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CHAPTER
URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLAN
This chapter explains the suggested urban development model and defines each of the land use designations or
categories and provides criteria that describe the vision, characteristics, and criteria for each land use category.
The emphasis in this chapter is on defining the form, function and allowed uses and mixing of uses for each
land use category, as well as providing general criteria for locating and sitting these land use elements or their
components.
In order to fully grasp the vision for each of the proposed land use categories, one must also be aware of the
design vision that should guide the built form for each of the land use categories, which is one of the central
features of the Master Plan.
The Urban Model: Neighborhoods, Communities and City
The urban land use plan for Calbayog City is based on an urban model in which small pieces, or
neighborhoods, fit together to form medium-sized pieces, or communities, and adjoining neighborhoods are
fitted together to form cities. These pieces of the land use plan – neighborhoods, communities, and city – are
defined below.
The Neighborhood:
The neighborhoods are barangays or contiguous areas, usually containing approximately 300 to 700 dwelling
units, or about 1,500 to 3,500 people. Neighborhoods can also be a cluster of barangays. Neighborhoods
consist not only of homes, but also the parks, streets, shops, schools, and other land uses that occur within
their boundaries. The size of a neighborhood is not set arbitrarily at 600 – 1,500 homes. Rather, it is based
on the observation that a population of this size is needed to support so-called “first tier” public and private
facilities, such as grocery stores, drug stores, personal services, neighborhood parks, day care centers, places of
worship, and in some cases, elementary schools.
Generally, neighborhood boundaries are defined by roadway arterials surrounding the neighborhood, or by a
combination of arterials and through secondary roads. In some cases, boundaries may also be defined by
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geographic or topographic features, such as rivers, creek or hills. Ideally, neighborhoods are designed so that
no home is more than approximately one-half kilometer from the center of the neighborhood. Neighborhood
district development is recommended for Brgy. San Policarpo, Brgy. Trinidad, and Brgy. Bagacay.
The Community:
The next larger piece used in our model of Calbayog City is the community. A community is a collection of
approximately 3-5 adjacent neighborhoods or cluster of barangays, with a total population of about 10,000 to
20,000, or about 2,000 to 4,000 households. This population range for a community is based on analysis that
demonstrates that a population of approximately 10,000 to 20,000 is needed to support “second tier” public
and private facilities – facilities that required less often than on a daily basis. “Second-tier” facilities include
supermarkets, specialty stores, community parks, large-sized places of worship, and often middle schools.
Neighborhoods are also large enough to support specialty medical offices, legal firms, mid-sized employers,
community libraries, and police stations. Confirming the population range for a community, the market in
Calbayog City tends to establish community-sized shopping centers and facilities to serve exactly this range of
population and housing. Community district is identified for barangays Matobato and Rawis.
The City:
The largest piece used in our model is the city. A city is made up of a collection of adjacent neighborhoods,
providing a total population of approximately 80,000 to 150,000 people. The city concept is very useful for
planning purposes, but can be difficult to apply with clarity because, in several instances, city overlaps
boundaries. City include the population needed to support “third tier” public and private facilities, which
include shopping malls, very large employers, large home-supply and building stores, high schools, certain
private schools, community colleges, large civic recreation centers, regional parks, and hospitals. City district
covers the existing barangays affected by the Central Business District and the proposed Expanded CBD
covering barangays Obrero and Capooocan.
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Activity Centers
Activity centers are the most critical elements of the Master Plan. The concept and definition of activity
centers is based on the urban model concept of neighborhoods, communities and city, as described in the
preceding subsection.
Neighborhoods, communities and city are each centered or organized around focus areas, which contain the
shopping, services, recreation, and office and institutional facilities needed to support the neighborhood,
community or city, respectively. These focus areas are surrounded by support areas, which include the
highest-density housing within the neighborhood, community or city, with housing densities progressively
decreasing outward from the focus areas. Focus areas, with their surrounding support areas, are called activity
centers. There are therefore three different types of activity centers – neighborhood activity centers,
community activity centers, and city activity centers. These three different types of activity centers are similar
in spatial arrangement and function, but vary in terms of their scale and intensity. City activity centers are
larger and more intense than community activity centers, and community activity centers are larger and more
intense than neighborhood activity centers. Essentially, activity centers are “compacted barangays/
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communities centers” which can occur in three different sizes - small (neighborhood), medium (community),
or large (city).
Activity centers are physically and aesthetically unified areas, where all elements and land uses are designed to
function as an integrated whole (rather than a series of unconnected, unrelated developments). The diverse
facilities of the focus area are located in close proximity to one another, so that all essential facilities for the
community are concentrated in one convenient location. Housing in the support area needs to be physically
linked with the focus area in order to facilitate pedestrian movement between two areas.
It is not anticipated or expected that an entire activity center will be built as a single development, under a
single owner or developer, or that all the components of an activity center will be built at the same time. The
intent is that the uses and characteristics that typify activity centers will be embodied by each component of
the activity center as it is built, so that ultimately all of the diverse components will work and function as an
integrated and complete activity center.
In this conceptual sketch of an activity center, commercial, office and
institutional uses are concentrated in a “focus area” and transition outward
either low-density, medium-density or high –density housing. Arrows indicate
pedestrian pathways to the focus area.
Activity centers include both the focus area (the commercial, institutional, and office core) and the
surrounding support area (with high and medium-density residential). The support area is critical because it
provides the concentrated population necessary to support both the focus area and possible future transport
stops, and it serves as a buffer between the more intense uses of the focus area and the lower-density residential
uses of the surrounding neighborhood.
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Furthermore, support areas provide context and community for higher density housing. Under the
conventional suburban development model, higher-density uses, such as apartments, condominiums, and
cityhouses have been located in large self-contained developments having little physical connection to the
surrounding community. Residents of these developments have often been unable to walk to shops and
businesses, and must rely on vehicular means to make daily necessity trips.
Thus, life in such developments has often conferred on their residents the disadvantages of high-density living
without any of the advantages possible under a different high-density model. The advantages offered by the
activity center and support area model are the pedestrian-oriented nature of the activity center, the sense of
community offered by a highly connected street layout, and the convenient proximity to shopping, services,
daycare, and parks. Finally, this model minimizes vehicular trips on arterial streets, thereby reducing traffic
and congestion and saving the city road expense.
Parks and Open Spaces
This section defines and describes parks and open spaces, which are also critical elements of the Master Plan.
The parks definitions (given below) and the Master Plan Map locations for these three types of parks.
Parks
The Master Plan Map shows locations for three different distinct categories of parks – neighborhood,
community, and city parks. In addition to these parks, this Master Plan envisions other smaller public spaces
which are not mapped – such as greens, plazas, and small mini-parks – located in activity centers, industrial
park focus areas, and scattered all over the neighborhoods.

A more intense activity center can fulfill the functions of a less intense activity center as well. That is, a
community activity center, in addition to functioning as a community activity center, may also function as the
neighborhood activity center for the adjacent neighborhood. Similarly, a city activity center may function as a
community activity center for the surrounding community, and/or as a neighborhood activity center for the
surrounding neighborhood. And, a neighborhood, community or city activity center can serve as the focus
area for an industrial park.

This does not mean that it is possible that every neighborhood could have either a regional or community
activity center in place of a neighborhood activity center. Community activity centers have much larger service
populations than neighborhood activity centers, and the city will, by definition, have fewer community activity
centers than neighborhood activity centers. Similarly, city activity centers have much larger service A proposed hillside park along the existing Maharlika Highway. GAD

populations than community activity centers, and the city will, therefore, have fewer city activity centers than
community activity centers.
Neighborhood Parks

There may be cases in which two small neighborhoods are served by a single neighborhood activity center. For
A neighborhood park is a small park intended to serve the casual recreational needs of a neighborhood. These
example, if the housing densities and numbers of dwellings in two adjoining neighborhoods are very low, the
parks serve an average of 5,000 people within a radius typically ranging from one-half to one kilometer. The
market might not exist for separate neighborhood centers for each neighborhood. However, the two
size of these parks normally ranges between 1 and 3 hectares. Facilities within these parks can be either active
neighborhoods taken together might support one center.
or passive and are normally small in size.

Typical examples include playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, and picnic areas.

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Community Parks

A community park is a medium-sized park intended to serve the more diverse recreational and sports needs of
a community. This type of park serves approximately 20,000 people, typically within a 2-kilometer radius.
The size of the parks is usually between 3 and 10 hectares. Facilities vary, but focus on large athletic fields.
Larger parks may also include a neighborhood center and aquatic facilities.

An inner city revitalization and conceptual plan along Bugallon St. GAD

A proposed community park. Location: Brgy. Matobato GAD

City Parks

A city park serves the entire city and would normally comprise an area over 10 hectares. These parks should
contain a wide range of facilities, with emphasis on resource-oriented activities like boating, fishing, hiking and
A cross-section of the proposed inner city revitalization plan. GAD
picnicking.

Linear Park
Specialized Parks/Facilities

Linear parks are relatively undisturbed natural areas that meander in an around built up areas within the city.
These facilities are normally devoted to a single use and vary in size. Examples include eco-park, inner city
Commonly, the only built improvement in a linear park is a pedestrian or bicycle path. By providing an
park, sports complex, and arts centers.
ample amount of interconnected greenways, the city seeks to obtain a network of paths and trails throughout
the city. Pedestrians and bicyclists could then use said parks as paths to move between neighborhoods and
commercial areas, and could also use them for hiking, biking and jogging.

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Conservation Corridors

Conservation corridors are also linear, undisturbed areas used to preserve environmentally sensitive or
hazardous areas, such as flood prone areas, streams, rivers, and natural areas. They differ from linear parks in
four significant ways: (1) they always correspond to natural vegetated buffers adjacent to perennial river
channels; (2) they may be either publicly or privately owned; (3) they may include paths, trails, or bikeways;
and (4) they may or may not necessarily be accessible to the public.

Conservation corridors are recommended to occupy about 20 meters on either side of the river channel and
mangrove areas. Conservation corridors serve several purposes: (1) they provide essential protection for water
resources, acting as natural filtration areas for run-off and pollutants; and (2) they provide “wildlife corridors”
which preserve habitat for many species and allow for their migration.

A cross-section of proposed seafront development conceptual plan. GAD

Special Opportunity Sites (SOS)

Special Opportunity Sites (SOS) are areas that present unique opportunities for development, redevelopment,
and/or preservation. Special Opportunity Sites are often located around areas having unique settings. SOS
sites are subject to the base land use designation for the site as given on the Master Plan, but may represent
opportunities for reasonable variations in the designation, including land uses not yet considered. The SOS
designation signifies that these locations possess special characteristics that present opportunities for
redevelopment, development or reuse areas having unique settings. Fall under this SOS jurisdiction is the
proposed linear park, marine commercial area, seafront boulevard, and inner city redevelopment site.
Major Employment Centers
Major Employment Centers are combinations of several plan-making elements which, taken as a whole,
identify areas of very large concentrations of employment and mixed land uses. These may include significant
office, commercial, and industrial employment areas, as well as supporting high-and medium-density housing
areas.
A major employment center is made up of one or more adjacent industrial park, one or more high-or medium-
density residential areas, and one or more neighborhood or community activity centers (and/ or possibly one
community activity center), all in close proximity to one another. Thus, a major employment center differs
from an industrial park in that it:

• accommodates a significantly greater amount of employment than a single industrial park

• may occupy a larger physical area than a single industrial park

Major employment centers not only accommodate large-scale employment, but also provide ample higher-
density housing in close proximity to these major employment sites. This reduces commute distances and
traffic congestion, and provides opportunities for pedestrian and bicycle home-to –work trips. It also provides
A proposed seafront development of the proposed reclamation area. GAD employers in the major employment center with a nearby labor force.

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Further, since the major employment center also contains one or more neighborhood or community activity
centers (or possibly a community activity center), both the workers and residents have convenient access to
crucial commercial and institutional services. This helps to reduce home-to-shopping and work-to-shopping
trip distances within activity center.
Development Policies and Program
Population Growth
Allow for urban population growth within the existing urban growth boundary by providing land use
opportunities that will accommodate the projected increase in city households by the year 2020.
Urban Growth Boundary
Adoption of urban growth boundary or urban limits at a distance of 500 meters from the proposed urban
diversion road. Urban growth boundary are urbanizable lands which are identified and determined to be
necessary and suitable for future urban uses, can be served by urban services and facilities and are needed for
the expansion of an urban area.
Urban Annexation
Phase the annexation program of the city to allow for the incorporation of urbanizable lands to urban area in a
manner that is consistent with the Master Plan and the proposed Urban Growth Boundary, provides smooth
transportion in urban services, establishes logical city boundaries and promotes coordinated capital
improvements programming.
Identified emerging urbanizable lands cover parts of barangays Bagacay, Gadgaran, Trinidad, Basud
Cagsalaosao, Pagbalican, Dagum, Nijaga, Guin-on and Rizal I. These barangays are incorporated due to
highly-dependency to existing urban area’s economy, proximity and high growth potential due to influence of
major infrastructure, such as airport and diversion road.
Existing barangays covered and part of the urban area are Rawis, Awang East, Awang West, Central, Balud,
Hamorawon, Aguit-itan, Obrero, Capoocan, Carmen, Payahan, Dagum, Matobato and San Policarpo.
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Urban policy should consider annexation of lands within the Urban Growth Boundary and annexations
outside the Urban Growth Boundary should not be accepted.
Urban Diversity
Promote a range of living environments and employment opportunities for Calbayog City residents in order to
attract and retain a stable and diversified population.
Future Urban Service Areas
Do not extend urban services to areas beyond the Urban Growth Boundary, and areas within the Urban
Growth Boundary for which the extension of services would not be cost effective or would not be
environmentally acceptable as determined by a detailed facility study. Proposed future urban areas include the
infill development of Barangay Obrero and extension of Hamorawon Resettlement Site. Provide exceptions
only to correct declared environmental and health hazards and violations of pollution control laws.
Replacement Areas
Identify areas which could offset or replace areas designated for future urban areas and to create an
environmental and development balance. Replacement areas shall be within the Urban Growth Boundary for
which the extension of services is cost effective or environmentally acceptable.
Open Space
Provide opportunities for recreation and visual relief by preserving Calbayog City's riverbanks, trails, parks and
cemeteries. Establish a loop trail that encircles the city, and promote the recreational use of the city's rivers,
landscape and seas.
Central Calbayog City
Reinforce the central's position as the principal commercial, service, cultural and high density housing center
in the city and the metropolitan. Maintain the downtown as the city's principal retail center through
implementation of the expanded Central Business District.
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Transport Corridors
Provide a mixture of activities along major transport routes and main streets to support the use of transport.
Encourage development of commercial uses that are compatible with the surrounding area. Increase residential
densities on residentially-zoned lands within a kilometer or less of existing and planned transport routes to
transport-supportive levels. Require development along transport routes to relate to the transport line and
pedestrians and to provide on-site pedestrian connections.
A proposed conceptual plan for new city roads. GAD
A proposed conceptual plan for arterial roads connecting to Diversion Road.GAD
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Auto-Oriented Commercial Development
Allow auto-oriented commercial development to locate on streets designated as major city traffic routes. Also
allow neighborhood level auto-oriented commercial development to locate on collector streets or
neighborhood collector streets near residential areas where allowed densities will not support development
oriented to transport or pedestrians. Where neighborhood commercial uses are located on designated transport
streets, support pedestrian movement and the use of transport by locating buildings and their entrances
conveniently to transport users, pedestrians, and bicyclists and providing on-site pedestrian circulation to
adjacent streets and development.
Industrial Area
Provide industrial zone. Encourage the growth of industrial activities in the city by allocating and preserving
industrial land primarily for manufacturing purposes.
Living Closer to Work
Locate greater residential densities near major employment centers, including Master Plan-designated central
business district and activity centers, to reduce vehicle traveled per capita and maintain air quality. Locate
affordable housing close to employment centers. Encourage home-based work where the nature of the work is
not disruptive to the neighborhood.
Strip Development
Limit the development of new strip commercial areas and focus future activities in proposed focus areas of
activity centers to create a more clustered and mixed use pattern of development.
Transportation and Activity Centers
Encourage transport-oriented development patterns at diversion road and at activity centers to provide
connectivity. Establish pockets of bus stops and service road along the diversion road. Development of
existing Maharlika Highway traversing within the city urban limits that is friendly among pedestrians and
commuters is also being encouraged.
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 Residential Density of Upland Areas

Require minimum residential densities on upland and sensitive areas of the urban area to avoid impact to
flooding occurrence and environmental degradation. The design and diverse land uses along the diversion road
should emphasize an expressway-oriented environment with minimum amount of intervention.

Urban Agriculture

Establish average minimum agricultural areas in the urban area. The main purpose is to preserve viable
agricultural lands at the same time to act as natural catchment during flood occurrence, minimizing impact to
residential and commercial areas. The method also foreseen to create a balance of agriculture and development
by retaining highest possible means the environmental landscape of the city.
A cross-section for the proposed development of the Diversion Road. Diversion road is also
envisioned to be utilized as flood catchment basin for the city’s urban area. GAD
Floodway Design

Utilize diversion road as catchment basin for floods originating from hinterland and outlying areas of the
urban area. Tap and enhance the potential of mangroves and rivers as natural drainage outlet. Implement the
urban drainage master plan formulated by the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO).

Establishment of water treatment facility is also recommended for adoption. Urban drainage network shall
follow and complement the recommended road network for the city.

Infill and Redevelopment

Encourage infill and redevelopment as a way to implement the livable city growth principles and accommodate
expected increases in population and employment. Encourage infill and redevelopment in the central area, at
transport stations, along main streets, and as neighborhood infill in existing residential, commercial and
industrial areas. Infill development in Brgy. Obrero and Brgy. Hamorawon relocation stie to pave way for
commercial and residential growth is proposed.

An aerial view of the proposed passenger tubes (waiting sheds) along Maharlika Highway
traversing the city’s urban limits. GAD

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Housing Stock Urban Road Network

Provide for full utilization of existing informal residential areas with conditions that preserve the
environmental character but enhance standard of living. Provision of relocation and resettlement areas to
those residents considered encroaching riverbanks and mangrove areas and public facilities shall be adopted.
Buffer Strips
Implement interconnected road network as possible. Avoid public road ended up with cul-de-sac design. Cul-
de-sac design shall only be entertained in environmentally-sensitive areas and subdivision areas. Prioritize
development of urban roads that connect Central Business District with the proposed expanded CBD.
Prioritization of Magsaysay Boulevard to connect to airport area shall also be adopted.

When residential zoned lands are changed to commercial, institutional, or industrial zones, ensure that impacts
from nonresidential uses on residential areas are mitigated through the use of buffering and access limitations.
Where residentially-zoned lands have a commercial, institutional, or industrial designation, and the
designation includes a future buffer zone, zone changes will be granted only for the purpose of expanding the
site of an adjoining non-residential use.

Provision of buffer zone should also be adopted to those sensitive areas such as mangrove and riverbanks from
being encroached by residential development.

Expansion of Commercial Activities A cross-section for the proposed development of city’s existing major roads. GAD

The current coverage of the commercial activities, which is centered primarily in the central part of the city,
also needs to be expanded. This is not only to decongest the central part, but also to spread the economic
opportunities. However, those commercial investments that will only trigger modernization and advancement
and have market of regional or provincial scope shall be encouraged to put up shops in the central part.

Eco-Park

Development of eco-park is proposed to complement the proposed linear park along Calbayog River. Another
eco-park is proposed to complement to proposed industrial area and government center. These ecoparks is
recommended for outdoor activities, night recreations and concerts.

Seafront Development
The development concept for the Magsaysay Boulevard. GAD
Consider development of seafront areas for commercial and recreation purposes. Seafront development in the
central part, particularly in the proposed reclamation area should be given high importance.

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Interchange Development Plan Riverside Development

Create interchange development plans to shape future development and reuse proposals to encourage uses
which do not over burden the flow through these interchanges and represent Calbayog City as well as gateway
entry points.
Formalize informal settlements living along Calbayog River. Provision of socialized housing strip or tenement
housing associated with linear park is encouraged. By this arrangement, people living along the said river have
other source of income generated from tourism and recreation activities while at the same time enhance the
city’s valuable resource.

Urban Design

Create and adopt unique architectural images for the city. Development of landmark projects, private and
public, must be given important consideration.

Sports Complex

To inject anchor activity in Rawis-Bagacay corridor, a sports complex with completer sports facilities is
recommended for construction in the area. Sports complex that can host big sports events like Palarong
Pambansa and national games.

Government Center
A riverside development conceptual plan. GAD

The government center shall cater major institutional uses such as city hall, its departments and offices,
provincial offices, regional offices, park and housing. The government center is envisioned to be of another
planned unit development similar to traditional neighborhood development. However, dominant uses shall be
geared toward institutional uses.

A proposed conceptual plan for the city’s government center. Location: Brgy. Gadgaran. GAD

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