AQUINO, DANNISA MARIE I.

PLAN 203 03-04-23

ID NO. 202221977
HOMEWORK NO.3

REGAINING THE POTENTIALS OF VASRA

In the past few papers I’ve made, I have described the place I live in today as

decent, walkable and simple neigborhood just a few minutes away from my workplace.

Writing those pieces have gave me a sense of contentment. It gave me a new

perspective and appreciation on how the essentials are more than enough and how its

perceived potential can be utilized if given proper management. And so in this piece, I

was given the opportunity to beautify a place I now refer to as home.

Before showing my concept of patching the city, let’s first define the parameters.

Begin by looking at the sketch map of my current location. From Visayas Ave (main

road), take the first right turn going to Lands street then take a left turn to Forestry street.

The little Mines Street, which connects to Forestry, is where the redevelopment project

starts, with a Vasra sign on the right. Mines Street branches off into two directions: one

goes back to Lands, while the other, to the left, is called Dipolog Street which leads to

my place, located just a few blocks from the first corner street, Naga. Dipolog Street

begins by passing a small bridge, representing location of the creek. The principal

coverage for this paper will be an approximately 160-meter radius around my apartment,

involving at least three blocks on both sides. Some of the spatial manifestations worth

noting within the coverage of the project are the Barangay Culiat Multi-purpose Hall,

Mines Elemenatry School, Mines Linear Park, presence of Creek, 3 Low Rise Buildings,

Households, Apartments, Convinience Stores, Dental Clinics, Day Care Centers,

Carinderias, Bakery, Mini Groceries, Salons/Barbershop, Hardware Stores, Water

Stations, Rice Grain Sellers, Street Vendors and other sorts of small businesses, which

were all noted in the map.

 Let’s also take into considerations that the primary land use or purpose in this

area is residential, with homeowners, tenant, owners of small businesses, and the Local

Government Unit (LGU) as the main stakeholders. The age of the population ranges

from Children to Senior Citizens, while majority of the tenants are employees at nearby

government agencies surrounding the Quezon Elliptical Road. Apart from its closeness

convenience to the workplaces and other relevant institutions, the area's affordable flats

and availability of essentials from all the stores and small businesses shows that the low

and middle class has a working and thriving economic system within the neighborhood,

manifesting the best use of the land. Regular waste collection and an active LGU in

managing the streets are other aspects of the neighborhood's well-functioning system. I

also personally appreciate that a reminder was delivered every evening concerning local

announcements of events, safety precautions for children playing on the streets, status

of covid cases, instances of inappropriate behavior, and theft reports. This increases

local citizens' awareness of the issues around.

For me, a few things that make it unappealing to the eye are the following: street

parking that clogs up both human and vehicle traffic flow; improper waste disposal; a

small, dirty creek; the locked Mines Linear Park that's not utilized by the public; and the

disoriented or disorderly building design of structures that make it appear unkempt or

filthy, but most importantly structurally unsafe. Ensuring the safety is a must. As a civil

engineer, I find it upsetting to observe some construction projects being carried out

without adequate structural planning. Seeing certain apartment building extensions

without employing correct engineering processes and adhering to basic requirements

made me wonder the integrity of the building I live in.

Let me now outline a 160-meter-radius rehabilitation of the Vasra area. A few

small tweaks could be made to produce further pleasant aesthetics by adding greeneries
while arranging structures provides a feeling of tranquility and direction. Vasra can

instantly transform with a few rule changes and proper observation of spatial provisions.

The first item on the list is getting rid of what appeared to be a mess. Given that Mines is

already a one-way street, replacing the covered basketball court beside the Mines

Elementary School with a 5 storey building for parking would allow the removal of all on-

street parking within the project coverage area. Since the majority of the aforementioned

small businesses are located along Naga Street, Roxas Street will serve as the

designated area for street vendors, allowing for the centralization of the market place.

While Naga Street and Roxas Street will be blocked, provisioning landscape of trees and

greeneries in the middle, Dipolog, Tacloban and Tagbiliran Street shall serve as access

roads to ensure constant flow of vehicular traffic. As a result, less motor traffic in the

area is to be anticipated. Also, the creek must be redeveloped by increasing its with by

at least 1 meter, eating 0.5 meters on both side. Regular weekly clean up operations and

maintenance of the creek should also be organized by the LGU. The walkways would be

free of all extensions and impediments, and all wires would be buried. Any fences that

block the sidewalks should be taken down. It's also essential to use a standard design

for buildings and  commercial areas. Every extension should adhere to a standard

structural design that has been carefully considered and satisfies aesthetic

requirements. Solar street lighting must be placed every 100 meters. It is also necessary

to elevate and relocate the multipurpose hall so that it is nearer the entrance, the park,

and the creek. It must be accessible, open to all residents, and painted white

representing the main color of the government. In addition to being visible to all

homeowners who wanted to attend gathering or events, this would reduce noise in

homes during gatherings. The same must be done to the Day Care Center. A

designated waste disposal facilities should also be placed at every block, segregating

biodegradables, non-biodegradables and plastic wastes, with a weekly collection

schedule. Further rehabilitation of road by the creek and sidewalks must also be done.

Only a few modifications and some repainting would be enough to ensure that no

households are displaced. However, adjustments and proper set back should be

imposed while discipline and cooperation should be exercised. The ambiance of a

location can truly be significantly changed with little alterations, appropriate discipline,

and a few extra green spaces. giving the community a cleaner, safer, and more

comfortable atmosphere for its residents.

Although redevelopment has always been done with the best of intentions,

adaption or displacement should be taken into account. It is the planner's duty to prevent

substantial redevelopment from interfering with the bulk of the population's daily routine

and means of subsistence. In certain cases, small changes and efficient management

are enough to sustain and improve a situation.