our urban way of life in the wake of this pandemic cannot ignored. It is not just for a sustainable quality of life we all desire, but more so for our survival.
Thomas Tim Orbos was former DOTr undersecretary for roads and general manager of the MMDA. He is currently undertaking further studies at the McCourt School of Public Policy of Georgetown University. He can be reached via e-mail at thomas_orbos@sloan.mit.edu