Here’s a look at key plans:
The Backup City
Besides the significantly higher elevation than Manila, New Clark City is sited away from earthquake fault lines. Should an earthquake still affect the area, the developers are using concrete mixed with a local organic building material called lahar for construction.
Lahar consists of volcanic debris from Mount Pinatubo trapped in mud. Darker concrete made from it already figures prominently in renderings for early building designs, including a new international airport.
Transportation Balance
“Large areas of the city will be pedestrianized, and a river walkway will run right through the city,” writes CNN’s Jane Bracher. “Efficient mass transportation is planned, to reduce the need for cars.”
Despite the planned infrastructure — from an agro-industrial park to a sports complex — the government says that only a third of the city’s land will be developed with the rest reserved for green spaces and agriculture, Reuters’ Kieran Guilbert reported.
Dutch architect Matthijs Bouw told Guilbert that focusing on green areas helps with water storage and drainage, and also guides street design in a way that benefits pedestrians and bikes, strengthening social resilience.
“Clark’s most obvious draw is that it’s solving a real problem: lack of connectivity,” Bloomberg Opinion columnist Andy Mukherjee wrote.
Renewables and Energy Efficiency
Dizon told CNN that public utilities will use sources like solar power, liquefied natural gas, and waste-to-energy facilities while buildings will be designed to use little energy.
Describing the new 20,000-seat athletic stadium in the Philippines publication Business Mirror, Amor Maclang wrote, “Complementing the most advanced green technologies and precise systems, natural resources are utilized to the maximum, with permeable steel mesh to allow natural light and ventilation throughout and to conserve precious energy.”
Mukherjee thinks the former Clark Air Base offers a refuge from climate risk. He wrote, “Royal Pineda, the architect rushing to meet tight deadlines for construction of a sports complex ahead of next year’s Southeast Asian games, says the right metaphor for Clark is iCloud — a backup for when Manila fails.”
Source: Environmental Leader | 13 August 2018