Emerging cityscapes

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(Conclusion)

Strategies and metaphors to the transform the future

Using anticipatory methods, participants were able to re-imagine the contexts and purposes of Philippine cities in a post-Haiyan plus the ASEAN integration, the rise of Asia, Chindia, etc. scenario. 

New narratives, metaphors, images, strategies, policies and programs to achieve the preferred future Philippine cities were proposed. Cities are at the forefront of these solutions and innovations and when they happen it could accelerate inclusive growth, open up new value chains for innovation and better city living conditions.

The low hanging fruit was the Smart city. Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of urban systems, social cohesion, innovation, infrastructure, architecture, energy, transport, national and local governance and the participation of the media, academia and the non-profit sector was essential to creating the smart city. We have to be smart enough to see the intersection of all the drivers mentioned to create the smart city that we want. Changing the way we live, work and play in urban environments requires asking the unasked questions and integrate or choose the best tools like anticipatory thinking and foresight to urban planning and innovation.  Technology is a critical driver to this type of city. The metaphor was arangkada. Downside however was the tusong-matsing—a city trying to catch up with its neighbors, economic growth driven, smart but stupid.

The G4 city. A Laoagueño version of the smart and green city. Here the city is smart, not stupid but wise. The green worldview of inclusive interaction, collective emergence and local creativities informs the G4 city. From pure gold in 2012 to the pure and interactive trees, from hypermart (big man rule driven) to the fresh food market (pluralistic, participatory and democratic) city in 2030. The cities strategies create the conditions for the greeny Ilocano way of life and lifestyle to thrive; the system, the city and its people to find their own path. The city is emergent and organic, alive, breathable, walkable and livable as well safe and inviting for brilliant people and ideas. The metaphor was the garden of trees and the ecosystems of life. Laoag emerges as the smart and green capital of the Philippines. The city is shaped by her residents, community organizers, musicians, ecologists, settlers, farmers and artists. Pamulinawen finds her heart and wooed by a French artist and entrepreneur. Laoag is globally connected and emerges as a global brand for city resilience and transformation.

The Bayanihan City—bayan (community, connectivity), bayani (hero catalyst, peer to peer, sharing economy), ani (wealth, next generation inclusive and sustainability). Philippine cities get transformed by resiliency and natural disasters. An empowered, pragmatic and a climate responsive city emerged in 2030. Cities become a prototype, a model for disaster risk reduction and management. The Japanese proverb that says a bamboo that bends is better than the oak that resist was the myth. Cities have future-proof flexibility and have adaptable spaces that accommodate multiple changes and challenges. The city is bayani as it is also generationally inclusive. It accounts and imagines the need, the resources and the opportunity required by future generations to come. The future generation becomes a part of the policy discourse, planning and urban city design. From the city of isa, isahan at naisahan to the city narrative of bayan, bayani and ani, Philippine cities creates new hero icons, stories, proverbs and opportunities for the future.

The Healthy, Interactive Living City—the city takes the title for fit and healthy living. Philippine cities invest and create the healthy, living cities and some would even take the top spot in an annual global ranking of healthy cities. The indicator here was the walk or the bike score, number of yoga and meditation practitioners and decline in the number of citizens suffering from chronic health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity. Fruit consumption rate, investment in curative healthcare, number of homeopathy shops, tea shops,  number of farmer markets, decline in the number of patients, etc. are indicators of the healthy living cities. Physical infrastructures are designed and invested on based on fitness and health impact index. Planning and urban designs are based in the concept of healthy city. A healthy city strengthens personal and social immune systems.

From the King (the king can do no wrong, father knows best) and the Unruly Citizen of the past and present (bahala na, short term oriented, corruptible citizens) to Dorothy (creative, inclusive and emergent) and the Wizard of Oz (a future world designed by her community and friends, playful and organic and generative), people and local governments leads the way in the diversification and creation of new Philippine cities. Participants aspired for a city and systems that are people oriented, novel and nonconventional systems. They want the Filipino to prosper and participate in creating the preferred. 

Too much democracy, closed economy that benefits the ruling elite, feudal culture, the nation-state, hierarchy, strong power distance index, the raping of natural resources, the middle income trap, short-termism, systemic corruption, asyong aksaya (corrupt and wasteful leadership patterns trends), the alamat of ibong adarna (tinutulugan ang kalamidad at oportunidad) are the weights of history, the restrictive factors and barriers to the preferred future.

The future is an active aspect of the present

Like the past, the future is an active aspect of the present. It is the ‘forward looking equivalent of history’. Using it as a medium to expand planning, policy and governance, the future can provide us practical and imaginative space to create and enact the future today. Futures thinking can help us reveal the unknown unknowns and imagine multiple alternatives and choices. One does not need to be an expert to take part in futures thinking and strategy development.

Thank you! Thank you! 

Now I would like to personally thank mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas and Northwestern University president Liza Nicolas, the Northwestern University community and the Laoag City government for their overwhelming and generous support. Also, the futures team of the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies at Tamkang University and the University of Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies and the International Society of Heal Being Studies at Chung Ang University, Seoul South Korea, Dr. Shunji-jie, Dr. Kou Hua Chen, Dr. Meimei Song, Dr. Jiang Bang Deng, Dr. Hyun Ryul Park, Mark Alexander, Cesar Villanueva, Dr. Mahar Lagmay, Architect Jun Palafox, Dr. Mario De Los Reyes, Dr. Merlita Panganiban, Jerome Escobar, Atty. Ferdinand Nicolas, Dr. Rudy Bareng, Paoay mayor Dolly Clemente and Paoay vice mayor Jessie Galano, The Ilocos Times publisher Jay Ramos and Mr. Mitch T. Esmino, the City Tourism Office of Vigan and the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines Dr. Virginia Miralao and Ms. Emmy Yanga thank you so much!

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