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Foresight and Insights

AILEEN RACHELLE FADER ARCH161URBAN DESIGN AND COMMUNITY PLANNING UNDER PROF. MARIA LISA SANTOS

Location Map of Barangay Ayala Alabang from Luzon to NCR to Muntinlupa.

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.

Alfred Xeres-Burgos, Barangay Captain, Barangay Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa Official Website, http://www.muntinlupacity.gov.ph

AILEEN RACHELLE FADER ARCH161URBAN DESIGN AND COMMUNITY PLANNING UNDER PROF. MARIA LISA SANTOS

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
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.

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.

AILEEN RACHELLE FADER ARCH161URBAN DESIGN AND COMMUNITY PLANNING UNDER PROF. MARIA LISA SANTOS 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.

AILEEN RACHELLE FADER ARCH161URBAN DESIGN AND COMMUNITY PLANNING UNDER PROF. MARIA LISA SANTOS 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.

AILEEN RACHELLE FADER ARCH161URBAN DESIGN AND COMMUNITY PLANNING UNDER PROF. MARIA LISA SANTOS 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 onestorey 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

AILEEN RACHELLE FADER ARCH161URBAN DESIGN AND COMMUNITY PLANNING UNDER PROF. MARIA LISA SANTOS

NEW URBANISM 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. 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. 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 Pias where there high-density commercial activities take place. 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. 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. Housing is generally single-occupancy. 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. The residential area is generally low-density. Density increases as the area is more open to the public. 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. 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.

WALKABILITY

PROXIMITY

CONNECTIVITY

SMART TRANSPORTATION MIXED-USE AND DIVERSITY

MIXED HOUSING TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD STRUCTURE INCREASED DENSITY SUSTAINABILITY

QUALITY DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE

AILEEN RACHELLE FADER ARCH161URBAN DESIGN AND COMMUNITY PLANNING UNDER PROF. MARIA LISA SANTOS

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.