Build & Move

The Philippines’ First Sustainable City to be Completed by 2022

It looks like the country’s first eco city is no longer a pipedream for Filipinos as “New Clark City” is set to be completed in 2022.

This project is the result of the new partnership between the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Singaporean urban developer Surbana Jurong and Japan’s Overseas Infrastructure Investment for Transport and Urban Development (JOIN).

The 9,450-hectare metropolis will be built in Capas, Tarlac in Central Luzon and will be located inside the Clark Special Economic Zone. It is envisioned to be on par with other modern cities in the world.

Other than BCDA, Surbana Jurong, and JOIN that signed a memorandum of cooperation to officially launch the project, engineering and urban development firms AECOM, Nippon Koei and Philkoei International will also join the project as partners.

Surbana Jurong’s group chief executive officer, Wong Heang Fine, believes that the New Clark City would bring “bring about long-lasting economic and social benefits for the country.”

Aside from assisting BCDA in creating the overall sustainable management framework for the city, the Singaporean urban developer will also help secure investors through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and will advise the pioneering developers such as Filinvest Land, Inc., and Malaysia’s MTD Capital Berhad how to implement the plan.

However, having the technology and infrastructure are not the only keys in making a sustainable city work.

“Building sustainable cities starts with our personal choices: Walking, biking, reducing plastic use can go a long way in ensuring cities become resilient and sustainable,” said Val Bugnot, a spokesperson for the Southeast Asian office for local governments and sustainability of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), which is a global network that helps the transition to a low-carbon economy and adopting smart infrastructure for cities to become sustainable.

She also added that aside from more jobs and opportunities, sustainable and green cities bring in a grounded and holistic approach to development. This means that economic development also comes with protecting the environment and ensuring that the people are healthy, happy, and safe in their surroundings.

via Eco-Business / Ping Manongdo

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