TRANSFORMING NEW CLARK CITY INTO A 15-MINUTE NEIGHBORHOOD

By Annie Rose A. Laborte

Ametropolis where people can walk, bike, or ride public transit to essential services in 15 minutes is the vision of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) for New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac. To realize this vision, the BCDA is implementing several sustainability projects and programs with urban planning, architecture, and engineering leaders across the country and the globe.

This undertaking was one of the highlights of the 2023 Philippine Property Market Outlook: Revenge or Retreat forum in Taguig City, where real estate leaders and urban developers hailed New Clark City as one of the top promising emerging cities in the country.

“In promoting the 15-minute city framing, we are creating and designing pockets of communities within the bigger New Clark City community to ensure people’s convenient access to basic ameni- ties, and facilities so they could meet their daily needs (work, home, food, health, education, culture, sports, and leisure) within a walking or cycling distance,” BCDA Vice President for Public Affairs Leilani Barlongay-Macasaet said during the forum.

BCDA VP Macasaet underscored the importance of public-private partnerships with experts from various industries, foreign governments, and international and local organizations as an important factor in the success of the BCDA’s vision for New Clark City.

Among the BCDA’s partnerships is with the Asian Development Bank, where it assessed the impacts of land use and urban development plans on future water-resources and biodiversity, as well as integrating nature-based urban design and management to achieve a more sustainable, livable New Clark City.

People- and planet-first

Embracing the 15-minute city concept, New Clark City is being built with 60 percent green and open spaces for upland farming and forestry, and 40 percent buildable areas. Its comprehensive master plan focuses on improving the quality of life of people living, working and playing in New Clark City by veering away from car-centric development and promoting dedicated pedestrian and bicycle lanes that will encourage active mobility.

As part of its assistance to the BCDA under the Global Future Cities Programme, the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK FCDO) tapped Malaysian-based Broadway

Malyan to design a 44.8-hectare green public park in New Clark City, complete with a floating lakeside stage, pedestrian bridge, retention pond, multipurpose lawns, meditation alcoves, a calisthenics or outdoor gym, sunset plaza and rain gardens. This is in addition to the 4.5-hectare River Park, which features a 1.4-kilometer walkway along the Cutcut River.

Aside from the Central Park, UK FCDO also assisted BCDA in the design of a pilot 33.89-hectare affordable housing project in New Clark City, showcasing how the existing community can be integrated in the new development. Moreover, this housing project aims to integrate diverse beneficiary groups taking into account age, family structures, and affordability.

Also in the pipeline are projects that focus on sustainable technology, such as solar power and other energy-saving features, as well as waste management, and waste-to-energy facilities.

Mobility as top priority

Putting mobility as a top priority, New Clark City will soon be 15 minutes away from the world-class Clark International Airport once the access road from Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) to the new metropolis is opened to the public. Visitors from Metro Manila can also access New Clark City via the seamless connection from North Luzon Expressway to SCTEX. Also being prepared for New Clark City are a bus rapid transport system, an integrated mass transit lane, a multimodal transport hub, and high-speed railways. With the development of the country’s digital infrastructure, particularly through the Luzon Bypass

Infrastructure Project (LBIP), communities within Northern and Central Luzon will soon be provided with fast, reliable and affordable internet capacity. The LBIP is a collaborative effort among the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the BCDA, and Facebook. All these initiatives make New Clark City a model for a 15-minute city that puts people and the planet first.