{"id":9411,"date":"2024-12-19T15:39:28","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T07:39:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/?p=9411"},"modified":"2024-12-19T15:39:28","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T07:39:28","slug":"quezon-citys-tactical-urbanism-transforms-a-street-into-a-people-centered-active-mobility-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/2024\/12\/19\/quezon-citys-tactical-urbanism-transforms-a-street-into-a-people-centered-active-mobility-hub\/","title":{"rendered":"Quezon City\u2019s Tactical Urbanism Transforms a Street into a People-Centered Active Mobility Hub"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was originally published on the ICLEI website.<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

9 December 2024 | Bonn, Germany \/ Quezon City, Philippines.<\/strong>\u00a0On Saturday, 7 December, Quezon City officially opened a newly reimagined Maginhawa Street as a vibrant, people-centered space.<\/p>\n

Throughout November, over 150 volunteers\u2014including community members, local businesses, advocacy groups, and youth\u2014came together to paint colorful road murals and pedestrian crosswalks along Maginhawa Street. One side of the street now serves as a shared pathway for cyclists and pedestrians, while the other features spaces for residents and customers to socialize.<\/p>\n

This collective effort aimed to reclaim Maginhawa Street for the community, countering car-centric designs that have crowded out sidewalks and discouraged walking and biking. The \u201ctactical urbanism intervention\u201d was designed to foster active mobility\u2014walking and cycling\u2014this initiative provides safer and accessible urban environments, promotes healthier lifestyles, and contributes to reducing carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

This initiative is part of the \u201cSparking Active Mobility Actions for Climate-Friendly Cities\u201d (SPARK) Project. The project utilizes tactical urbanism\u2014short-term, low-cost, and scalable interventions\u2014to test innovative ideas for long-term urban transformation and open data.<\/p>\n

Implemented by ICLEI \u2013 Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), the project aims to increase active mobility\u2019s role in building resilient, safe transport systems that contribute to national emission reduction targets and promote climate-friendly mobility behaviors through community-driven strategies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are proud to launch Quezon City\u2019s tactical urbanism intervention under the SPARK project,\u201d said\u00a0Gino Van Begin<\/b>, ICLEI Secretary General. \u201cBy enhancing capacities, strategies, and policies, we aim to scale up and inspire lasting change in mobility behavior and urban planning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Motorized transport accounts for approximately\u00a030% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in the Philippines,<\/strong><\/span><\/a> making it a major contributor to air pollution. Supporting public transport and active mobility\u00a0can reduce emissions from transport fuel consumption by 25%<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0while contributing to public health, equity, and green socio-economic recovery. In Quezon City, on-road transportation comprises\u00a021% of total emissions\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/a>with\u00a082,2% of motorized vehicles, while 17,8% is non-motorized (walk).<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Victorino Aquitania, <\/strong>ICLEI Southeast Asia Regional Director, added, \u201cThe SPARK Project is one of ICLEI\u2019s ongoing projects in the Philippines that aims to support local governments pursuing sustainable, zero-emission development. The SPARK Project intervention in Maginhawa Street of Quezon City, in particular, is an example of how local governments can lead the way in climate action through innovative methods that bring together communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Throughout November, over 150 volunteers\u2014including community members, local businesses, advocacy groups, and youth\u2014came together to paint colorful road murals and pedestrian crosswalks along Maginhawa Street.<\/p><\/div>\n

The intervention was carried out through a series of workshops and assessments focusing on walkability and cyclability, ensuring community voices were central to the design. Recycled materials such as tires, gas canisters, and barrels with plants were used to protect pedestrian spaces and discourage vehicle parking, creating a more inclusive and people-centered environment. Park benches, play areas, and spaces for art and musical performances further enhance the area\u2019s appeal.<\/p>\n

Golda Hilario,<\/strong> ICSC\u00a0Director for Urban Development, stated,\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ve seen incredible solidarity, with over a hundred volunteers pitching in despite the weather. This reflects the SPARK Project\u2019s spirit of collectiveness\u2014reclaiming the streets from cars and re-allocating them for people, driven by Quezon City\u2019s strong sense of ownership to turn the project into reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUV) through their International Climate Initiative (IKI). It is also endorsed by the Philippine Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).<\/p>\n

The Quezon City Government backs the Maginhawa Street intervention through a memorandum of understanding signed in 2023. The Traffic and Transportation Management Department, Department of Public Order and Safety, and Task Force Disiplina\u2014responsible for enforcing ordinances and regulations in the city\u2014actively supported the project\u2019s implementation. To facilitate the intervention, Quezon City\u00a0issued a traffic advisory<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0announcing a one-way traffic scheme for the area, which will remain in effect until the project concludes in February 2025.<\/p>\n

Further contributions from Quezon\u2019s local government include the\u00a0Office of the City Administrator, which oversaw the project implementation, and the Parks Development and Administration Department, which rendered the design of the interventions and provided the greenery on site. The Departments of Public Order and Safety, Sanitation, Public Affairs and Information Services, City Planning and Development, and City Tourism also lent their expertise, ensuring the project\u2019s execution and alignment with the city\u2019s vision for sustainable and community-centered development.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Throughout November, over 150 volunteers\u2014including community members, local businesses, advocacy groups, and youth\u2014came together to paint colorful road murals and pedestrian crosswalks along Maginhawa Street.<\/p><\/div>\n

During the intervention launch, which coincided with the\u00a0Maginhawa Arts and Food Festival,<\/strong> <\/span><\/a>city representatives emphasized the significance of promoting active mobility through interventions that are not only innovative but also community-driven.<\/p>\n

An integral part of the SPARK Project is collecting data to develop recommendations for people-oriented urban planning policies. The findings will guide discussions with the local government and community members on long-term implementation and replication in other areas of Quezon City to further expand and promote active mobility by creating safer and more inclusive urban spaces.<\/p>\n

The SPARK Project will iterate this intervention in partnership with Pasig City in 2025. For more information about the SPARK Project, visit\u00a0https:\/\/sustainablemobility.iclei.org\/spark\/.<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article was originally published on the ICLEI website. 9 December 2024 | Bonn, Germany \/ Quezon City, Philippines.\u00a0On Saturday, 7 December, Quezon City officially opened a newly reimagined Maginhawa Street as a vibrant, people-centered space. Throughout November, over 150 volunteers\u2014including community members, local businesses, advocacy groups, and youth\u2014came together to paint colorful road murals […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":9414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,51],"tags":[1856,2290,952,2297,2289,1946,2293,161,1702,279,1703,2097,2296,736,1209,271,2291,231,232,877,1701,1704,1824,741,2152,2295,2292,2294,1710],"class_list":["post-9411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-news","category-news","tag-active","tag-bikingw","tag-cycling","tag-december","tag-ghg-emissionsa","tag-gino-van-begin","tag-golda-hilario","tag-iclei","tag-icsc","tag-iki","tag-institute-for-climate-and-sustainable-cities","tag-maginhawa","tag-maginhawa-arts-and-food-festival","tag-mobility","tag-news","tag-pasig-city","tag-pedestrians","tag-philippines","tag-project","tag-quezon-city","tag-spark","tag-sparking-active-mobility-actions-for-climate-friendly-cities","tag-street","tag-sustainable-mobility","tag-tactical-urbanism","tag-traffic-advisory","tag-victorino-aquitania","tag-volunteers","tag-walking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9411"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9417,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9411\/revisions\/9417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}