The report, titled “Building New Cities: Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations,’’ would be included in the third edition of Cityquest for the annual KAEC Forum, the leadinghigh-level forum on new cities, to be held on Dec. 8 to 9 this year at the KAEC.
The report features a new city rising in the Philippines called Clark Green City that is envisioned to be the country’s first smart, green and disaster-resilient metropolis.
The report noted the Clark Green City as the ‘’most ambitious project’’ of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to transform 9,450 hectares of former military bases into premier centers of economic growth.
‘’The new city is envisioned to be environmentally sustainable, so cially inclusive, economically competitive, culturally relevant, and technologically integrated.
The new city is expected to be a catalyst for economic development of surrounding local government units. It will see five districts rise in three phases over the next five decades,’’ the report noted.
The report also said that ‘’the construction of brand new cities is a bold response to the urbanization challenge. Across the planet, hundreds of billions of dollars are being invested in new urban mega projects in countries including China, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, the Philippines, Palestine, Morocco, Afghanistan, Germany and more.’’
The New Cities Foundation and its member, KAEC, came together in 2013 to create Cityquest, a ‘’unique platform for knowledge exchange and sharing best practices for the leaders of these projects.’’
BCDA said the report ‘’is a milestone in the Cityquest initiative, distilling key trends and priorities that emerged from the Cityquest-KAEC Forum in December 2014, which was attended by 227 senior executives from 28 countries, including representatives from Clark Green City and nine other new cities.
The report is complemented by extensive research carried out by the New Cities Foundation.’’
The BCDA also noted that the Cityquest gathering slated this December in KAEC aims to ‘’strike e right balance between public and private sector planning and governance of new cities, including a discussion of issues such as corporatizing city management, financing infrastructure versus public space, and fostering diversity and affordability when building a city from scratch.’’
It will also take note of the ‘’role of technology and design in building a local identity, empowering people, engaging them in civic issues, bolstering a sense of belonging and community, and creating ‘happy cities.’‘’
BCDA said the forum will also consider the ‘’need for ‘disruptive innovations’ – new concepts, ideas, businesses and products that could help city builders preempt and solve perennial urban challenges. Innovations are identified in the domains of housing, urban design and collective public art experiences.’’
Case-based examples and recommendations are drawn from ten cities including the proposed Clark Green City and nine other cities that took part in Cityquest- KAEC forum last year, including KAEC, Colombo Port City in Sri Lanka, Gujarat International Finance-Tec City in India, Iskandar Malaysia in Malaysia, Jazan Economic City in Saudi Arabia, Kabul New City in Afghanistan, Lavasa in India, Rawabi in Palestine, and Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City in China.
BCDA President- CEO Arnel Paciano Casanova stressed the importance of pursuing the Clark Green City project.
He noted that in the Philippines, ‘’more than 50 percent or one out of two Filipinos are living in urban areas.’’
‘’By 2030, three out of four Filipinos will be urban dwellers. Being one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, there is a need for a new metropolitan area to sustain the country’s annual economic growth of six to eight percent,’’ he said.
Casanova noted that ‘’creating a new metropolis called Clark Green City, strategically located at the heart of several urban centers and vital land, sea, and air infrastructures, is the country’s answer and game changer to sustain its economic growth.’’
‘’We look forward to a long standing relationship with City quest-Kaec Forum, News Cities Foundation and King Abdullah Economic City in the pursuit of Clark Green City—the Philippines’ City of the Future,’’ he added.
An independent, non-profit organization, the New Cities Foundation was created in 2010 and is financed by its members and partners.
