Urban Design for a Greener

& Healthier City

Examining and Imagining the Case of Antipolo City

By: Sheena Criselle R. Peralta

 How is Urban growth’s impact on the
environment and on the lives
of the so many people?

What solutions can we propose to mitigate

the impact of rapid urbanization on people
and the environment?

Let’s take a look at the Case of Antipolo City

Bright lights, big city:One of the most stunning features of Antipolo City is the
mesmerizing view of its skyline. Photo by WALTER BOLLOZOS: Philstar
ANTIPOLO CITY DETERIORATING
Rapid urbanization is escaping the peripheries of Metro ENVIRONMENTAL
Manila. On of the development challenges by regions outside QUALITY
MM, is the high population and uncontrolled growth of urban this comes with the increasing human and
areas in these regions. The most populous of region is economic activities
CALABARZON region to which Antipolo Rizal is part of.
Antipolo is said to have the largest population of 776,386
people (NEDA)

UNPLANNED
STELLEMENTS & AREAS
FOR URBAN EXPANSION
“ISF settlements are usually in urban or
urbanizing areas with better economic
opportunities” (NEDA)
Antipolo City: HIGH RESIDENTIAL
POTENTIAL
For the past years the it was observed that
the concept of subdivisions which are close more and more land has been developed into
to Nature, free from the hustle and bustle of residential areas given its proximity to Metro
Manila
the Metro, and housing and lands at lower
costs makes purchasing a property in
Antipolo attractive

New residential areas and mining activities in Teresa and Antipolo and
Antipolo in captured by Google Earth in 2016 (left) and in 2019 by Diwata-
2 (right). In the image above, we can approximate that there is a 2.7%
change as 17.6 ha of vegetative areas were converted into new
residential areas.
source: blog.phl-microsat.upd.edu.ph/diwata-2-captures-growing-urban-
areas-in-rizal-5c9da1674a72
Antipolo City : housing
even in the 90's Antipolo’s
developments booming housing industry has
been forecasted...

source:https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/10987386_07.pdf
subdivisions
urban sprawl

when hectares and hectares of land

and parts of the forest are
permanently transformed for housing
developments, there is an
irreplaceable lost of natural resources
and vegetation

the map shows the clustering of

subdivisions in one are of Antipolo
roads have been widened to service
the big subdivisions along Manuel
Quezon Road

vegetation was replaced by cementation

Antipolo City: mining IMPACT:
if quarrying and mining will not be regulated this
can result to soil erotion, sedimentation and
flooding

HOTSPOT FOR
QUARRYING
noticable expansion of quarying sites for
harvesting mineral and non-mineral deposits
given the geological properties of the area

source: blog.phl-microsat.upd.edu.ph/diwata-2-
captures-growing-urban-areas-in-rizal-
5c9da1674a72
 In 2010, Antipolo City had 20.0
kha of natural forest, extending
over 61% of its land area. In 2022,
it lost 135 ha of natural forest,
equivalent to 74.6 kt of CO₂
emissions.

source: https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/PHL/64/2/
 active urban design
Antipolo has a great potential for developing a
more active design approach in the city planning. and green
Its’ terrain, climate, and the environmental richness
infrastructure in
has become for many
an inviting place to go to live in and for recreation. Antipolo City

On the othe hand...

The road expansions have certainly changed the
image of Antipolo and has replaced the formerly
greener scenery with concrete. Some houses and
buildings are just at the edge of these roads.
Portions of these roads have also been converted
as parking spaces. Bikes racing up and down the
hills mix with vehicular traffic. The increase
transport dependence in the city heavily affects
the air quality within the city; the
air has become denser especially at the city center
and along the main thoroughfares.

What can be done? source: https://www.traveloka.com/en-ph

 what approaches can
be taken to mitigate
the impact of rapid
urbanization?
We have a few recommendations which may be a stepping stone for Antipolo
City to mitigate the impact of rapid land use changes and development.

GREEN
INFRASTRUCTURE
ACTIVE URBAN
DESIGN APPROACH

source:https://www.allstar.ph/2023/02/19/best-things-to-do-in-antipolo
 discover

green
infrastructure
"the range of measures that use plant or soil
systems, permeable pavement or other
permeable surfaces or substrates,
stormwater harvest and reuse, or
landscaping to store, infiltrate, or
evapotranspirate stormwater and reduce
flows to sewer systems or to surface
waters."

source: https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2016/07/24/what-do-rotterdammers-want-
in-green-infrastructure-we-asked-them/
source: https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/what-green-
infrastructure:
from
gray to green approach to greener
infrastructure
Urban Tree Canopy
trees help absorb storm water and provide cool
shading thus reducing urban heat

Land Conservation
this can reduce flooding impacts; open spaces
are protected including sensitive natural areas
that are in the city or adjacent to it; it can also
be used for recreational purposes

Greener streets
re-designing streets with a combination of
biowales, planter boxes, permeable pavements.
greens act as a natural filtration system for
source: https://mtc.ca.gov/sites/default/files/10- storm water
24-18_presentations.pdf
source: https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/what-green-
infrastructure:
 GREEN
INFRASTRUCTURE

source: https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/cdot/Green_Alley_Handbook_2010.pdf
 GREEN
INFRASTRUCTURE
benefits...

perception of greener environment

may enhance well-being, can also
increase social cohesion,... and
support recreational value in the
urban context (Sabbion, 2018)

Greening 16th Street in Denver by Brian Godfrey used

under CC BY 2.0
source: https://www.sightline.org/2018/08/07/how-
complete-streets-can-be-green-streets/

greener streets can

contribute to noise
reduction (Palacio et al.,
2018)

source: https://www.designworkshop.com/projects/asla-green-streets.html
recommendation #1 tree canopies along the
To Restore Green and to transform Antipolo to a greener
roads
city: the loss of vegetation may seem to be negligible given
the still green peripheries of Antipolo; however, green
infrastructure needs to be re-incorporated to the city
design in order to achieve a more healthy environment in
the heart of the city. We recommend the incorporation of
green street concepts in existing roads.

green and pedestrian

conscious road expansion
 ACTIVE URBAN DESIGN

“Active design is a planning approach to creating streets

and buildings that support and promote the physical
health and well-being of residents. Bringing active
design to planning projects and neighborhoods
encourages more active lifestyles – such as walking,
bicycling, stair climbing – that ultimately help improve
the health of neighborhoods and residents.” (Active
Design Guidelines - DCP, n.d.)

street design that can influence public behavior

more and better public spaces for active

communities

source:https://www.timeout.com/newyork/parks/highline
 Barcelona’s car-free super blocks
ACTIVE URBAN DESIGN
provide safe streets for play,
examples
walking, cycling and socialising for
all ages.

street design that can

influence public
Source: Abigail Chan; https://www.oecd-
forum.org/posts/restorative-cities-urban-design-for-mental-health-
and-social-interaction-in-the-covid-era
behavior

What Adapazari, a city in

Turkey, is trying to do is to
Public spaces have the power to connect people and cities. Image from Car
bring children back to play in
Free NYC on Earth Day 2017. Photo by New York City Department of
Transportation / Flickr
the town center through active
design, without strictly
more and better public speaking creating adventure
spaces for active playgrounds.

communities
© Adapazari municipality
source:https://www.paysalia.com/en/news/sport-health/5-
examples-highlighting-importance-active-design-town-planning
 recommendation #2 bikes lanes that not
To design for an active biking city: biking can be only along famous
explored as another option for reducing dependence on
routes but going
public transport; however, many roads are not properly
designed to accommodate a throng of bikers on a around the city
regular basis. Biking need not be only recreational, it can
be a transport alternative. Proper bike lanes need to be
installed. In addition, better sidewalks with tree
canopies can be provided so as to encourage the people
to walk, jog.

source: https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/437252-dotr-76-kilometer-bike-lane-batangas-to-
source:https://www.bikemap.net/en/l/1730501/ rizal
recommendation #2 making walking and
To design for an active biking city: .... In addition, jogging a great
better sidewalks with tree canopies can be provided exeprience
so as to encourage the people to walk, jog.

sample route: walking from the subdivision to the grocery

if there were trees that would make the 37 minutes walk

more pleasant source:https://elevation.maplogs.com/poi/antipolo_city_ha
ll_m_santos_st_antipolo_rizal_philippines.371515.html
recommendation #3 create more
To provide more public spaces through placemaking public spaces
for multiple activites

source: google maps

photo of Sumulong Park : a hang out place,

market space, venue for public events, group exercises, etc.
 Recommendation # 4
To ensure that development are in accordance with the environmental
protection policies

Environmental “The increasing losses and damages from disasters reflect the
need to build resilience in the region. Aside from disasters, the region is also
vulnerable to climate change, significantly affecting the production sectors,
especially agriculture, forestry, and fishery. Proper interventions to mitigate and
reduce the risks of climate change are needed to enhance the resilience of the
production sectors. Identification and development of nature-based industries
and enterprises that can support the green and blue economy will be pursued to
Chapter 1 Overview of the Regional Economy, Development Context and Trends |
13 create opportunities for green jobs. The private sector’s investments in green
development will support the region’s objective of transitioning to a low-carbon
economy.” ( Regional Development Plan 2023-2028, NEDA)
References
Palacio, A. M. L., Peñaranda, A., & Cantalapiedra, I. R. (2018). Green streets for noise reduction. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 181–190).
https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-812150-4.00017-3

Sabbion, P. (2018). Green streets social and aesthetic aspects. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 283–290). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-812150-
4.00026-4
https://pdp.neda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CALABARZON-RDP-2023-2028.pdf

https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure:

https://www.paysalia.com/en/news/sport-health/5-examples-highlighting-importance-active-design-town-planning

https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/10987386_07.pdf

https://blog.phl-microsat.upd.edu.ph/diwata-2-captures-growing-urban-areas-in-rizal-5c9da1674a72

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/cdot/Green_Alley_Handbook_2010.pdf