MANILA, PHILIPPINES — In his talk at the 7th International Design Conference, “Creating Liveable Cities: Transforming Institutions through Innovative and Human-Centered Design”, Liveable Cities Philippines Chairman and Consultant to Ayala Corporation Guillermo Luz discussed why the Philippines needs to put liveable cities high up on its priority list, and how designers play a pivotal role in realizing this goal.
“Design exists to solve a problem, address an issue, or communicate an idea,” he explained.
Cities drive economic growth and increase the wealth of a country and contribute to a healthy middle class, Guillermo said. With lack of planning, however, cities produce higher levels of waste and pollution. Most cities in the Philippines are also coastal cities, and are in danger of being negatively affected by the sea level rise due to climate change. Metro Manila itself is full of inconveniences that come with poor planning; its structures favor private cars over pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation, creating bumper-to-bumper traffic on busy days.
According to the speaker, creating liveable cities means maximizing the benefits cities bring to their respective countries while managing the burdens they bring and minimizing their negative impact on the environment.
Watch Guillermo Luz’ full talk on the role design plays in building liveable cities below:
