{"id":9587,"date":"2025-04-10T06:03:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T22:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/?p=9587"},"modified":"2025-04-10T06:31:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T22:31:52","slug":"pasig-city-sparks-change-community-driven-street-redesign-champions-safer-more-accessible-mobility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/2025\/04\/10\/pasig-city-sparks-change-community-driven-street-redesign-champions-safer-more-accessible-mobility\/","title":{"rendered":"Pasig City sparks change: Community-driven street redesign champions safer, more accessible mobility"},"content":{"rendered":"

The outdoor park of Plaza Familia in A. Mabini Street, Pasig City was revamped with road murals, historical displays, and street furniture as an active mobility intervention under the SPARK Project. <\/span><\/p>\n

This article was originally published on the\u00a0ICLEI website.<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

The Pasig City Government, in collaboration with residents and volunteers across Metro Manila in the Philippines, implemented low-cost tactical urbanism installations along A. Mabini Street to reallocate street space and promote safer, more accessible walking and cycling as part of the Sparking Active Mobility Actions for Climate-Friendly Cities (SPARK) Project.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

9 April 2025 | Bonn, Germany \/ Pasig City, Philippines.<\/strong> On Wednesday, 26 March, Pasig City officially opened a newly reimagined A. Mabini Street, as a people-centered space. <\/span>Throughout February, more than 60 volunteers \u2014 <\/span>including community members<\/span> and representatives from local organizations\u2014 came together every weekend to enhance<\/span> the street by painting road murals and crosswalks, and installing street furniture. These efforts mark important first steps towards democratizing public roads and prioritizing pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly approaches.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once a car-centric street that crowded out sidewalks and made walking or cycling a challenge, A. Mabini Street now features a shared pathway for pedestrians, cyclists, and <\/span>people with disabilities, specifically those with limited mobility, including wheelchair users<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This collective effort was possible through a \u201ctactical urbanism intervention,\u201d designed to foster active mobility\u2014walking and cycling\u2014, providing safer and accessible urban environments, promoting healthier lifestyles, and contributing to reducing carbon emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tu My Tran<\/strong>, Head of Sustainable Mobility at ICLEI World Secretariat, said, \u201cWe are proud to collaborate with Pasig City, the local community, and national agencies to transform streets and public spaces through tactical urbanism intervention under the SPARK project. Building on the experience in Quezon City, we aim to strengthen strategies and policies through a community-based approach that showcases the power of multilevel action. Through these temporary interventions, we aim to spark long term collaboration, shift mobility <\/span>behavior<\/span> and inspire new urban planning approaches.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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A cyclist along the bike lane at A. Mabini Street, Pasig City, which was revamped with a road mural as part of the tactical urbanism interventions for the SPARK Project.<\/p><\/div>\n

In the Philippines, motorized transport is a major contributor to air pollution, accounting for<\/span> roughly 30% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. Prioritizing public transportation and active mobility can help<\/span> cut emissions from transport fuel consumption by up to 25%<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, which also contributes to improved public health, equity, and green socio-economic recovery. Based on the <\/span>2017 Pasig City Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, on-road transportation comprises 12% of the city\u2019s total emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Implemented by ICLEI \u2013 Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), this <\/span>2.5-year project <\/span>aims to increase active mobility’s role in building resilient, safe transport systems that contribute to national emission reduction targets and promote climate-friendly mobility behaviors through community-driven strategies in two pilot cities in the <\/span>Philippines<\/span>. In <\/span>Quezon City<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, a tactical urbanism intervention was carried out from December 2024 to February 2025 \u2014 and now in Pasig City, the intervention is underway and will remain open until May 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

Victorino Aquitania<\/strong>, ICLEI Southeast Asia Regional Director, stated, “<\/span>Through the SPARK project, Pasig City and Quezon City have shown that local governments can employ innovative, collaborative, and bottom-up strategies fighting climate change such as tactical urbanism in emissions reduction and urban planning. We hope more cities can learn from this and replicate similar efforts, as prioritizing active mobility is crucial in pursuing zero-emission development.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Pedestrians cross a repainted pedestrian lane at A. Mabini Street, Pasig City.<\/p><\/div>\n

Community members were actively involved during the project’s research, planning, and design phases. The Pasig City Government, led by its City Transport Development and Management Office (CTDMO), met with residents and other stakeholder groups within the community in a series of consultations from May 2024 to February 2025, to ensure that the tactical urbanism interventions met the community\u2019s needs. Volunteers also helped carry out walkability and cyclability assessments in the area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maria Golda Hilario<\/strong>, ICSC <\/span>Director for Urban Development, stated,<\/span> \u201cThe SPARK Project in Pasig is a timely reminder that proactive collaboration and meaningful change can begin with small, community-driven action. Through tactical urbanism and the spirit of <\/span>Bayanihan<\/span><\/i> \u2014communal unity and cooperation\u2014 the Pasig City Local Government Unit, volunteers, and civic groups are collectively working together to create safer, more inclusive streets for the elderly, people with limited mobility, and children. In doing so, they honor both our heroes\u2019 legacy and the freedom to move with dignity, as we commemorate the National Day of Valor on 9 April.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The installation also features a revitalized outdoor park at Plaza Familia, enhanced with displays on Pasig City\u2019s historic role in the <\/span>1896 Philippine Revolution<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. In fact, the street is aptly named after Apolinario Mabini, the former Prime Minister known as the \u201cBrains of the Revolution.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dr. Nestor Castro (middle), Cultural Anthropologist, explains one of the displays showcasing the history of A. Mabini Street in Pasig City during the launch of the SPARK Project tactical urbanism interventions last March 26, 2025.<\/p><\/div>\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 the 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), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),\u00a0 the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pasig City Government formally established its commitment to the SPARK Project through a <\/span>memorandum of understanding signed in 2023<\/strong><\/span><\/a> with ICLEI Southeast Asia and ICSC. Pasig City\u2019s Engineering Office, Traffic and Parking Management Office, Cultural Affairs and Tourism Office, Parks and Playground Development Office, Public Information Office, and Clean and Green Office actively supported the project\u2019s implementation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similar to the effort to increase active mobility in <\/span>Quezon City<\/strong><\/span><\/a> last year, the SPARK Project tactical urbanism intervention in Pasig City will also be monitored and assessed for three months for their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and socio-economic impacts. The project aims to use findings from the assessment to guide the local government and community members on potential long-term implementation and replication of similar initiatives, and the creation of people-oriented urban planning policies that promote active mobility and create safer, more inclusive public spaces.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information about the SPARK Project, visit <\/span>https:\/\/sustainablemobility.iclei.org\/spark\/<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The outdoor park of Plaza Familia in A. Mabini Street, Pasig City was revamped with road murals, historical displays, and street furniture as an active mobility intervention under the SPARK Project.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The outdoor park of Plaza Familia in A. Mabini Street, Pasig City was revamped with road murals, historical displays, and street furniture as an active mobility intervention under the SPARK Project. This article was originally published on the\u00a0ICLEI website. The Pasig City Government, in collaboration with residents and volunteers across Metro Manila in the Philippines, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":9588,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,51],"tags":[1709,1852,738,1702,1703,736,271,1949,1704,741,2152],"class_list":["post-9587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-news","category-news","tag-active-mobility","tag-active-transport","tag-green-mobility","tag-icsc","tag-institute-for-climate-and-sustainable-cities","tag-mobility","tag-pasig-city","tag-spark-project","tag-sparking-active-mobility-actions-for-climate-friendly-cities","tag-sustainable-mobility","tag-tactical-urbanism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9587","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\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9587"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9587\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9811,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9587\/revisions\/9811"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}