Manila, April 11 (Engineering Daily) -- A new, modern city is about to be realized, taking shape, designed to be green and sustainable, multifaceted and integrated, a classic example of the metropolis of the future.
The Philippines is set to build Clark Green City which features a 50-year master plan to aid in decongesting Metro Manila. It is also with a vision of driving the economy and guide the country towards sustainable development.
The worsening traffic in Metro Manila now costs P3.5 billion in lost opportunities per day , the Philippine office of the aid agency Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) said.
But luckily the government has a plan. That plan is New Clark, a 9,450-hectare (23,350-acre) city that government officials say will be bigger than Manhattan by the time it is completed in 25 to 30 years, with an expected population of more than 1.2 million.
The aim is to build a city equipped to deal with climate shocks in one of the world’s most cyclone-affected regions, and to promote healthy, eco-friendly and sustainable living by putting nature at the heart of development, urban experts say.
New Clark City is poised to be the country’s first smart, disaster-resilient and green metropolis, which, upon completion, is expected to contribute a gross output of approximately P1.57 trillion per year to the national economy.
The upcoming eco-city is the brainchild of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), a state-run company mandated to transform or facilitate the sale of idle military camps and to repurpose former US military bases into productive areas, such as industrial zones. It is behind the successful turnaround of Fort Bonifacio, an old military camp that is now a bustling business and commercial area rivalling the stature of Makati, the country’s central business district.
The government through the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is readying almost P300 billion worth of infrastructure and investments at the Clark Freeport zone and its environs seen to benefit the people of Central Luzon.
The BCDA said the infrastructure projects alone cost P174.7 billion.
These include the P12.5-billion Clark International Airport New Terminal Building (Phase 1), the P57.2-billion Subic-Clark Cargo Railway, P105-billion Manila-Clark Railway (Phase 1).
Another P122.6 billion worth of investments in various projects will be poured in New Clark City.
The city’s districts will feature, among others, government centre, a central business district, an academic district, an agri-forestry research and development area, and a wellness and eco-tourism district.
It will also be powered by renewable energy facilities and a waste-to-energy plant, as well as enhanced by sustainable modes of public transport like a bus rapid transit system, urban farms, and the use of high-capacity connectivity to support e-governance platforms.
