Daylighting the Amorsolo Creek:

The Role of Participatory Design in Reviving a Vital

Waterway in the Makati CBD

Rodelon M. Ramos

Master of Science in Architecture

University of the Philippines Diliman – College of Architecture

Background of the Study:

The research focuses on the role of Participatory Design approach in the restoration,

remediation, and day-lighting of the Amorsolo Creek – a buried and forgotten urban waterway that

is situated within a dense section of the Makati Central Business District. The research puts forth the

relevance of the Amorsolo Creek as an urban waterway that needs to be reinstated, rehabilitated, and

optimized into a functional city asset, as a response to the adverse effects of uncontrolled

development and unsustainable urban practices. With the aid of Participatory Design, the revival of

this creek is seen as an impetus to re-establish urban ecology and reorient people towards the

preservation of streams into their natural states, most especially in unregulated built-up areas, and

transform them into environment-sensitive public realm investments.

In progressive and developed cities around the world, local governments are starting to learn

their lessons and have been tearing down concrete superstructures on their critical urban streams

and waterways in order to re-establish urban ecology, and this realization is starting to gain a lot of

traction in the wake of the adverse effects of backward and outdated city planning.

Keywords: Urban Waterway, Urban Ecology, Day-lighting, Tactical Urbanism, Participatory Design

Research Problem:

The Makati Central Business District (MCBD), the premier financial center of the

Philippines, is experiencing an intensified growth throughout the years, enhanced by the favorable

economic atmosphere conducive to tertiary services and products. The completion of Metro Manila
Skyway, a toll road expressway connecting the urban agglomeration of Metro Manila, most especially

the MCBD, to the Southern Luzon provinces, has created automobile and exchange of goods

unusually convenient, but at the expense of appropriating some natural water features to support its

elevated road carriageway (Sy, 2000)1 such as the Amorsolo Creek, an important inland urban

waterway, has been covered to accommodate one of the four access ramps of the Metro Manila

Skyway located within Makati City.

In progressive and developed cities around the world, local governments are starting to learn

their lessons and have been tearing down concrete superstructures on their critical urban streams

and waterways in order to re-establish urban ecology, and this realization is starting to gain a lot of

traction in the wake of the adverse effects of backward and outdated city planning.

Sub-problems:

1. What is Participatory Design? Why is there a need to consult, ask opinions, and solicit

viewpoints from stakeholders and community members in the design development process

of a certain neighborhood project?

2. To what extent do design and planning experts, private sectors, and other stakeholders (local

government, end-users and the academia), believe that the application of Participatory

Design is feasible and realistic approaches for the rehabilitation of Amorsolo Creek? What

are the possible constraints and barriers to the development and implementation of

Participatory Design?

3. How are the Amorsolo Creek and its immediate built environment being perceived by both

the public and the private users who work, study, and live in the Makati CBD? Does the
 proposal of converting the Amorsolo Creek into a community-oriented public space and

landscaped linear park sit well with the general public?

4. What is the relationship of Amorsolo Creek (and the street of study) in its environs, the

Central Business District itself, its defined city jurisdiction where it falls under, and the

neighboring urban cities?

5. What is the hydrological significance of Amorsolo Creek in both its natural and urban

setting? Why is there a need to develop, restore and daylight the Amorsolo Creek?