Great ideas don’t grow old: Understanding new urbanism

IN 1943, Winston Churchill said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” This rings true even for cities. A city is more than just a collection of buildings, it is the culmination of human aspiration and dreams. How we build our cities matters because it shapes the lives of the people living in them.

In the book The Planning and Architecture of Palafox Associates, a chapter is dedicated to “Global Trends and Revolutionary Ideas in Planning and Architecture,” which explains new urbanism in great detail.

Although the book was published in 1998, the ideas shared are just as relevant, if not even more, today in an age where we greatly struggle with transportation, pollution, and social inequity.

WHAT IS NEW URBANISM?
Contrary to its name, new urbanism isn’t new. But it is a relatively young term, having been introduced in the 1980s as a sharp contrast to the American pattern of development characterized by suburban sprawl and car dependency.

The American Dream promised freedom and opportunity for everyone who works hard enough. After the 1950s, this is what that dream looked like: single-family homes in distant neighborhoods interconnected by a network of highways and freeways.

This lifestyle looked glamorous and peaceful from afar, but it came with inescapable consequences.

Traffic jams became normal when people would drive to the city during their commutes to work. Social interaction was scarce when people spent most of their time in the house, in the office, or on the road. The increasing need for more roads made maintaining them unsustainable.

In light of this, new urbanism emerged as a solution to the woes of suburban sprawl, promising a new pattern of development that is smart, sustainable, resilient, and future-ready.

COMPACT DEVELOPMENT
Bigger is not always better. When we stretch our cities outward through unmitigated sprawl, we stretch our resources thin. Compact development encourages building upward and inward, optimizing land use so that everything a person needs — places to live, work, dine, shop, play, and worship — is reachable within a short distance.

Today, compact development is better known through terms such as 15-Minute Cities, 10-Minute Communities, and 5-Minute Neighborhoods. The first was introduced by Carlos Moreno in 2016, and it was put into practice in Paris by former Mayor Anne Hidalgo during the pandemic. By pedestrianizing streets, rolling out a network of bike lanes, and investing in public spaces for leisure and social interaction, the City of Lights emerged from the pandemic as a model city that effectively reduced traffic congestion and air pollution overnight.

Locally, we have Rockwell Center in Makati as our crowning jewel. We had the opportunity to do the planning, design, and architecture, transforming the site of a former power station into a vibrant community, where everything is accessible within a 5-minute walk from your doorstep, thanks to the integration of vertical urbanism, mixed-use development, and safe pedestrian walkways.

MIXED-USE AND MIXED-INCOME DEVELOPMENT
Diversity is the mark of a healthy city. For decades, rigid and outdated zoning laws separated where we live, where we work, and where we play, creating sterile neighborhoods that empty out during the day, and commercial districts that become unsafe ghost towns at night.

Mixed-use developments seamlessly weave residential, commercial, and leisure spaces together, creating lively communities that are active 24/7. Furthermore, integrating mixed-income housing breaks down social walls. When people of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds share the same streets, parks, and public spaces, we create a more empathetic society.

Compact, mixed-use developments are good for urban areas. But it must be equitable for everyone. I once read a quote on social media that goes like this: “If you can get to the coffee shop within fifteen minutes, but the barista can’t afford to live closer than half an hour away, then you live in a theme park.”

In my own words, development is not worthy of the name unless it is spread evenly like butter on a piece of bread.

TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
We must design our cities to move people, not just cars. Transit-oriented development places mobility at the very heart of the city. By clustering dense, mixed-use areas around transit hubs, we give citizens the freedom to move without having to resort to a motor vehicle.

In a transit-oriented development, active transport and public transit work hand-in-hand with a network of walkways and bike lanes connecting different places of interest. This means less traffic congestion, cleaner air, and more time for people to spend on more important matters.

The value of real estate no longer revolves around location, location, location, but around mobility, accessibility, and connectivity.

NEW URBANISM IS THE FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT
Metro Manila is unique in that it is influenced by Spanish and American urban planning. Our cities follow a pattern where the plaza and church are situated at the center. The elite and the wealthy live nearby, while those who are less affluent live farther from the center. Combine this with exclusive gated communities and an influx of automobiles, and we get the worst of both worlds: a segregated society that is choking on its own congestion.

If we are to address the challenges of climate change, urban decay, and social isolation, we must embrace a complete paradigm shift. Cities are for people, which is why development must be human-scaled. Proximity is premium.

New urbanism is not merely an architectural trend; it is a profound commitment to designing communities that best meet the needs of people. By learning from the mistakes of the past, we can build forward-looking cities that are smart, resilient, and sustainable, ready for whatever the future holds.

Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox, Jr. is the founder of Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture Group, Inc. With 53 years of experience in architecture and 51 years in urban and regional planning, he has led more than 2,000 projects in 41 countries. He studied at Christ the King Seminary, the University of Santo Tomas, the University of the Philippines, and Harvard University. His achievements have earned him more than 200 awards, including the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Dubai Chapter’s First Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023.