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Foresight and Insights A Planned Community Analysis

AILEEN RACHELLE FADER

ARCH161URBAN DESIGN AND COMMUNITY PLANNING

UNDER PROF. MARIA LISA SANTOS

1

Barangay Ayala Alabang is a 694 hectare

community developed by Ayala Corp. in 1981. It is

primarily a self-contained, low-density, residential suburb

located in the outskirts of Metro Manila.1

Apart from residential subdivisions, it also contains

the Ayala Commercial Center, Madrigal Business Park,

and Alabang Country Club. The community also contains

private schools such, parks and churches within the Ayala

Alabang Village.1

Within its immediate vicinity is Alabang, the central

business district south of Metro Manila, Bilibid prison and a

number of residential subdivisions.

1Alfred Xeres-Burgos, Barangay Captain, Barangay Ayala

Alabang, Muntinlupa Official Website,

http://www.muntinlupacity.gov.ph

Location Map of

Barangay Ayala

Alabang from Luzon to

NCR to Muntinlupa.




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PATHS

Figure 1. Left: Ayala Alabang Village

showing streets and roads within it.

The arrangement of roads

within the community is dictated by

natural features within the site,

primarily waterways, such as rivers

and creeks, and topography. The

North and South axis is also used in

some parts of the development.

Roads are usually two-way

with two lanes each. Planting strips

with trees and shrubs are placed in

the middle of the road and also on

the walkways. Traffic rarely occurs

except in the roads fronting the

Commercial Center.

There are few means of

public transportation within the site

except for tricylces and taxis.

Public mass transportation only

passes through the northern and

western roads of the site namely

Daang Hari and Alabang-Zapote

Road. Daang Hari is used by

terminal-to-terminal FX and

jeepneys while Alabang-Zapote

Road is used by stop-and-go

jeepneys and FX.

Roads within Ayala Alabang are pedestrian friendly with wide walkways and sun

protection from tree foliage. Signage, traffic lights, and pedestrian lanes also make road

crossing easy combined with low-volume traffic. Rain-protection remains unaddressed

however and community residents and visitors opt to use vehicles going in and around the

site.

Figure 2. Above: Commerce Avenue is located between

the residential and commercial district. It is one of the

roads connecting Ayala Alabang to Alabang. There is no

public transportation plying the area except for taxi cabs.




4

DISTRICTS

Figure 4. Above: Houses in Ayala Alabang Village can reach prices up to Php 100 million and is still

considered a place for the rich.

Figure 5. Also located within the village are non-residential support facilities such as the Ayala Alabang

Village Association (above left) - which also serves as the barangay office, Makiling Park (above middle),

and De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (above right).

Figure 6. The commercial district of the community is located north and serviced by major roads such as

the Alabang-Zapote Road and Commerce Avenue. It is essentially the area most open to non-residents.

Above from left: Alabang Town Center, Ayala FGU Alabang and skyline at Madrigal Business Park.

Figure 7. Left: The Alabang

Country Club is composed

of many sports and

recreation facilities such

as a golf course (left) and

swimming pools. It is

enclosed by the

residential areas.




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NODES AND LANDMARKS

Entrances to Ayala Alabang districts are gated and guarded. Electronic signages and

screens serve as welcome signs as well as bulletins for the village. The welcome marker to

the barangay can also be found along Commerce Avenue.

Commercial establishments serve as landmarks to outsiders, especially Alabang

Town Center or “ATC”.

Figure 8. Left: Entrances to

some parts of Ayala

Alabang are gated and

guarded such as the

Madrigal Gate.

Below: Alabang Town

Center serves as a

landmark to outsiders

INSIGHTS

Ayala Alabang is a well-developed community. There is balance between different

types of development. It is also aesthetically pleasing; the participation of planners within the

conception of almost every building is evident. Circulation within the site is also well-planned

with wide, shaded roads and pedestrian walkways with ample greeneries.

However, Ayala Alabang is limited to the higher-income society. Residential units are

expensive. Public access to the village and its facilities is limited to ensure security.

The development is not commuter friendly, with public transportation routes only

available on the outer edges. While there are ample pedestrian walkways, the whole

community is too large to walk around and there are areas with no sun protection. Rain

protection on walkways is also lacking.

There is also a mental image of Ayala Alabang as a place for the rich so while its

commercial areas are open to the public, people accessing the barangay is limited to the

locals, the office workers from the area, or those who have the guts to do so.




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EDGES

Ayala Alabang itself is bounded by Cavite to the west and other Barangays of

Muntinlupa, namely Cupang, Alabang, Putatan and Poblacion.

Residential Areas of Ayala Alabang are enclosed with perimeter walls about one-

storey high. The commercial district is physically bounded only by roads.

DISTRICTS

The main bulk of Barangay

Ayala Alabang is made up of

residential areas collectively

referred to as Ayala Alabang

Village. Schools, parks, clinics,

churches, and, sports & recreation

facilities can also be found in the

village.

The commercial area can

be found in the northern side of the

community and serves as the

“front” of the development where

entrances to the villages can be

found. It is also the most public

area of the community

The Alabang Country Club

is a large sports and recreation

complex within the village.

Figure 3. Left: Ayala Alabang Village, makes up

most of Barangay Alabang , 30% of the village is

composed of parks, schools, churches, clinics and roads

which is indicated in the map. Also shown are other

parts of the barangay, Alabang Commercial Center

Madrigal Business Park and other commercial

complexes to the north and the Alabang Country Club

within the village.

Legend:

Residential District

Commercial District

Sports and Recreation




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NEW URBANISM

WALKABILITY

There is a generous amount of pedestrian walkways, crossings and signage within the site that help encourage walking. Walkways are shaded by acacia trees but there are no structures for rain-protection in the site.

PROXIMITY

Ayala Alabang is close to NCR through the SLEX. It is also close to Alabang which is a central business district. Within the site there are many facilities such as schools, parks, churches and sports & recreation facilities. Large hospitals like the Asian Hospital and Medical Center and Ospital ng Muntinlupa are also close to the community.

CONNECTIVITY

Roads within the community are designed for private vehicles. Major roads such as the Alabang-Zapote Road and Commerce Avenue serve as feeder roads connecting Ayala Alabang to Alabang and Las Piñas where there high-density commercial activities take place.

SMART TRANSPORTATION

Mode of transportation within the site is mainly private vehicles. Taxi cabs and tricycles are also available within the community. Mass public transportation is limited along Alabang-Zapote Road.

MIXED-USE AND DIVERSITY

Ayala Alabang prides itself as a self-contained community. The residential areas are supported by the commercial district and within the village is an assortment of establishments such as parks, schools, clinics and sports & recreation facilities.

MIXED HOUSING

Housing is generally single-occupancy.

TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD STRUCTURE

The community “entrance” is the commercial district which is open to the public. The residential area is more private. Within the village, the non-residential establishments can be generally found in the middle of the site feeding off a set of major roads also found in the middle of the site.

INCREASED DENSITY

The residential area is generally low-density. Density increases as the area is more open to the public.

SUSTAINABILITY

The site promotes walking but private vehicles are used more often. The municipality of Muntinlupa has implemented a ban on plastic bags for all commercial establishments. The barangay of Ayala Alabang has its own Sewage treatment plant where water is said to be “drinkable” after going through the process.

QUALITY DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE

The participation of a designer is evident in many of the establishments but there is no coherent identity for the area in terms of building design.




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INSIGHTS

Compared to an unplanned community, planned community developments achieve a

balance of land allocation for different activities making them self-sustaining. This also

provides easy access to basic necessities and less time is wasted on travel and heavy

traffic. Road hierarchy is designated and its requirements satisfied. Districts are clustered

together effectively which make future developments effective and easier. Unplanned

communities however usually lack a well laid-out community. Road hierarchies may be

present but do not provide enough lanes and parking provisions for establishments. Districts

may be clustered but are not effectively provided with support facilities.

Planned communities are more sustainable, in a way. The availability of many

facilities within its vicinity reduces travel time. Such communities also find it easier to

implement rules on a large scale, like garbage segregation. Planning of these developments,

especially more recent ones, can include sustainable practices like rainwater harvesting

through street drains and sewage treatment plants. This is hard to do for an unplanned

community where its edges are not clearly defined or when it keeps growing.

One of the negative aspects of planned communities is its lack of provisions to all the

income groups. Usually these developments appeal to the higher income classes because of

high pricing of developed land and housing units. Access to the site and within the site, in

the case of Ayala Alabang, was largely designed for private vehicles. Unplanned

communities in contrast are products of evolution. Residents may opt to stay there in spite of

social status or a change in one because they grew up there. Public transportation is also

available in some because it is because of these routes that residents decide to live there.

The benefits of a planned community are limited to its locality even if there are no

physical boundaries or explicit exclusion of the public through ordinances. There is already a

mental connotation of such developments as a place only for the rich. Is it the price, the

aesthetics, the mode of transportation that induces the stereotyping of such developments

as “high-end”? Will government subsidized prices and multiple occupancy housing units

remove this? These are just some aspects where planned and unplanned communities

differ. The biggest of which is the presence of planners and their philosophies.

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