A FEW days ago, I was in
Marawi with two of my fellow architects and planners, Lito de Jesus and Mikey
Ramos. We were heartbroken over what we saw as the military took us around
ground zero. Marawi is a progressive and thriving city with mid-rise buildings,
schools, hospitals, business and grand mosques and masjids. Almost everything
beyond the bridge, were burned down and destroyed. We were holding back tears
as we were told of the significant events. Truly, no one wins in war.
But I believe despite
these challenges the city of Marawi will rise from the ashes and could
potentially become a model Islamic city like Dubai. It should safe, sustainable
smart, walkable, bikeable, inclusive, international, inter-faith, Islamic.
Marawi can become the city of peace. It will preserve, show and remind us and
the rest of the world what terrorism could do. Terrorism is the selfish act of
a few who do not truly care for the community. It has no place in society,
especially for a society which is trying to move towards peace. Achieving peace
does not mean zero conflict and arguments, but it is committing to reasonable
discourse and improvement.
Some months ago, while
the siege was still going on, I discussed some recommendations with several
cabinet secretaries, one of them the defense secretary. While everyone is
already talking about rebuilding Marawi, I noticed some essential principles of
architecture, planning, and development that were missing from the
conversation. *
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| Marawi City (photo credit GMA network) |
First, everyone was
talking about building back Marawi. It should be building back Marawi “better.”
After the bombing of 9/11, I went back to study at the Harvard Graduate School
of Design to learn about the importance of security by design. I learned that
building high walls do not effectively deter crime; as a matter of fact, it
encourages crime. If someone throws a grenade over the wall, no witnesses. If
someone puts up a drug den, no witnesses. If an armory and tunnels are being
being built, like the case of Marawi, no witnesses. Criminals are not afraid of
walls; they are afraid of windows and open spaces because of the possibility of
a potential witness. As we were going around ground zero, my colleagues and I
noticed how high the walls of the houses were, especially for some of the homes
of the terrorists that we passed. Sniper positions of the enemy were also
difficult to suppress because of low urban visibility caused by bad
architecture and city planning practices.
Two, the locals should
be involved in the planning and development. Those who can immediately help Marawi
are the local architecture and engineering students, as well as those who are
in other fields or disciplines. It is for the children that we are trying to
build a better society and it is with them that we should rebuild the city
better. The local citizens should be involved every step of the way and there
should be a balance of socially acceptable recommendations and world standard
recommendations. *
Three, limited
rehabilitation of the destroyed parts of the city. Maintain ground zero and
build new and expansion cities around it. The schools, hospitals, and places of
worships and other institutions should be rebuilt. But a portion of the ruins
should be preserved as a reminder of what terrorism can do. It can be designed
like Hiroshima and Nagasaki wherein thousands of tourists flock to the site be
reminded of the devastating effect of nuclear war. When I was there a few
months ago for my birthday, I saw how the tourists felt engaged with the
memorial.
Four, Marawi should not
be car-oriented and should strictly impose the building code and aim at higher
international standards. When we were going around ground zero, we noticed how
small the streets were; before the war the city was already experiencing
traffic congestion. We also noticed that some of the houses and establishments
were encroaching on the streets and in some areas, the sidewalks had
disappeared. There were no proper drainage and sewerage systems in place. Wire
and overhead utilities could also be placed underground.
Five, update the
comprehensive land use and zoning ordinance of the province, as well as the
comprehensive development plan. It is through these plans that world-class
architecture and planning principles will be institutionalized by drafting
local ordinances. It will also serve as the guide and unifier of the vision of
the people of the city. Public consultations and participation should be
practiced during the re-planning of the city. *
Six, develop and update
the development plan of the entire province of Lanao del Sur, most especially
the cities and municipalities around Lanao Lake, the second largest in the
country. The key to sustainable and smarter development is aligning the land
use, zoning, and development plans of the adjacent cities and municipalities.
Lanao Lake is as beautiful as, and could be more beautiful through
environmental enhancement than, Lake Geneva.
Seven, assure people
that they will retain the titles to their property regardless of what the
zoning ordinances will be. One of the biggest challenges and lessons learned
from Yolanda is the difficulty of land management.
Working for Dubai made
me realize that religion is not a hindrance in developing cities and nations.
When culturally and spiritually diverse countries assimilate into one society,
there is economic vibrancy, proliferation of artists, and more appreciation for
identity, and respect. We can take inspiration from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Malaysia,
and European countries.
After visiting and
observing more than 2,000 cities in 74 countries, and being able to work and
help 39 countries, I have observed there are only five ingredients of success:
strong political will, visionary leadership, good planning, good design, and
good governance. With these key ingredients, I believe that there will always
be hope to build back better, safer, smarter, and more sustainable cities and
communities in the Philippines, especially in Marawi and Lanao. *
The article was written by Architect
Felino A. Palafox, Jr., of the Manila Times titled “Rebulding Marawi”
which was published October 19, 2017.
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