Ayala Center Redevelopment [mix] [Archive] - Page 2

epik ll ian

August 14th, 2009, 03:00 AM

Haha. Eastwood, Serendra and Bonifacio High Street are nice and posh (they're very low key and European looking which don't make them look genuinely Filipino), but they're not as neon and night friendly! It makes them close early too! When you walk through Eastwood, do you really feel like you're in the Philippines? Not so much. It kind of feels like you're walking outside in France almost. Boring! That's why they're not as visited as they could be. Let's get on the right country/continent!

Come on guys, seriously. Use a little imagination here. I'm not talking to anyone in particular, but this general lack of faith and sense of vision and creativity is getting disappointing. All I ever hear is, "Oh we can't, we can't! We don't know this! There's this problem and this problem." And when you set your mind to it, you believe it. That's what's really annoying. That feeling is soon hard to erase. We immediately close our minds and clam up when we see a problem, and we keep on pushing through with the same usual solution. Is that the way to go here? Let's throw some faith, vision and imagination into the picture. We have a big future with lots of potential ahead of us. Are malls really your only alternative? Haha, certainly not. I remember watching this video on a new building in Makati saying "We're now in the age of creativity." Would you really say that our buildings reflect this new age of creativity when all we do is stick to the same plan and fear new ideas? We can take shopping streets and slightly modify them to accommodate our needs. Create our own shopping streets that reflect technological advancement and a unique sense of Filipino/Manila-ite lifestyle and shopping. Malls are too universal, too western. On a particular note, it's not desirable for tourists (especially Americans) to go to the Philippines and shop in a mall. They can do that back in their country.

Here are some examples in Osaka of how you don't have to deal with the rain. This street is still outside, and it connects to all the other streets, but it's definitely not or part of any mall. It's a pedestrian friendly street. There are lots of these in Osaka. Manila could do a mix of outdoor and indoor shopping streets. When it's hot and gross outside, go to the covered shopping streets. When it's nice and cool and not rainy go to the outside and inside shopping streets. If it's rainy and you still want to go outside, grab an umbrella! These kinds of streets that you find in Osaka just kind of have this ... roof? But it's designed so that way the sun lights up the streets and it gives you a feel that there really is no roof. At night they do light up very well with neon lights, and they're nice to walk down. It's almost like there's no roof at all.

http://www.johnnyjet.com/images/PicForNewsLetterOSAKA6202004INDOOROUTDOORMALL.JPG

The ends of these shopping streets take you right back outside to the city. But these are still networks of streets that are part of the whole city. It can be slightly deceiving, but they are far from being malls.

http://avyworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/242.jpg

We could also build buildings with slanted roofs that overshoot the building like you find in east Asian architecture that can protect the streets from rain. We could try pulling off retractable roofs. These are just some wild ideas of many, but come on! There are so many ideas out there! Why do we always have to give ourselves limits? Malls aren't the only alternative we have. They're just the easiest solution we can come up with. Spend a little time thinking. It's time we get creative and imaginative and stop sticking to the same old plan. We could even potentially start our own trend in shopping. Must we always stick to the same plan or copy others? Let's stand out with ingenuity!

We already have almost mediocre shopping markets/(kind of) streets in Binondo, Divisoria and Quiapo, so it's not like this idea is completely alien to Filipinos. We just need streets to be more modern, clean, and appealing. They need to be designed with creativity and good materials and not half-assed (pardon my language). However, be wary that a lack of effort will yield poor results. If we put forth our full pride and effort, the people will come. You have to trust me on this.

cebu2manila

August 14th, 2009, 06:04 AM

lol great idea. maybe it will materialize if you were the ONE to build this kind in pinas. just my opinion.

epik ll ian

August 14th, 2009, 06:06 AM

Hey sometimes I do consider changing my major to architecture.
The One? hmmm

RonnieR

August 14th, 2009, 06:10 AM

I was told that the new Glorietta would be a 8 storey tall high mixed of commercial and office spaces....

rmn

August 14th, 2009, 07:31 AM

Hey sometimes I do consider changing my major to architecture.
The One? hmmm

If I had the development funds, I'd bankroll your venture! Seriously. You have my support. ;)

Kevinlondon

August 14th, 2009, 07:32 AM

epik ll ian

August 14th, 2009, 08:30 AM

If I had the development funds, I'd bankroll your venture! Seriously. You have my support. ;)

Thanks :)

absolutblue

August 14th, 2009, 08:00 PM

I still think malls are better and more practical in the philippines because of the weather. Boni High street is good in the evening or cool days but when its hot its not fun to walk around there sweating.

By the way im not filipino im british and very familiar with shopping streets.

Kintoy

August 14th, 2009, 08:14 PM

True, but it has to be done right though. It's nothing that can be built with half the design and investment effort. I'm talking about quality structures with neon lights and not cheap signs, plasma screens instead of posters, nice exteriors without cheap paint etc. It's a very worthy investment that can also be engineered to minimize the amount of felt humidity/heat. Like I said though, at night that feeling dims down a little. You can see some good examples in my Pedestrian Shopping Districts thread.

you were talking about how tacky the malls are, and you're suggesting neon lights?

oh my. :ohno:

epik ll ian

August 14th, 2009, 09:06 PM

you were talking about how tacky the malls are, and you're suggesting neon lights?

oh my. :ohno:

That's because the Philippines isn't acquainted with the real Neon lifestyle yet. It's primarily acquainted with sub par Neon lifestyle that you find on tacky hooker-streets.
Those kinds of streets are very tacky, and I'm not a fond of that neon scene either!

However, malls are tacky and not representative of Filipino culture. What makes them even more tacky is that corporations build with cheapo material and cover it with ugly paint on the outside. It's turning a lot of shopping destinations into eyesores. That, and they're hard to modify cause they're so huge and it requires too much money. Soon the style it was built under will be past, and it'll have to be torn down and another one will replace it. It's a never ending cycle of too much wasted money. Have you ever been in Manila and thought, "Wow, we certainly need more malls!" We have more than a sufficient number of malls to keep ourselves occupied! We don't need more of what we have an abundance of when there's another sector that we're lacking in and need to work on.

American mall shopping is taking a huge hit right now, and I think it's a very valuable lesson that we should learn. That should tell you something since the Philippines does copy a lot of American styles.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/168753

I got this from the below article: "shoppers increasingly are seeking out offbeat and unique shopping options such as flea markets, antique shows, garage sales and craft fairs that offer one-of-a-kind goods."

"Meanwhile, proverbial main-street America, immortalized at the entrance to Disney theme parks, is making a comeback. More than 1,600 small and midsized towns and large cities are reviving their main-street shopping areas. "Shoppers go through something I call the `Mayberry effect' where they feel a closer connection to the merchants of a smaller, more quaint atmosphere as opposed to the congestion of malls,"

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_18_18/ai_86868918/

In the States there's even a website called deadmalls.com. I encourage you go there and see what I'm saying.

Since malls are really controlled by a central group, if the economy fails, malls will go belly up, and all of the shops suffer as a whole. That's what's happening in America! Mall building is very scarce - almost nonexistent - now. Shopping streets with individual stores, however, can whether the economy. They all belong on a street together, but they're unique and they're managed by separate entities/separate private merchants. If the economy fails, the whole street doesn't have to crumble with it, unlike in a mall where its all or nothing.

There's nothing tacky about a modern shopping street. It displays the true soul of the city. I don't know if you've ever been to Fields Ave. in Angeles City, but in spite of the tourists walking there to get a ... partner ... it gets really crowded at night! There are city people and tourists alike there walking down the streets getting food, walking to enjoy the city, getting groceries, walking to the adjacent streets to go to Karaoke bars etc. Yes, the neon there might be tacky because of the hostess culture there, but people still go there for other purposes.

http://img7.travelblog.org/Photos/89238/406209/t/3903331-Night-Shopping-at-Dongdaemin-0.jpg

Those lights are neon/neon-esque. They don't look the least bit tacky. We have enough malls now. For people who are truly die hard mall fans, we have PLENTY of malls for them to enjoy. We're far from being deprived of malls! We don't NEED more. There's now the street scene which we need to tackle. We do need a way for not only Manila-ites to enjoy their city that they walk around in (and to make it more convenient to buy goods/not having to travel a long ways to get to a mall), but we need a way to get a cash flow of tourists walking throughout the city and spending money on unique Filipino shopping. Let's try and make our streets and city nicer with this kind of style.

vestige

August 15th, 2009, 03:45 AM

you were talking about how tacky the malls are, and you're suggesting neon lights?

oh my. :ohno:

^^
I have the same sentiments...besides, a street shopping area in the Philippines will only proved to be disastrous.

I can imagine locals and tourist alike walking down a paved shopping street when all of a sudden two robbers, hitch-hiked on their bikes stealing purses...oh my! Or a more subtle opportunistic cleptomaniacs.

More so, it is always so hot and humid in the Philippines that instead of the smell of an outside shopping centre, you'll only smell people who are sweaty and worst,,,moist!

The examples you are giving are very well looking (and I see that you are a very knowledgeable person as well), however, (please don't take offence)can't you recognize the fact that almost all of them are either in Osaka, Japan, or the streets of Tokyo(Shibuya, Roppongi, etc.)have a stricter public policy against crimes, and have a much cooler, temperate weather than here.

Let's face it...if it could be done...it should have been done!

IMAO.:ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno:

rmn

August 15th, 2009, 06:49 AM

People have lost their cellphones, their wallets inside an a crowded mall too.

Anyway, I think architects should be challenged enough to design malls (and other structures for that matter) that are adaptive to our climate, and not just airconditioned concrete boxes. I've actually worked in a mall, a good seven months or so, and you wouldn't enjoy it after some time. Believe me.

The problem I have bout neon lights is that they burn out easily. LEDs maybe?

adverg

August 15th, 2009, 07:34 AM

^^I think the best solution by architects/developers to this problem is the application of green architecture in the development. Like for say in outdoor shopping, an example is the bgc, when they design outdoor shop lots, in between blocks must have open space for parks with in lines tall trees that will block sun rays for humid seasons and water features that enhance the place. And for indoors, skylight is one thing to reduce on lighting application but it will cost more on electricity for air conditioning. To provide energy saving cost, solar panels must adopt to every mall in their roof deck and a storage tank to store rain water during rainy seasons. Another thing, they can implement an interior design of the mall by putting outdoor landcape concept inside on it. Inside the mall lobby, they can create staggered levels with water features and ponds inside where people can dine and seat directly seeing into an atrium with skylight roofing. I can imagine already how does it look. For security reasons each blocks if the development is very large, they must put 1 police post with cctv around it so to alarm those pick pocketers and the like.

epik ll ian

August 15th, 2009, 07:49 AM

^^
I have the same sentiments...besides, a street shopping area in the Philippines will only proved to be disastrous.

I can imagine locals and tourist alike walking down a paved shopping street when all of a sudden two robbers, hitch-hiked on their bikes stealing purses...oh my! Or a more subtle opportunistic cleptomaniacs.

More so, it is always so hot and humid in the Philippines that instead of the smell of an outside shopping centre, you'll only smell people who are sweaty and worst,,,moist!

The examples you are giving are very well looking (and I see that you are a very knowledgeable person as well), however, (please don't take offence)can't you recognize the fact that almost all of them are either in Osaka, Japan, or the streets of Tokyo(Shibuya, Roppongi, etc.)have a stricter public policy against crimes, and have a much cooler, temperate weather than here.

Let's face it...if it could be done...it should have been done!

IMAO.:ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno:

Yeah, I agree with you to a point. But robbers and kleptomaniacs are everywhere. If you want I can provide you some examples of shopping streets in China too, haha. I think if CHINA can pull off these shopping streets, then we can!

Oh, and LED signs are fine too. You'll notice that once the lighted street signs take over, we'll no longer have a need for lamp posts either. Anything to give Manila less of a dreary cement look and will give it more of an exciting, thriving feeling with a fun and welcoming face to show at night is fine by me. We have to start somewhere. I think the screen on Southgate mall was a great start. Screens look so much better than posters and paint.

The chances of a klepto stealing from a mall are the same as if they stole in a shopping street. Also, if you're walking down a crowded shopping street with many people flooding down them, how many opportune moments do you think a person will have to rob another person out in the open? Chances are, any theft will be minor, and this happens everywhere - even in malls. Plus, one thing I noticed a lot even while I was walking down Fields Ave. (not for what you think haha) and Korean town/Angeles City, and the kinda shopping streets/markets I walked down (and all Malls for that matter) was every door was opened for me by a security guard watching over the store! There is also a lot of gated security entry going on too. I think this same idea can be applied to shopping streets if the security needs to be that tight (one security guard per establishment). From my understanding though, the tourist spots of Manila are pretty safe to walk down. If needed, the government can even tighten the laws in the outdoor shopping districts. Stealing in the shopping street districts of Manila is punishable by death! Well, the laws don't have to be THAT fierce, but they can be adjusted to a point where nobody would ever want to steal. Check out the thread I posted earlier, I think I might've talked more about this in the Pedestrian Shopping Districts Thread. I think there are unimaginable opportunities waiting to be opened up if we can manage to pull this off.

Let's face it ... if it can be done, we should put our minds together and work out the kinks in order to push Manila into the modern shopping era!

Kintoy

August 17th, 2009, 07:57 AM

That's because the Philippines isn't acquainted with the real Neon lifestyle yet. It's primarily acquainted with sub par Neon lifestyle that you find on tacky hooker-streets.
Those kinds of streets are very tacky, and I'm not a fond of that neon scene either!

However, malls are tacky and not representative of Filipino culture. What makes them even more tacky is that corporations build with cheapo material and cover it with ugly paint on the outside. It's turning a lot of shopping destinations into eyesores. That, and they're hard to modify cause they're so huge and it requires too much money. Soon the style it was built under will be past, and it'll have to be torn down and another one will replace it. It's a never ending cycle of too much wasted money. Have you ever been in Manila and thought, "Wow, we certainly need more malls!" We have more than a sufficient number of malls to keep ourselves occupied! We don't need more of what we have an abundance of when there's another sector that we're lacking in and need to work on.

American mall shopping is taking a huge hit right now, and I think it's a very valuable lesson that we should learn. That should tell you something since the Philippines does copy a lot of American styles.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/168753

I got this from the below article: "shoppers increasingly are seeking out offbeat and unique shopping options such as flea markets, antique shows, garage sales and craft fairs that offer one-of-a-kind goods."

"Meanwhile, proverbial main-street America, immortalized at the entrance to Disney theme parks, is making a comeback. More than 1,600 small and midsized towns and large cities are reviving their main-street shopping areas. "Shoppers go through something I call the `Mayberry effect' where they feel a closer connection to the merchants of a smaller, more quaint atmosphere as opposed to the congestion of malls,"

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_18_18/ai_86868918/

In the States there's even a website called deadmalls.com. I encourage you go there and see what I'm saying.

Since malls are really controlled by a central group, if the economy fails, malls will go belly up, and all of the shops suffer as a whole. That's what's happening in America! Mall building is very scarce - almost nonexistent - now. Shopping streets with individual stores, however, can whether the economy. They all belong on a street together, but they're unique and they're managed by separate entities/separate private merchants. If the economy fails, the whole street doesn't have to crumble with it, unlike in a mall where its all or nothing.

There's nothing tacky about a modern shopping street. It displays the true soul of the city. I don't know if you've ever been to Fields Ave. in Angeles City, but in spite of the tourists walking there to get a ... partner ... it gets really crowded at night! There are city people and tourists alike there walking down the streets getting food, walking to enjoy the city, getting groceries, walking to the adjacent streets to go to Karaoke bars etc. Yes, the neon there might be tacky because of the hostess culture there, but people still go there for other purposes.

http://img7.travelblog.org/Photos/89238/406209/t/3903331-Night-Shopping-at-Dongdaemin-0.jpg

Those lights are neon/neon-esque. They don't look the least bit tacky. We have enough malls now. For people who are truly die hard mall fans, we have PLENTY of malls for them to enjoy. We're far from being deprived of malls! We don't NEED more. There's now the street scene which we need to tackle. We do need a way for not only Manila-ites to enjoy their city that they walk around in (and to make it more convenient to buy goods/not having to travel a long ways to get to a mall), but we need a way to get a cash flow of tourists walking throughout the city and spending money on unique Filipino shopping. Let's try and make our streets and city nicer with this kind of style.

neon is so 80s.

joshualegaspi32

August 17th, 2009, 08:17 AM

am so excited on this project! kelan ang full completion/realization ng entire redevelopment of glorietta? end of 2010? 2011?

epik ll ian

August 17th, 2009, 04:15 PM

neon is so 80s.

If you want to use LED, fine. But haven't you noticed that's the shopping trend now? South Korea, Japan, HK, Taiwan, Mainland China, Macau, they all use neon and LED lights! Even some places like in Europe (Amsterdam) and Brazil (Rio, Sao Paolo) are following this trend too. Malls are dead. South Korea's shopping streets are pretty new in fact. They were barely developed in the 80's, they reached their height in this decade. Most of their street is neon/LED and it isn't the least bit tacky. That's why all of these countries have so many tourists walking down their street. They love walking down and seeing the fun things to do IN the city. It makes the city more modern appealing. You don't have to have a taxi drive you around until you find a mall somewhere. As soon as you enter the city, you know where to go. And there are so many more shops that can be opened on a street that can't open in a mall.

Do you really prefer our archaic trend of painting on the side of buildings? If you ask me, our signage is WAY WAY tackier. It's not even 80's. At least in the 80's countries were coming up with lighted signs. If you're one of the lucky local Pinoy store owners who's store name isn't written on a tin dangling from the ceiling or in paint on a baby-prostitute-powder-blue colored blue building, it's somewhere hanging up on a sign lit with something dim and unappealing like fluorescent lights. No wonder why they get little business. We need to invest in better places for these people to work so local business owners can have faith in their business, and they'll grow. All of our shopping is dominated by chains and we're starting to see less and less originality in our shopping. That's what the mall culture is doing to us. Manila needs to pop out! There's the bright vein of Manila which needs to build momentum and business with local vendors attracting shoppers with their individuality and a willingness to bargain for a better price. We can't leave the true heart of the city barren and draw the tourists and shoppers to the outskirts of the city. Manila needs to grow out of the cement era and it needs to light up and enter the age of technology.

Kintoy

August 17th, 2009, 04:19 PM

If you want to use LED, fine. But haven't you noticed that's the shopping trend now? South Korea, Japan, China, they all use neon lights. South Korea's shopping streets are pretty new in fact. Neon isn't tacky. It makes the city more modern appealing. Do you really prefer paint on the side of buildings? If you ask me, our signage is WAY tackier. If you're one of the lucky store owners who's name isn't written in paint on a blue building its on a sign lit with fluorescent lights. Manila needs to pop out more. It needs to look technologically advanced and not some cement with palm trees jungle.

by the sound of it I dont think you're even the target demographic of the upscale Ayala malls - these kind of malls dont need trashy neon lights to have an ambiance. Manuela or Starmall maybe, kailangan ng neon lights, but not Ayala malls

:nuts:

TeslaCoil

August 17th, 2009, 04:21 PM

^^ LOL! Neon daw kasi is sosyal kasi gamit ng mga malls sa China at South Korea :lol:

Neon... parang agogo bar lang sa Olonggapo :lol:

cebu2manila

August 17th, 2009, 04:30 PM

^^ LOL! Neon daw kasi is sosyal kasi gamit ng mga malls sa China at South Korea :lol:

Neon... parang agogo bar lang sa Olonggapo :lol:

exactly my point agogo dancers on the streets of makati.
be original epik ka dyan. and if you ever copy something pls dont follow it in china or korea. pls have some class and follow instead like MAKATI in ayala. LOL....:banana::bash::banana:

Kintoy

August 17th, 2009, 05:47 PM

^^ LOL! Neon daw kasi is sosyal kasi gamit ng mga malls sa China at South Korea :lol:

Neon... parang agogo bar lang sa Olonggapo :lol:

madami yan sa Quezon Ave hehe.. Classmates, Stardust, Mystique...

taipan101

August 17th, 2009, 06:25 PM

Neon lights very 80's. It would look like a typical SM malls in which the target market is medium and not high-end. I prefer the mood lighting of Ayala Malls. The Lights are in its right place and gives focal point to interesting features of the mall. Have you noticed the lighting and mood of Armani Stores its dark and subdued lighting. Very classy.

panaliganmo

August 17th, 2009, 06:39 PM

Kintoy

August 17th, 2009, 07:51 PM

TeslaCoil

August 17th, 2009, 07:55 PM

^^ Why follow China, Japan or Korea if the definition of world class shopping experience are Paris, Milan and London? Walang neon sa mga ganyan.

Kintoy

August 17th, 2009, 08:35 PM

^^ Why follow China, Japan or Korea if the definition of world class shopping experience are Paris, Milan and London? Walang neon sa mga ganyan.

korek! :lol:

Go Global

August 17th, 2009, 09:42 PM

^^ Why follow China, Japan or Korea if the definition of world class shopping experience are Paris, Milan and London? Walang neon sa mga ganyan.

ditto

epik ll ian

August 18th, 2009, 04:39 AM

korek! :lol:

Hindi Korek. I don't know if you've been up with modern world class shopping, but world class destinations right now are in Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong as lwell as the ones you've mentioned. EXCEPT, our Asian neighbors are developing new fashionable and modern styles much quicker than what Europes dishing out. Milan and Paris are losing out on sales and tourists if you haven't noticed. People go these countries not for shopping, they go there to see history. If you've seen tourists come back from these countries, you'd hear them talking about how the clothes look decent, but they're too expensive for anyone to touch and they're not worth the money. You're not comparing Asia and Europe correctly. When people go to Europe, they don't talk about how much fun they had. They talk about how pretty and scenic and historical it was. Asia is the opposite. They love the liveliness they get from our fun (Asian) culture. And they love seeing how modern cities like Tokyo light up at night. They love seeing all the cool new crazy trends we come up with. And we're really setting the bar now. Ever heard of Harajuku? Yes, it's a crazy style, but it's gaining international followers nonetheless. What's the last world class trend you've seen come out of Europe? Exactly. Yes, Europe started the fashion trend, but they're losing out now. They're not the only fashionistas in the world, and they're style is hardly evolving if at all. People go to Europe now to eat in a cafe and see things like the Big Ben, Coliseum, Parthenon, Champs Elysees, etc. If you ask the average Joe where they'd rather shop, most people would say Asia. They love the same world class style you can get for an even better price. In more cases, it's even more modern because Europe tends to stay back in style and charge more for it. Chances are, whatever article of clothing you can find in Europe, give it to an Asian and we can make it better and sell it for a better price. You wouldn't believe how many people go to Hong Kong to get their own personally tailored suit. They say it's better than what they can find in Europe, and it doesn't cost their annual paycheck.

Yes, there's world class in Paris, but our neighbors can deliver the same amount of quality for an even cheaper price. Just because it's cheaper doesn't make it worse. A lot of Americans are turning to shopping in Hong Kong instead of going to Paris and Europe because they're getting so amazingly ripped off in Europe.

I feel like some of you are stuck in back in the 70's when these countries weren't as world class. It's hard for you to change your mind, but you'll have to accept it now. I just read this in a fashion magazine ... "a new crop of high design, high concept boutiques is now opening up, bringing global respect to the city (Seoul) as an emerging fashion capital." If you don't regard Tokyo as a fashion capital, which it is commonly ranked as (among Paris, NYC etc.) you are truly lost in your words.

I've been to Seoul. Have you seen how Koreans dress in music videos and dramas? That's exactly how they dress in real life. Sometimes I feel under-dressed going there because Seoulites are becoming such fashionistas and they're developing such a world class style. You wouldn't believe the amazing articles of clothing you can find in an average Seoul street. People with IDEAS tailor these clothes and accessories. They don't come from a machine at a sweatshop factory somewhere. That's what gives them such an original, unique feel! It's something we're missing out on. It's literally the same quality, if not better than what you can find in Europe. Asians are so picky and meticulous about their clothes too. We don't put up with crap. The crap you see that comes out of our countries are outsourced sweatshops where nobody has any pride in what they made - because they really didn't. My Korean friends blow away so much of their money to fashion. You'll have to go there for yourself if you don't believe me. It's amazing.

You guys must get out of this mindset. "Seoul and Tokyo are not as good ..." You'll have to realize how very wrong this is. They're pretty much equivalent to anything Europe and the United States can dish out.

The Philippines is really missing out on shopping streets. We're selling ourselves too quickly to national retail who don't give the same kind of care a tailor would give to his clothes. We're losing our Filipino originality. People who claim they have fun shopping in the Philippines say so because they're pretty much getting the same things they get in their home country (even the same brand) except for a cheaper price. You realize when you go to a Manila mall, it doesn't look that much different from the U.S.? We're literally selling our originality to malls! It's such a huge shame! Private vendors don't even sell in malls. They can't sell there. So, where are you going to put them? Since you have no confidence in shopping streets, you're putting them nowhere a tourist or Manila-ite would go. Will Manila ever have it's own style? Not if you keep investing your faith into another mall. We HAVE ENOUGH. You're starting to see less and less variety in our malls. If you keep up with the mall building, you'll never see a Manila style. You'll see an American style. We'll never be our own individual country with a unique style. We'll forever be the squat that other countries put in our malls. We need to have vendors experimenting their low cost designs on the streets and other vendors selling out to other vendors so we can eventually end up with the best and have our own style.

Plus, there are so many things private vendors can invest in on a shopping street ELECTRIFIED with levels of neon lights and pulsating with locals ... kinds of shops like Karaoke bars, little fun Pachinko-style gambling stores, modern (East Asian style) vending machines, jewelry stores, snack bars, individual style specialty restaurants, banks to take out money, 7-11 type stores, food carts, hair dressing shops, noodle shops, a few bars, vendor retail, movie bars, electronic stores, toy stores, book stores, local food joints, cinemas, arcades, pharmacies, clubs, pubs, unique restaurants and local vendors etc. These are where locals turn to, and this is where tourists love to see what it's like living like a Filipino.

Tackiness? Do you know how many of my friends come home after going on a trip from Tokyo and Seoul saying, "Wow! I've never had so much fun before! You wouldn't believe the life that's surging from these cities. At night, the streets are filled with people, and you wouldn't believe all of the fun stores I went to. The streets were just pulsating with lights, and Seoul and Tokyo are the most technology crazy countries I've ever been too!" Don't you want this for yourself?! You're not going to see Manila becoming the same if you keep boxing it up into unoriginal malls. They're not even fun to look at. It's even more depressing because we continue to follow mall building - a dying trend (and it's proven). I read so many articles in the newspaper about how Americans don't like to shop in malls as much as they like to go on the street and see the originality of each city. We need to liven up the streets that we have. Do you have a problem with making our streets look nice? Do you want to leave them dark/painted and depressed/low quality looking? We're building so many new buildings in Manila, and we need nice streets to match them. It will look weird to have nice buildings and dark streets. People who come out of them need to be able to walk around. Do you like coming out of a building and have no other choice but to immediately find a taxi because there's nothing to do when you walk outside?

The streets can line the city and lead up to the malls. We have MORE than enough malls to live on. Malls can be the final destination, but you don't realize how much we're missing out right now. We're really losing out on most of the fun too. Our cities don't have the same kind of vibrant pulsating feel that our neighbors have. Don't let it be too late before you regret that we boxed up Manila into a giant dark national retail building. You have to go to Seoul and Tokyo to see what this "tackiness" you're referring to is. It's not tacky at all. If it was tacky, they would change. But, they somehow pull of more tourists than we do (and tourism is the biggest feeder of our economy next to the money that OFW's send home), so they're obviously doing something right.

epik ll ian

August 18th, 2009, 04:57 AM

hi guys,

i have been following this thread, i think that ayalaland has laudable plans for the development of ayala center, but we should be open to the concept of a pedestrian-friendly shopping street district concept that epik II ian has introduced here.

if you have been to places such as the insadong shopping street in seoul, ginza, shibuya and akihabara in tokyo, the funky street markets in hongkong (ladies' market, temple street night market, and stanley market), or even bugis street in singapore, you would really have to agree with epik that manila residents are indeed sorely missing out on a great shopping experience and a fantastic visual treat.

i do hope that ayalaland would include this concept in their plans for the redevelopment of the ayala center. The Legazpi village area bordered by Pasay Road, Amorsolo and Salcedo streets, and Paseo de Roxas can be a candidate for this kind of development IMHO.

Thank you, I agree with you!

For everyone who disagrees, google "Seoul" or "Tokyo" or "Hong Kong" + "street" + "night." Then google "Manila street night." You don't even have to include the word night. Tell me which you'd rather have. Tell me which is more original. Tell me which accommodates tourists better, and which is more accessible. Even just google Manila shopping vs. The other cities shopping.

When you see Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern and all of the travel guide TV show hosts travel to Manila, you never see them shop here. That's what really made me sad. All they do is eat, and take a jeepney to another place to eat, because there's no place to walk. You also never seem them out at night in Manila. What's there to do? Go to a mall? We have those in America, and they're not much different at all in Manila (Isn't it weird that our mall building is following a dead trend?). Going to a mall is nothing different or exotic or fun. When you see the travel guides go to Seoul and Tokyo and Hong Kong, however, all they do is gloat about the shopping and how lively it is. I really want to have the same bragging rights our neighbors have, and I'm sure you do too.

Ok, so what's there to do at night? Who would walk outside in our dark city?? Isn't it sad that's it's hard to find a place to walk around and unwind at night. We're the complete opposite of what you'd expect. Malls are open until the day is over, so people can shop there during the day if they want. But since it gets cooler at night, since the sun's down, the malls are closed, and people want to relax and de-stress after working or shnopping in the malls, you'd THINK our streets would have a great night scene. But we don't! Where can you walk very late at night into the early hours? That's also probably why it's taking us so long to have a nice subway system (aside from the fact that we have a corrupt government) there are no nice streets for the subways to drop us off at! Even Bangkok has a really nice subway ...

P.S. you can walk INSIDE the dry air conditioned stores on the street. You don't have to stay outside the whole time ...
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45319000/jpg/_45319914_manila_afp.jpg

Do you guys see this? Give them space to move out. Give them a fun place to go at night after work when it cools down. You can tell we like this style.

Now the rest of you, go read the last post I made on 17 before you quote anything I say here. I'm trying to figure out how many more ways I can make this blatantly obvious to you guys that this is what our capital needs. We have enough malls. These new mall funds need to be directed to giving us nice, fun, electrified, modern and inviting streets. Match our new buildings with complimenting streets.

Jarvijarv

August 18th, 2009, 07:35 AM

by the sound of it I dont think you're even the target demographic of the upscale Ayala malls - these kind of malls dont need trashy neon lights to have an ambiance. Manuela or Starmall maybe, kailangan ng neon lights, but not Ayala malls

:nuts:

^^
Agree!!
epik ll ian visions are admirable, but they target the wrong areas. This proposal would be more suitable for places like Binondo(Chinatown) or the Ermita/Malate area.
Ayala is renowned for their cutting innovations in mall concepts, always taking it to the next level. I don't think the mall concept will ever die in the Philippines like it is here in the U.S. But will continue to evolve integrating new designs of the indoor/outdoor 'lifestyle' center and incorporating fitness centers, spas, gardens, fountains, cafes, walkways, recreation and the like.
Greenbelt, Trinoma, and Alabang Town Center are beautiful examples of this as well as SM's sky garden and Megaworld's Eastwood City/Mall.
This imo, is what sets the Philippines apart from other 'world' class shopping destinations. They take the 'mall' and made it their own...and is why alot of us are anxious to see what changes/innovations/reinventions the Ayala Center redevelopment has in store!!! :nocrook:

cebu2manila

August 18th, 2009, 07:57 AM

Thank you, I agree with you!

For everyone who disagrees, google "Seoul" or "Tokyo" or "Hong Kong" + "street" + "night." Then google "Manila street night." You don't even have to include the word night. Tell me which you'd rather have. Tell me which is more original. Tell me which accommodates tourists better, and which is more accessible. Even just google Manila shopping vs. The other cities shopping.

When you see Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern and all of the travel guide TV show hosts travel to Manila, you never see them shop here. That's what really made me sad. All they do is eat, and take a jeepney to another place to eat, because there's no place to walk. You also never seem them out at night in Manila. What's there to do? Go to a mall? We have those in America, and they're not much different at all in Manila (Isn't it weird that our mall building is following a dead trend?). Going to a mall is nothing different or exotic or fun. When you see the travel guides go to Seoul and Tokyo and Hong Kong, however, all they do is gloat about the shopping and how lively it is. I really want to have the same bragging rights our neighbors have, and I'm sure you do too.

Ok, so what's there to do at night? Who would walk outside in our dark city?? Isn't it sad that's it's hard to find a place to walk around and unwind at night. We're the complete opposite of what you'd expect. Malls are open until the day is over, so people can shop there during the day if they want. But since it gets cooler at night, since the sun's down, the malls are closed, and people want to relax and de-stress after working or shnopping in the malls, you'd THINK our streets would have a great night scene. But we don't! Where can you walk very late at night into the early hours? That's also probably why it's taking us so long to have a nice subway system (aside from the fact that we have a corrupt government) there are no nice streets for the subways to drop us off at! Even Bangkok has a really nice subway ...

P.S. you can walk INSIDE the dry air conditioned stores on the street. You don't have to stay outside the whole time ...
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45319000/jpg/_45319914_manila_afp.jpg

Do you guys see this? Give them space to move out. Give them a fun place to go at night after work when it cools down. You can tell we like this style.

Now the rest of you, go read the last post I made on 17 before you quote anything I say here. I'm trying to figure out how many more ways I can make this blatantly obvious to you guys that this is what our capital needs. We have enough malls. These new mall funds need to be directed to giving us nice, fun, electrified, modern and inviting streets. Match our new buildings with complimenting streets.

looking at the picture above in my opininion its not a high end mall but its a bloody market. ayala =market:ohno:

divisoria like

pi_malejana

August 18th, 2009, 08:17 AM

been reading the good flow of opinions here... while i don't think street shopping will become the next big thing in RP, i'm hoping that we could have at least some places that could rival that of NYC 5th avenue, Champs Elysées, etc...
i'm sure many of us would like to try this kind of experience, para di lang sa mall palagi ang puntahan...
magandang place ang makati kasi maraming workers...

epik was right when he said that malls are only open during the daytime, when night falls, wala na masyadong puntahan... kanya-kanyang taxi na kung saan gustong bar/resto pumunta, which is sad kasi they only target certain groups... hindi naman lahat gustong marinig ang mga jokes ni chokoleit at ni vice ganda sa comedy bar, may gusto rin mag unwine lang habang naglalakad...

:cheers:

Kintoy

August 18th, 2009, 10:18 AM

leechtat

August 18th, 2009, 10:55 AM

^^ haha... :lol:

OT:

if ace durano can hire very good publicists and marketing people to campaign for the vast nightlife and tourists spots around the metro, then we wouldn't have an issue with tourism.. the only thing left is working infrastructure and vast selections of backpacker's inn and hostels.... i.e. Mall of Asia is a charming place that is uniquely Philippines, more so once the sm bay area fill up... why do we not see more tourists here manong ace?

if we do this, we could even rival Bangkok. Can i just say that nightlife there is practically dead after 2am! same goes even to singapore..

I wouldn't even want to go shopping outdoor... mainit and maputik pag-umulan. though at night, its a different story. BHS (boni high st) and the upcoming eton centris outdoor mall is promising but it is dead in the afternoon...

If we would even consider a major tourist spot for outdoor shopping like jatujak... i say redevelop binondo and the divisoria areas for this... clean the place up and board all the neon lights of fancy... night markets as in greenhills and open air shopping areas like tiendesitas is a better approach for outdoor shopping experience imho..

imho, ayala center and major cbd's would profit more on an indoor shopping mall, taking into account that the spending working masses would like to cash out inside a place where their corporate attire will not be ruined by perspiration over lunch...

Kintoy

August 18th, 2009, 11:26 AM

Eaton Square

August 18th, 2009, 11:40 AM

an outdoor mall or an outdoor shopping is not a bad idea, but it wouldn't be profitable for investors like the ayalas, megaworld, or any developer for that matter. in other words, they will not put their money into such a project. siguradong ubos ang pera nila dyan.

why? madali lang po ang sagot dyan.

ang pilipinas nating mahal ay isang tropical country, kung hindi tag-init, tag-bagyo, so hindi lang basta ulan yan. bagyo na naga-average ng 24 typhoons a year.

sa tag-init ang tao gusto nyan nasa air-conditioned na lugar para magpalamig.

kung tag-bagyo o, sige, tag-ulan, mas gusto ng pinoy na nasa loob ng bahay o di kaya nasa loob ng sinehan.

in both cases, lalangawin ang outdoor mall/outdoor shopping dyan sa 'pinas. malulugi ang investor/developer, unless na meron silang itatapon na pera sa isang project na alam nilang malulugi katulad ng outdoor mall. iyong bang tipong papanuorin lang nila ang outdoor shopping nila at hindi titingnan ang cash register.

puede yan na weekend tyange, katulad ng nababasa ko dito dyan sa legaspi village at salcedo village. actually, parang open wet/dry market yata yang mga iyan. so walang structure, basta nasa isang park lang, at pagkatapos ng maghapon, pack up na.

sa europe, walang problema ang open mall, o sabihin na nating day and night open market dahil super ganda ang weather nila, plus wala silang masyadong air pollution. eh sa pilipinas nating mahal, sino ba naman ang gustong pagpawisan ng malapot at mangitim ang kwelyo ng polo shirt, kung puede ka namang magshopping sa loob ng mall kesa sa labas?

case in point: kita ninyo naman iyong article ngayon sa manila standard sa column ni ms. veneracion tungkol sa antipolo business. patay ang negosyo sa araw, seasonal kung baga, iyong mga nakahelerang pubs sa sumulong highway, plus iyong maliliit na negosyo around the cathedral. dahil nga walang market sa ganyang negosyo sa atin, o kung meron man, seasonal nga dahil ang tao mas gustong nasa loob ng sinehan o mall na air-conditioned para maginhawahan sila sa panonood o shopping nila.

pero ang pinakamatinding kalaban ng ganyang negosyo ay ang security, peace and order, and cleanliness. sino ba namang shopper ang maglalakas loob na magdala ng pera sa open mall kung alam niyang naglipana ang mga mandurukot at snatchers, plus iyong mga namamalimos. at sino ring shopper ang gustong makaapak ng dura, uhog at upos ng sigarilyo. kulang na kulang po tayo sa disiplina, kaya hindi uubra ang outdoor market sa atin.

maganda lang pakingan na meron tayong open shopping mall, pero mahirap mangyari. ang daming negative factors para seryosohin iyan ng mga developers at investors. kung hindi eh di nag-unahan na dyan ang mga Sy, Ayala, Andrew Tan, Lucio Tan, Gokongwei, etc etc. plus, hindi iyan kakagatin ng consumers. wala sa kulturang pinoy ang outdoor shopping. hanggang palengke lang iyan kung gustong bumili ng patingi-tinging bilihin.

Kintoy

August 18th, 2009, 11:48 AM

kasi daw meron sa Korea at China, so dapat meron din tayo. Apparently hindi world-class ang mga malls dito kasi hindi ka maaarawan at hindi ka pwedeng magshopping ng alas-tres ng umaga. at tska walang neon signs pala (pero meron nun ang Ever Gotesco at Starmall ah).

:ohno:

TeslaCoil

August 18th, 2009, 04:34 PM

rmn

August 18th, 2009, 04:54 PM

I remember former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza's proposal, as part of the urban redevelopment of the Quiapo-Recto area, of turning the district into a night shopping, street oriented place. Of course it never materialized.

epik ll ian

August 18th, 2009, 06:08 PM

^^ We can be world class without looking cheap and tacky with all those neon lights that some guys here are proposing. Can you imagine Greenbelt which houses Marc Jacobs, Prada, Chanel, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, etc surrounded by flashy neon lights? May be in other places but not THE AYALA malls.

How to say this ...

http://www.pof.usace.army.mil/sub6_korean_culture/image/Seoul_Myeondong_night.jpg

Fubu isn't a high brand store, but look at this picture. What among here stands out as high end brands? Exactly. My point is these streets need to give the local vendors a chance to start their own companies. People need confidence in themselves. Look at all of the stores you guys mention. Which of that is our own? These streets need to be dedicated to people who want to open their own businesses. Malls open retail and chain businesses. We have to figure out how to light up these places somehow too. Neon = the latest and most fun solution.

Of course you can imagine what it's like to shop at night because we don't have it. Wait until we do, you'll see how much fun it is.

leechtat

August 18th, 2009, 06:44 PM

^^ we have night markets in baclaran and divisoria... try to go to there at night... but i must agree that these aforementioned places must be more clean and secure for the shopping public... yet i do not agree that shopping there is a better alternative than shopping inside a mall... but both kinds of retail/commercial establishments must be promoted to grow and evolve...

in addition to @eaton square's point, GLA of malls is of course higher than the outdoor/al fresco/street shopping establishment's GLA. so more rental income for developers/mall operators..

Kintoy

August 18th, 2009, 07:03 PM

How to say this ...

http://www.pof.usace.army.mil/sub6_korean_culture/image/Seoul_Myeondong_night.jpg

Fubu isn't a high brand store, but look at this picture. What among here stands out as high end brands? Exactly. My point is these streets need to give the local vendors a chance to start their own companies. People need confidence in themselves. Look at all of the stores you guys mention. Which of that is our own? These streets need to be dedicated to people who want to open their own businesses. Malls open retail and chain businesses. We have to figure out how to light up these places somehow too. Neon = the latest and most fun solution.

Of course you can imagine what it's like to shop at night because we don't have it. Wait until we do, you'll see how much fun it is.

that doesnt look world class.

rmn

August 18th, 2009, 07:24 PM

The bottom line here is ECONOMICS and PROFITS: If developers can squeeze out more revenue from the amount they poured into building their malls; if developers can lease-out all the spaces possible; If they can earn money from parking fees...

Having said that, it is the public who will decide in the end if a street-type shopping district will work. So my question is: How is Boni High-Street doing? How is Paseo de Sta. Rosa doing?

TeslaCoil

August 18th, 2009, 07:41 PM

that doesnt look world class.

Agree! It doesn't look world class. It looks cheap nga. Parang Malate Area lang.

We need malls kasi nga maiinit sa Pinas kahit pang sabihin mong gabi. Plus the pollution.

Kintoy

August 18th, 2009, 07:45 PM

Agree! It doesn't look world class. It looks cheap nga. Parang Malate Area lang.

We need malls kasi nga maiinit sa Pinas kahit pang sabihin mong gabi. Plus the pollution.

mas marami pa ngang neon lights ang Q Ave kesa nun :lol:

cebu2manila

August 18th, 2009, 08:48 PM

epik ll ian

August 19th, 2009, 12:04 AM

that doesnt look world class.

We have a longggg ways to go before we can reach world class. Before we reach world class we need to have our own brands. Who's going to go to Manila if all we have is other people's not-as good brands. We've already sold out a lot of our music to the English language, we're selling out our store brands/shopping experiences to American shopping, what else do you want our country to sell out to? Is there anything out there to sacrifice? Do you want to be 2nd rate copycat wash outs? You want to be world class with other people's brands? That's not only cheating, that's lame that we can't even be world class without our own style. Where do you think our originality is going to start? In an expensive rent mall? Do you think start up business owners are going to want to pay high mall rent and compete with international brands? They didn't even have a chance to compete and experiment on the streets and make their own stuff yet. How can you contribute your own uniqueness to "world class" if you don't even have it yourself? Usually the people who succeed on the streets are given the chance to work in the mall. Then we get retailers developing our own style. Then we develop world class. It doesn't start in a mall.

Complain all you want about South Korea and Japan not having world class style. But this argument is over now. I'd like to call these accusations people make of our neighbors South Korea Japan and the Hong Kong territory - denial - especially when they can pull of more tourists than we do. You won't win this argument.

"Hong Kong is one of Asia's top fashion cities and rightfully deserves to be mentioned with Tokyo. ESPRIT, Giordano, Baleno, Shanghai Tang, Tommy Hilfiger and Crocodile are headquartered in Hong Kong."

"Top global fashion brand, Louis Vuitton, selected Hong Kong as one of the four cities worldwide to host its 150th anniversary celebration recently.

Hong Kong joined Paris, New York and Tokyo as host cities in a glittering event held in a 70-metre-long - about the size of three tennis courts - Louis Vuitton trunk marquee built on the Tamar site overlooking the famous Victoria Harbour."

Accept the fact that times have changed.

The thing about the Philippines is we need to help the middle class grow. Pretty much we're stuck with the very rich and the very poor. And even the middle class is not well off. Where do you expect the not as fortunate people to shop? How do you think Manila will get trendy? Not everyone can afford shopping in world class shops. We need street stores within the city that are accessible to these people. These market vendors offer new amazing styles for only a fraction of the price. Pretty soon, Manila will grow into a fashion mecca. We're not going to grow based off what other people give us. It's too expensive for everyone. And we'll always be a country that never made the big time itself, and people will not want to come here since we're no longer the Philippines. We're just national retail express.

More people like to go to shopping streets places because of how fun they are. They help the economy boom and they create more tourists and more shoppers because it's pretty much an all in one stop. You can gawk at how amazing the city is, and you can fit in a little shopping too. Cities with this kind of feature (being able to walk through it) are always appraised with world class style and fun shopping experiences in a modern venue. Europe is often labeled as historical and boring. That's the path you're heading down with your "tacky" accusations. Asians (which we are) love the liveliness of the cities. It's everywhere. Wait until you can have this experience for yourself. It's already bad enough you don't want our streets to be welcoming. The streets can't even compliment the new buildings being built because they're dark and unwelcoming. Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul have all undeniably joined the ranks of world class style and they have contributed their unique style and fun shopping experience to the world. What does Manila have to offer to the plate? A regurgitated version of the American shopping experience dotted with stores inside of malls? The mall is just not a venue conducive to breeding our own style. We need streets to house these vendors and give them an opportunity to experiment with new designs. Not only that, there's so much you can do on the street that you can't in a mall. And malls all close at the same time and really early too. We have to match the mall experience with the street experience. Right now, our shopping is way lopsided. Look at Bonifacio High Street, it's a nice place. It's also kind of out of the way and boring. What looks like a nice hole-in-the-wall place there? Exactly. What seems like a good place to get the Filipino experience? Divisoria you say? What's so attractive about it? Does it look THAT welcoming to people? I think we should give it a face lift and make it more modern and appealing. We should also let people open up many other kinds of shops like Karaoke bars, gamlbing pubs, Convenience Stores, snack bars, pharmacies etc. Do our streets look friendly and fun for that matter? What exactly makes us a fun society ... only shopping in malls with none of our style that close before midnight? If you haven't ever heard the word, "nightlife" It's about time you do. That's one of the most important aspects of a city. When everyone's done working, how much fun do these people like to have? Where is our nightlife if people are forced to sleep since there's nowhere to walk but dark rape alleys.

Notice the remarks made about Bonifacio High Street and Manila in General (I found these outside of the thread as well),

"That's a very American-style suburban mall."
"Unfortunately Manila is very American. You can't walk around even in most places. Cars rule."
"I know it has that massive American influence, but still strikes me as odd for a city in South East Asia - making Manila a world unto itself I suppose."
"I'm still looking for a night scene in Manila that is family friendly."
"Manila is a bit of a sh*t hole. I would strongly suggest you travel to one of the many small towns. Stay away from Makati area, its basically a red light district for old foreigners at night. I figured it would be nice since thats where the expensive hotels are...but no night life aside from that."

These words are sharp, and I don't like people saying these things about our city. That's why I'm so adamant about turning our city into a friendly place.

Don't you want to compete? Don't you want our own style? Make our streets nice! Do you want to be regarded as 2nd to Americans because we'll forever copy their style but never be them? Or do you want to be regarded as the Philippines, a unique place with its own style - a place where people come to revere the fun city, its kind people, its amazing culture and its style.

If we end up with a weird style, at least it's our weird style, and we can be proud of it because it's our own. Our style won't be created in a mall. We need streets to market and support the bubbling visionaries of Filipino style. I'll support having a weird style much quicker than I'll ever support having a style that's not ours. Let's become the Philippines.

epik ll ian

August 19th, 2009, 12:12 AM

shopping at night time , its not a fun thing to do when i'm in pinas. and besides theres gonna be a lot of people doing different kind of shopping. i just dont want to be a victim when those individual will do their own shopping around the streets of makati..LOL:ohno::ohno::ohno:

OF COURSE IT'S NOT FUN! That's why I'm here talking and defending the revival of streets!! Nobody bothers to make our depressing streets look nice, and it's a huge shame! There's nowhere nice to walk. Nobody wants to even bother to help invest in the local businessmen so we can have our style. If you can make the streets safe with the ways I mentioned before, and line it with lights, you won't have to have the security issue. And I'm not quite sure what this "victim" thing is that you're mentioning either.

^^
Agree!!
epik ll ian visions are admirable, but they target the wrong areas. This proposal would be more suitable for places like Binondo(Chinatown) or the Ermita/Malate area.
Ayala is renowned for their cutting innovations in mall concepts, always taking it to the next level. I don't think the mall concept will ever die in the Philippines like it is here in the U.S. But will continue to evolve integrating new designs of the indoor/outdoor 'lifestyle' center and incorporating fitness centers, spas, gardens, fountains, cafes, walkways, recreation and the like.
Greenbelt, Trinoma, and Alabang Town Center are beautiful examples of this as well as SM's sky garden and Megaworld's Eastwood City/Mall.
This imo, is what sets the Philippines apart from other 'world' class shopping destinations. They take the 'mall' and made it their own...and is why alot of us are anxious to see what changes/innovations/reinventions the Ayala Center redevelopment has in store!!! :nocrook:

That's my target. I came here not only to voice the opinions of world shoppers, but to help sway the avid mall fans. Reviving beautifying and modernizing our already existent dark and ancient shopping streets, build a few more by beautifying some more streets, and connecting them. This will turn all of MANILA into a friendly place for everyone to visit. Yes, it's nice seeing how our malls can evolve. But they're not the heart of the city. They're not where the Manila style gets born. I hate how I can't even enjoy myself in the heart of the capital because there's nothing to do there. Where can you walk? It's just buildings. And at night the streets get dark. The streets need to be invested in. They need to be beautiful so we can make the inside of our capital a beautiful one. I've never seen a successful city that doesn't have nice streets to walk down. That's just the truth. People who visit a city walk through it. In Manila, you have to go to the outskirts or vacant areas that can accommodate malls. They are kind of out of the way to do your shopping. And you have to annoyingly taxi your way around the city to do anything. We need the economy to grow IN and out of the city. Right now you're pushing everyone outside of the center of the capital. That's where we should have a lot of growth. But we don't! It's a shame!

I know we'll never stop building malls. I don't mind having malls. We have enough now. The thing we're falling short of here is balance. We need to give people with different kinds of dreams for starting any kind of business the opportunity. Everyone's robbed of the chance because of a mall. Malls are big national retailers that don't showcase our ingenuity, and they immediately stomp out the chance for little businesses to grow. Also, they showcase what other countries have given to us and not what we can give to other countries. Another loss to us. I think we should focus on developing the street scene before it gets to late.

P.S. How do you make the streets look more welcoming, fun and friendly without lights? Your guess is as good as mine.

Agree! It doesn't look world class. It looks cheap nga. Parang Malate Area lang.

We need malls kasi nga maiinit sa Pinas kahit pang sabihin mong gabi. Plus the pollution.

A.) At night when people like to go outside (Which they can't right now) it cools down. We already have enough malls to cover our shopping needs when its too mainit to go outside.

B.) Pollution. What a joke. Have you been to Beijing? You can't even begin to complain about pollution until you've been to Beijing/China. It's ridiculous yet they still have shopping streets. And for some reason people still go visit Beijing! They're pollution is thicker than corn syrup and it's a million times worse than anything you'd ever experience in Manila. You should be thankful you don't have to put up with the poor air quality they have to deal with. Yes, ours is not great. But it's certainly not as bad as it could be. They not only have to deal with heat in China too but they have to deal with dust storms that blow in from Mongolia. They also have to deal with the frequent flooding of their rivers. They've manage to control a lot of it. What do you have to complain about? Humidity? Heat? Occasional flooding? Everyone has to deal with that. Toughen up. We're not the only hot country out there. All of this can be worked around if you can put some smart minds together.

C.) I recommend you guys do a little traveling before you accuse other countries of being tacky. You'll soon realize what you're missing out on.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2262/3538309389_9bb2ef01d4_b.jpg

In the foreground you can see where some of the name brands are (we can replace this with our own brands and leave the name brands in the mall if you wish), and in the back you have a few international brands but mostly genuine Chinese style shopping with genuine Chinese businesses.

It's a shame we can't get the streets of our VERY OWN capital to look nice and welcoming. There's no opportunity for people to walk down our streets look up at our new buildings and go "Wow." Instead we drag them all outside where there's nothing to gawk at.

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/1114/gi9vj6.jpg

Some places in central Tokyo stay low key with international brands, but they're still fun and beautiful nonetheless. This is an example of how they display the international scene (which is not as big as their own scene).

epik ll ian

August 19th, 2009, 12:15 AM

Sorry triple post. But let me metion one solution the weather which I saw in this thread: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=883048

Here's a quote: "Don't think Champs Elysées can compete with all these high end Asian shopping streets."

That's also proven in numerous travel magazines.

"From the pictures shown in Hong Kong (and this applies to Singapore as well), although these stores have street level entrances and may be considered avenues, they are also all linked on the 'inside' with internal walkways and through air conditioned shopping malls that ensure the best or ideal choice for the customer - you can pick to walk outside or inside if you wish."

The outside is linked by the inside. You can't lose this way. There's another of MANY solutions to your outdoor shopping problem. And if the many solutions I gave to you are still not sufficient, I challenge you to think of a few on your own. It won't take long before you come up with your own solution. And before you know it, the Philippines will have its own unique and true Filipino shopping experience that won't force people out of the city to enjoy it. At least we only have 1 type of weather to deal with. It's not like Northern China, Korea and Japan where they get stuck with building streets that have to accommodate the Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring seasons plus dust storms (and many other problems). They somehow manage to find a way around and so can we.

Singapore and Kuala Lampur are even closer to the equator than we are, and their humidity and hot temperatures are the same if not worse. YET they still have amazing and successful night shopping and streets to walk in their big cities. Can you realize how invalid your humidity and heat complaints are??????

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/8961/onite65we.jpg
Singapore

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/2530776903_c881df2f37_b.jpg
KL

Explain the tackiness in this.

"Tropical Singapore's Orchard street is not a mall and yet, it is fun to stroll from one store to another. The key(?) is Singapore's trees and lots of it provide shade and keeps the temperature comfortable for outdoor walks."

Explain the tackiness in this Tokyo scene. I can't find it.
It's modern and revolutionary. A trend we need to catch up to.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3083/21033702129f438d2009b.jpg

Y2-zri0j8WY

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4e/Shinsaibashi.jpg/800px-Shinsaibashi.jpg
Sun protected shopping streets in Shinsaibashi, Tokyo.

Put your heads together and get creative! That's what we're for. We're here to be creative and expand our knowledge and try new things out. There's never a reason to say "can't." STOP finding excuses for why thing's can't be. It's not commendable, and that's why we have lack of booming progress in our own style and country. Be thinkers and not followers. If you have confidence in why something "can" work, you'll find a way to accomplish your goal. Stick out a little and try new things, and give others the opportunity to do the same. Our future is made only by our own creativity and ingenuity. We need to stop playing it safe and we need to revolutionize and take a few risks. The great outcomes will far outweigh any losses. Any kinks can be worked out. Our capital district is literally suffering because of this negative mentality. Get creative, be motivated, don't be stubborn, stop living in the past, think outside the box and use your mind.

FlashCollider

August 19th, 2009, 03:39 AM

epik ll ian

August 19th, 2009, 04:00 AM

^^
Ang weird, you suggest that we should be creative yet your suggesting to pattern our malls to the likes of singapore orchard because of neon lights. I don't see any problem with our malls and I definitely don't see any problem with their malls. I got your point about the other infrastructure project but given time it will be done. Singapore, Japan and Malaysia got more resources than we do, so magpasensya na muna.

Kakatawang isipin lagi na lang may kulang sa ginagawa natin sa pinas just so happen nagandahan ka sa ginawa nila sa ibang bansa. Its true what they say you just couldn't please everybody.

Our malls has its own character, same way those malls or shopping arcade has its own character. Comparing the two is hopeless.

Weird? I don't find progress weird. I also don't find the comparison hopeless. This all boils down to the future of our city. Criticism and a questioning spirit is the only solution to progress. Here's what's said about our city when it comes to Asian luxury cities:

"That's a very American-style suburban mall." <--- Regarding to Bonifacio High Street
"Unfortunately Manila is very American. You can't walk around even in most places. Cars rule."
"I know it has that massive American influence, but still strikes me as odd for a city in South East Asia - making Manila a world unto itself I suppose."
"It's hard to safely find any place to walk in this city without a local in tow."
"Manila is a bit of a sh*t hole. I would strongly suggest you travel to one of the many small towns. Stay away from Makati area, its basically a red light district for old foreigners at night. I figured it would be nice since thats where the expensive hotels are...but no night life aside from that."
"You can do it ONLY IF you know somebody to take you for hand because it is a dangerous place for a foreigner to hang around."

Don't even let me quote the reason's people say Manila should not be the future site of the 2024 Olympics. They're even worse. These quotes are harsh to say the least, and sadly they're not uncommon to stumble upon online. I don't like how it's so much easier to find reasons NOT to visit Metro Manila than reasons to visit Metro Manila. I know you don't either. That's why I'm so adamant about turning the capital (a common tourist destination and home to 11,553,427 people) into a friendly place. This doesn't require a huge budget. It requires a smart use of the money and resources that we do have. Eventually, our initial investment might be a little pricey, but it will bring greater results in the end. The security problem is also fixable. I mentioned solutions to this earlier.

I don't like how it's hard to enjoy our city. People always suggest leave the city and go to the outskirts. Enjoy the seaside. Or leave the city and go to this mall etc. It's hard to walk through our own city. Then they give elaborate directions on how which routes you have to take in order to stay safe. It should be the opposite, our city should be the most accommodating part of the country. As you guys bring up more problems, the list keeps on growing why shopping streets are necessary. They help the economy, they beautify our streets, and they make our city more welcoming and safe. Thanks for the help!

Sadly, I agree and realize our resources our low. But I think we can make do with what we have. South Korea built up their country very quickly from NOTHING in such a short amount of time after the war. We have a lot to build with, and you have to start from somewhere. We need to efficiently make due with what we have. One important fact is, people with less money tend to be more creative with their money and they find really interesting and revolutionary solutions to their problems. Scarcity breeds creativity. We're in such an ideal situation right now. My suggestion is not to completely stop mall building, but we should put a buffer on it. If we have enough funds to build such extravagant malls, I don't think we're looking at a situation where we can't work on our streets. I think the streets of our capital are more important than building malls outside of it. They are central to the value of our city. That's why I'm listening so many solutions to common misconceptions about why it's not possible. I think it would be good to direct some of the funds to making the city look more beautiful. Let the tourists and the citizens WALK throughout it. That's the least you can for our city. Let it be walkable for starters. Metro Manila doesn't even feel welcome to walk through. You have to get dragged out of it and taxied to malls in order to enjoy it. Hopefully the 2010 election will bring good results. I hope will end up with an administration that won't steal from the people and will work for it instead. Then, we will have lots of resources to work with. And we can beautify all of what we've created with scarce resources.

We might not be able to satisfy everyone, but we sure as hell have to try the best we can to build up our city as if it could. Tourism is one of our biggest industries.

Yes I will mention Singapore and Kuala Lumpur because they revolutionized their way of shopping outdoors to where people don't feel hot and humid. I didn't say copy them, but I gave them examples of things we could do to accommodate our city for walkers since they have the same if not worse climate situation than we do.

If you want Metro Manila - the Philippines - to be the best in Asia, if you want it to go somewhere great, and if you want it to be one of the four Asian tigers once again, you should never be satisfied. You should always develop and want more.

manila_eye

August 19th, 2009, 05:37 AM

epik ll ian

August 19th, 2009, 05:46 AM

^^ Who says we are satisfied? Of course we want bigger and better. You are suggesting that we have to be like KL, Tokyo or whatever Asian country. We can find our own niche and I think we have found it through malls that caters to different social class of society. Street shopping is not for this country because of the weather restraint. Maybe some part of the Philippines like Mindanao but not in Manila.

If you are in support of seeing your money going to another mall instead of making our streets nice, modern, and welcoming, you are indeed satisfied with what we have.

Read my past posts on the past few pages of this thread. It's becoming really bothersome having to rewrite everything for those who don't bother to go back and read. I probably started writing only around page 16 or 17 of this thread. I'm not going to sit here and give a lecture for another 20 pages for the same REPEATED question/argument each time. I already discussed solutions to weather. Weather is something we can all work around. In a matter of fact, read what I wrote at the top of this page too. That's WHY I brought up KL and Singapore. I wasn't talking about BEING KL or Singapore. I don't think this concept is hard to understand. I used them as examples of cities that are not TACKY but are even hotter and more humid than we are but have endured the climate problems you mentioned. They've proven that we have no excuse to complain about climate since they're just as hot and humid, if not worse, and yet their streets are walkable and comfortable for tourists and their citizens. Street shopping can be made possible anywhere. So can comfortable street walking. Can't is never an option. It just happens to be the easiest. I already brought up MANY solutions in this thread as well. I shouldn't be the only one either, you too should think of ways how to make Metro Manila more inviting for people to walk through. Not in Manila? Street shopping is not for Manila? If I were you, I wouldn't stand comfortably by this statement. If shopping isn't made for our streets that's because our streets aren't walkable. And if most of our streets aren't walkable, this is a shame we must put aside and it's a challenge we must creatively tackle. Cities weren't designed only for cars. The premier capital of our country should be welcoming to people. If the streets of our city are uninviting what does that tell you about Manila? "Come to our city, but please don't walk through it!" Manila should be a place people can walk through - an open and inviting place, not a place that pushes you to the outskirts.

I already mentioned the necessity of shopping streets. Malls can be integrated in the system. I'm not suggesting that we become KL and Singapore and Seoul and other cities. Understand this point before you say anything else. It's frustrating to repeat over and over again. I'm providing us with examples of our problems that are workable. Making our city modernized and welcoming is very possible. I'm suggesting that you - and everyone - read before quoting me and bringing up past discussion.

RonnieR

August 19th, 2009, 05:57 AM

"Top global fashion brand, Louis Vuitton, selected Hong Kong as one of the four cities worldwide to host its 150th anniversary celebration recently.

Hong Kong joined Paris, New York and Tokyo as host cities in a glittering event held in a 70-metre-long - about the size of three tennis courts - Louis Vuitton trunk marquee built on the Tamar site overlooking the famous Victoria Harbour."

Accept the fact that times have changed.

The thing about the Philippines is we need to help the middle class grow. Pretty much we're stuck with the very rich and the very poor. And even the middle class is not well off. Where do you expect the not as fortunate people to shop? How do you think Manila will get trendy? Not everyone can afford shopping in world class shops. We need street stores within the city that are accessible to these people. These market vendors offer new amazing styles for only a fraction of the price. Pretty soon, Manila will grow into a fashion mecca. We're not going to grow based off what other people give us. It's too expensive for everyone. And we'll always be a country that never made the big time itself, and people will not want to come here since we're no longer the Philippines. We're just national retail express.

More people like to go to shopping streets places because of how fun they are. They help the economy boom and they create more tourists and more shoppers because it's pretty much an all in one stop. You can gawk at how amazing the city is, and you can fit in a little shopping too. Cities with this kind of feature (being able to walk through it) are always appraised with world class style and fun shopping experiences in a modern venue. Europe is often labeled as historical and boring. That's the path you're heading down with your "tacky" accusations. Asians (which we are) love the liveliness of the cities. It's everywhere. Wait until you can have this experience for yourself. It's already bad enough you don't want our streets to be welcoming. The streets can't even compliment the new buildings being built because they're dark and unwelcoming. Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul have all undeniably joined the ranks of world class style and they have contributed their unique style and fun shopping experience to the world. What does Manila have to offer to the plate? A regurgitated version of the American shopping experience dotted with stores inside of malls? The mall is just not a venue conducive to breeding our own style. We need streets to house these vendors and give them an opportunity to experiment with new designs. Not only that, there's so much you can do on the street that you can't in a mall. And malls all close at the same time and really early too. We have to match the mall experience with the street experience. Right now, our shopping is way lopsided. Look at Bonifacio High Street, it's a nice place. It's also kind of out of the way and boring. What looks like a nice hole-in-the-wall place there? Exactly. What seems like a good place to get the Filipino experience? Divisoria you say? What's so attractive about it? Does it look THAT welcoming to people? I think we should give it a face lift and make it more modern and appealing. We should also let people open up many other kinds of shops like Karaoke bars, gamlbing pubs, Convenience Stores, snack bars, pharmacies etc. Do our streets look friendly and fun for that matter? What exactly makes us a fun society ... only shopping in malls with none of our style that close before midnight? If you haven't ever heard the word, "nightlife" It's about time you do. That's one of the most important aspects of a city. When everyone's done working, how much fun do these people like to have? Where is our nightlife if people are forced to sleep since there's nowhere to walk but dark rape alleys.

Notice the remarks made about Bonifacio High Street and Manila in General (I found these outside of the thread as well),

"That's a very American-style suburban mall."
"Unfortunately Manila is very American. You can't walk around even in most places. Cars rule."
"I know it has that massive American influence, but still strikes me as odd for a city in South East Asia - making Manila a world unto itself I suppose."
"I'm still looking for a night scene in Manila that is family friendly."
"Manila is a bit of a sh*t hole. I would strongly suggest you travel to one of the many small towns. Stay away from Makati area, its basically a red light district for old foreigners at night. I figured it would be nice since thats where the expensive hotels are...but no night life aside from that."

These words are sharp, and I don't like people saying these things about our city. That's why I'm so adamant about turning our city into a friendly place.

Don't you want to compete? Don't you want our own style? Make our streets nice! Do you want to be regarded as 2nd to Americans because we'll forever copy their style but never be them? Or do you want to be regarded as the Philippines, a unique place with its own style - a place where people come to revere the fun city, its kind people, its amazing culture and its style.

interesting arguments to ponder.

manila_eye

August 19th, 2009, 06:04 AM

^^ If it's about the Ayala redevelopment I would read back but obviously it's not. It's nice to know about your thoughts and you have pretty good arguments but you should've posted it on The Economy, Industry and Development Issues section.

epik ll ian

August 19th, 2009, 06:25 AM

^^ Yes, I did - actually under the "Cities, Places, Travel and Geography" section, but I requested for it to be moved there. However, when I saw the post somebody made about Ayala wanting to build mini malls everywhere, I just had to intervene. I wanted to tweak the idea, so it could accommodate and modernize buildings that we already have (saving money) - our streets - instead of building more buildings. Ayala could do a lot of good for our city and create a lot of business for a lot of start up people (and themselves too) by turning to this path. Sorry for the tangent, but it was a worthwhile one.

panaliganmo

August 19th, 2009, 07:30 AM

This is why building shopping streets is better than doing malls. They're nicer and the make the city look more modern. You build quality skeleton buildings which can be updated at a cheaper price but don't need to be replaced as often as a mall. Their surfaces are fixable on the outside so they can appeal to whatever the modern taste is. Over time, they'll also become historical relics. But, what a hassle it is to keep updating malls, tearing down malls, building new ones! ... worrying about a mall going out of style and having to tear it down and build a new one, or spend so much money updating it is awful.

And some forumers have raised these very simplistic arguments against the idea of building shopping streets instead of malls:

1. The weather - (a) that it is too hot to walk around makati and that pinoys don't want to walk in hot weather and that they would rather walk in air-conditioned malls; and (b) that it is not just the hot weather but the amount of excessive rainfall wouldn’t make people want to walk and shop all wet everyday.

2. Security – that it isn’t safe to shop in a street shopping district because of pickpockets

And epik II ian has presented examples of how other countries have successfully dealt with the same concerns. By doing so, the “not so world-class and tacky shopping streets” of Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Singapore have become the “IT” shopping destinations in Asia ( hmmm … I wonder what they have that we don’t here in Manila? These places shouldn’t be models of a “world class shopping experience” that one can only get from Paris, Milan and London).

Now, should it be posted in this section? Wouldn’t we all want the Ayalas to consider making Ayala Center and its periphery even more pedestrian-friendly and offer us an even more comfortable and enjoyable experience by considering this idea instead of building more malls?

They have already built elevated and underground walkways to link the buildings to the Ayala malls and make crossing the streets a bit easier. Some businesses are already locating and thriving along the streets of the Legazpi and Salcedo Villages. Ayala Land can take it to the next level by taking note of these developments and come up with a better planned CBD.

wynngd

August 19th, 2009, 08:57 AM

^^and may I add, Shopping in a Mall is already a part of our culture...

Bakit naman mag tatayo ng maraming street shops and Ayala kung lahat ng tao eh gustong magshopping sa mall...

I understand his argument pero wala tayong kapangyarihang tanggalin sa culture ng mga tao ang pagpunta sa mall...

Eh kahit nga simbahan meron na sa Mall eh san ka pa....

panaliganmo

August 19th, 2009, 09:23 AM

--SuperB0y--

August 19th, 2009, 09:26 AM

RonnieR

August 19th, 2009, 09:36 AM

Kintoy

August 19th, 2009, 10:04 AM

i enjoy shopping in GB5 or in BHS more than I did in Bukit Bintang. must be a vibe thing, kasi those places practically have the same shops (well merong shops dun na wala dito and vice versa but)

I liked Greenhills more than Chatuchak, kasi mainit dun. At least sa GH airconditioned ang maraming areas. I liked Central World and Siam Paragon though, especially the cars on the fifth floor, but there's not a lot of things to buy there that I can't find here in Ayala malls.

Singapore? pardon me, but I find the place too sanitized, no character at all. Disneyland with a death penalty, ika nga. yes, i've been to Bugis - I stayed somewhere near the place and for me, it's just another place to buy stuff. I dont see it as something world class.

I would probably enjoy Akihabara because I'm a gadget freak, but I dont think I would feel inadequate as a Filipino just because the place is swarming with neon lights. Hindi lang siguro ako madaling malula sa mga ilaw. :)

panaliganmo

August 19th, 2009, 10:10 AM

also, street malls have it's downside. pag maulan na at sobrang init walang pumupunta. you have such a small window para kumita. case in point is high street. have you been to high high street during a rainy day... as in yung umuulan halos maghapon, it's almost a ghost town. walang katao-tao. same when it's really too hot in the afternoon, nasa culture ng pinoy ang ayaw maarawan, that's why we have tricycles eh.

that is why office workers in ayala are very thankful that elevated and COVERED walkways have been constructed to make walking more comfortable, but the current network is not enough - more walkways need to be constructed. The network has to be expanded in the legazpi and salcedo villages - wouldn't it be great to see the covered walkways expanded all the way to amorsolo and dela costa streets? Condo residents in these villages who work in offices in ayala or who would like to go to glorietta or greenbelt need not bring umbrellas nor waste gas by taking their cars for such short trips!

wynngd

August 19th, 2009, 10:55 AM

so the solution to make the CBD even more pedestrian friendly is what?

to build even more malls? :ohno:

huh sinabi ba ng Ayala na magtatayo sila ng Malls sa kada kanto ng CBD???

Tsaka may sinabi ba akong sosolusyunan ng mall ang issue sa pedestrian friendly... My point is kahit anong gawin mo eh di na matatanggal ang mall sa mga pilipino... Unless na lang kung presidente ka at nagutos na isara lahat ng malls...

At kelan pa naging sagabal sa pedestrian ang Malls... Inde ba ang street shops ang mas abala sa pedestrian??? pag andun lahat ng stalls eh di magiging crowded ung daan tapos magrereklamo kayo na makikitid daan ng Makati sana katulad sila ng daan sa US or sa Europe...

Eh sa dinami dami ng reklamo eh bakit di mo na lang i appreciate ang Pinas kasi ung Malls na un ang signature natin sa Mundo. We have 3 of the biggest malls in world...

panaliganmo

August 19th, 2009, 11:09 AM

huh sinabi ba ng Ayala na magtatayo sila ng Malls sa kada kanto ng CBD???

Tsaka may sinabi ba akong sosolusyunan ng mall ang issue sa pedestrian friendly... My point is kahit anong gawin mo eh di na matatanggal ang mall sa mga pilipino... Unless na lang kung presidente ka at nagutos na isara lahat ng malls...

At kelan pa naging sagabal sa pedestrian ang Malls... Inde ba ang street shops ang mas abala sa pedestrian??? pag andun lahat ng stalls eh di magiging crowded ung daan tapos magrereklamo kayo na makikitid daan ng Makati sana katulad sila ng daan sa US or sa Europe...

Eh sa dinami dami ng reklamo eh bakit di mo na lang i appreciate ang Pinas kasi ung Malls na un ang signature natin sa Mundo. We have 3 of the biggest malls in world...

so HOW do we make the CBD pedestrian-friendly?

wynngd

August 19th, 2009, 11:43 AM

so HOW do we make the CBD pedestrian-friendly?

May tanong din ako, ANUNG mapapala mo with this discussion anyway??? After mo bang magpakabibo dito about what should be done sa Pinas and sa Malls ng Pinas eh mababago mo ang isip ng lahat ng Pinoy??? Business yan kung asan ang tao dun ang business...

Basta ako naapreciate ko ang bawat project na meron tayo here in the Metro kasi kahit anong gawin ko wala naman akong pera or position na pwedeng magintroduce ng change sa society natin ngayon.

Based on my observation nagiimprove ang Infrastructure ng lugar na tinatayuan ng Mall sa Pinas.

Kintoy

August 19th, 2009, 12:00 PM

so HOW do we make the CBD pedestrian-friendly?

lagyan mo nga daw ng neon para maging world class :lol:

Sky Harbor

August 19th, 2009, 02:59 PM

There's only one thing here: if any of you are all appalled at our malling culture, complain to Henry Sy. He started it anyway.

The fact here is that street shopping is all but virtually dead in a way. Understand that malls (and their respective property developers) have been able to strong-arm smaller businesses to move to their buildings because these property developers encourage people to go malling. Shopping streets do not have that type of leverage since you have multiple, oftentimes conflicting, voices battling it out against the boisterousness of a mall developer. Consider it like David and Goliath so to speak.

If you want people to start street shopping again, you have to encourage them to get their butts out of a mall. But as long as property developers retain such considerable influence over the Filipino people's psyche, I highly doubt that will happen for the foreseeable future.

Go Global

August 19th, 2009, 04:17 PM

TeslaCoil

August 19th, 2009, 04:34 PM

so HOW do we make the CBD pedestrian-friendly?

Build walkways with roof. Yun lang yun.

Tama sila that mall is part of our culture. We are not Europe or other Asian countries. The people really dictate what the market should be.

epik ll ian

August 19th, 2009, 04:46 PM

lagyan mo nga daw ng neon para maging world class :lol:

If you don't like neon ... which is surprising because that's what seems to really show of gadget crazy societies without being tacky ... you have to use nice lights somehow. They have to be bright enough to make our streets bright and not give robbers a chance to do their thing. The streets have to be welcoming, and making bright signs that look inviting and fun are the best way to do so. They'll attract business, and you don't have bother putting annoying lamp posts anywhere. All the electricity can concentrate in the signs, and they'll in turn light the walkways beneath them. It's not only world class, it's safe and ideal. Instead, you can replace these extra electricity sucking lamp posts with trees so you can see a balance. The trees in turn will help shade the street.

Build walkways with roof. Yun lang yun.

Tama sila that mall is part of our culture. We are not Europe or other Asian countries. The people really dictate what the market should be.

I say we build not only some roofs that can overshoot the side of the building like in East Asian architecture, but we can build coverings over the top of some streets like I showed you in the picture of Japan earlier.

The problem is, "you are other Asian countries." We're targeting a global market, and we're geographically plotted in Asia. Our neighbors have managed to build great economic and tourist success with this style of shopping. America is even turning to this style because it's turning away from mall building as well - even in hot and humid Florida. We're no longer serving ONLY the needs of Filipinos, even though shopping streets would greatly benefit us as well. However, Mall hopping is losing its style, and I already pointed out a lot of the negatives of turning our city into this giant dark mall box. This isn't a debate about us not having a place to shop inside. We have those already. We have plenty of malls. We now need to work on expanding our economy into the streets for all of the reasons I mentioned before.

I'd like to change the tone of the discussion here slightly. Rather than talking about malls, shopping streets and neon lights, why don't we talk about alloting more space in our cities for parks. Want to be world class? Check out the greenery before we get choked with malls, shopping streets and neon lights. World class is, after all, all about finding a balance.

Yes, I agree with you. I think we need to have nice meditative parks, and beautifully designed zen like parks with ponds/city getaways within the city.

also, street malls have it's downside. pag maulan na at sobrang init walang pumupunta. you have such a small window para kumita. case in point is high street. have you been to high high street during a rainy day... as in yung umuulan halos maghapon, it's almost a ghost town. walang katao-tao. same when it's really too hot in the afternoon, nasa culture ng pinoy ang ayaw maarawan, that's why we have tricycles eh.

I think I already mentioned the downsides of Bonifacio High Street and Serendra. As nice as they are, they're kind of out of the way, and they're not central to the actual bustling metropolis. They're like a mall somewhere in a space outside of the city that's also conveniently outside. I appreciate the measures they took though to kick off the pedestrian culture. However, that's why they're not as popular as they could be. See the difference? If it were part of the actual busy part of the city where all of the buildings and sidewalks and people are, we'd be talking about a different story. Hopefully when Bonifacio Global City becomes this huge bustling area, the case we'd be talking about now would be different. They would have covered walkways, levels of shopping, internal and subterranean walkways that connect some of the buildings and areas so you don't have to ALWAYS be outside etc. (all of the reasons I mentioned before that can solve the COMPLETE outdoor experience).

I think it would be nice in the near future once we get a sophisticated subway system, to connect some of the subway stations and tunnels with the subterranean walkways that link the buildings. Wow, that would be a really neat idea, and I bet we'd be the first. AKA The Philippines first to do this! How cool would that be?

There's only one thing here: if any of you are all appalled at our malling culture, complain to Henry Sy. He started it anyway.

The fact here is that street shopping is all but virtually dead in a way. Understand that malls (and their respective property developers) have been able to strong-arm smaller businesses to move to their buildings because these property developers encourage people to go malling. Shopping streets do not have that type of leverage since you have multiple, oftentimes conflicting, voices battling it out against the boisterousness of a mall developer. Consider it like David and Goliath so to speak.

If you want people to start street shopping again, you have to encourage them to get their butts out of a mall. But as long as property developers retain such considerable influence over the Filipino people's psyche, I highly doubt that will happen for the foreseeable future.

I'm not appalled. I think we're heading in the wrong direction. We have more than we need. We need SOME malls, but we don't need ALL malls. There's another sector of the economy and city structure that we need to focus on. Mall shopping is all but virtually dead because that's the only option we have. Nobody has the option to go shop on the streets because they can't even walk there. That's why it's like that, and that's why our shopping balance is heavily lopsided to leaving the city and going inside.

I think its possible to get the people back out into the buildings of our streets and on the streets. The government should give incentives for people to move into the buildings and vendors stalls to start their own businesses. This option is cheaper! It's like killing two birds with one stone. They're helping the central economy of the actual existent Manila metropolis, they're beautifying the streets at the same time and creating a fun and safe place for people to walk within the city. The government can also lightly regulate these areas with added security and signage. Revise "tacky" signs which don't fit in, regulate auspicious business practices (not a prostitution street), regulate where signs should be placed so it can look organized as a whole etc.

The streets are a rowdy place. And individuals with a vision need to battle it out with national corporations which threaten our individuality and spread conformism. Survival of the fittest. The better vendors will stay, and the not as good ones will either have to quickly adapt or get out. In the end, the streets will be left with the best. If I recall correctly, David won the battle.

We don't need to bring malls down. We have them, and we're satisfied. But malls have an Achilles heel which the streets can accommodate. There's not one reason you could give me that would convince me to say we shouldn't work on making our streets nice, WALKABLE, accessible and shoppable as well.

TeslaCoil

August 19th, 2009, 05:19 PM

I say we build not only some roofs that can overshoot the side of the building like in East Asian architecture, but we can build coverings over the top of some streets like I showed you in the picture of Japan earlier.

The problem is, "you are other Asian countries." We're targeting a global market, and we're geographically plotted in Asia. Our neighbors have managed to build great economic and tourist success with this style of shopping. America is even turning to this style because it's turning away from mall building as well - even in hot and humid Florida. We're no longer serving ONLY the needs of Filipinos, even though shopping streets would greatly benefit us as well. However, Mall hopping is losing its style, and I already pointed out a lot of the negatives of turning our city into this giant dark mall box. This isn't a debate about us not having a place to shop inside. We have those already. We have plenty of malls. We now need to work on expanding our economy into the streets for all of the reasons I mentioned before.

Yes we have different shopping lifestyle with other Asian countries and that should remain. Why be like them? We'll just add to the competition of the SAME. Mall culture in America and Europe is dead or we could say that it did not live well because street shopping in most major cities were there since the beginning. It is part of their culture. I don't understand why we have to be like them just to be able to compete. Mall is a niche that we have. Have you seen GB during weekends night? You'll be surprised how many foreigners dine and shop there. Our malls cater from higher echelon of society to people who can only afford window shopping. That's our niche... every mall caters to different people. We have specialization...

Any news regarding the redevelopment of AYALA Makati?

epik ll ian

August 19th, 2009, 05:38 PM

Yes we have different shopping lifestyle with other Asian countries and that should remain. Why be like them? We'll just add to the competition of the SAME. Mall culture in America and Europe is dead or we could say that it did not live well because street shopping in most major cities were there since the beginning. It is part of their culture. I don't understand why we have to be like them just to be able to compete. Mall is a niche that we have. Have you seen GB during weekends night? You'll be surprised how many foreigners dine and shop there. Our malls cater from higher echelon of society to people who can only afford window shopping. That's our niche... every mall caters to different people. We have specialization...

Any news regarding the redevelopment of AYALA Makati?

Why be like them????? Are you serious? Making our city accessible isn't being like the REST of the world which has walkable streets. It should be a right! This shouldn't even be an issue here! While we're at it, let's get to the root of this right now. The high rise and bustling sections of Manila are already developed and filled with buildings. These areas are expanding. You can't build a mall EVERYWHERE. You need lots of space, and you need vacant areas. The fact that you can't walk within our town and shop, and the fact that our streets are inaccessible for walkers is a problem we have to face now. Of course all of our malls are filled with people. That's the only option they have! We need to give the people places to start up, at the same time we need to make the center of our city accessible. Who would ever want to move to Manila if they knew that they can't walk around it? As soon as you leave your condo, you have to take a taxi because you can't even walk a few meters down the street before finding out you have nowhere to go. People who can only afford window shopping? They have to be taken into account too. Not everyone can afford to shop in the mall. That's another reason why the poor are being barred from at least becoming lower middle class. I think we'd be able to help them if we had shopping streets that have vendors that sold stylish experimental design clothes at affordable prices.

If you want to quickly grab a bite to eat, get a shirt dry cleaned, quickly pick up medicine because you're weak and sick, get an ingredient for something you're in the middle of cooking, you don't have TIME to be taxied all the way to the end of town or to the nearest mall in the middle of Manila traffic to do little tasks. That's what shopping is like in Manila. It's inconvenient.

Every mall doesn't cater to different people. They're all becoming one of the same, and we're losing individuality to them. How many malls would like to see that are all filled with Francais Girbaud, Giordano, Paotsin, Hang Ten, Lacoste, Bench, Aling Lucing's Sisig ... we're running out of options here. Nobody is going to start off in a mall anymore. It's only accessible for the very few to ever think of starting up in a mall. We need the innovation to come from the people. Building malls and filling them with mostly imported brands and the same old with what we have isn't getting us anywhere, and that grasps the concept of "copying" a million times more than an open forum of street shopping ever would.

TeslaCoil

August 19th, 2009, 06:00 PM

michael677

August 19th, 2009, 06:03 PM

very interesting insights here so i had to stop reading and post my opinion:

first, i have to give it to epik ian for giving his time and knowledge and cite examples of the 'scene' found in the great shopping cities of the world. you can sense his passion and patriotism in wanting to let the citizens of manila somehow taste the action. MANILA IS REALLY MISSING OUT ON THIS ASPECT. i think we should just accept it. im just so saddened that some of the critics here are childish and sarcastic in their remarks not to say pilosopo pa un iba. pls naman mag mumukha lang tayo katawa tawa when people from other countries read it. let us not be arrogant and just be smart enough to accept the fact.

second, i also feel the arguments of those against it reasons being weather, crime, social class, etc. i believe they already made their point. and i believe din naman the other side answered each one of them squarely and quite logically. but what i want to highlight on is---- OO nga malls are number 1 in the philippines and we should proudly claim it as our culture and identlty rightly so. nothing wrong with that. but when you start praising it to high heavens AND putting down the shopping streets of the world's foremost and renowned shopping cities whether DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN SOME WAY, YOU ARE NOT JUST BEING FOOLISH, BUT ALSO PUTTING DOWN THE PHILIPPINES IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD! let us just be humble shall we?

third, on neon lights (haha, pati ba naman ito??) their purpose is to excite. light attracts people and excites the senses. THERE IS NOTHING POSH OR EXCLUSIVE TO IT. BUT when done nicely, like in the upscale districts of tokyo or even in the newer parts of Manila, it gives an element of modernity and luxury. take note modernity. SO IT IS NOT 80s !!!!!! im happy that we are catching up with the trend like the southgate mall, Link bldg, Rockwell, Hyatt Grand Hotel & Casino, some buildings along ayala ave, Glorietta 5. sooner or later they will light up the whole ayala compound! i read that in one article ! to quote" light...so that the area will be lively even after mall hours." SO IT IS JUST PLAIN WRONG TO SAY THAT THE LIGHTS OF HONGKONG OR TOKYO ARE BADUY! WHEN FOREIGNERS HEAR THAT, THEY WILL SAY THAT MANILA IS SO DARK AND POOR AND SCARY AT NIGHT.

lastly, i hope everyone (shopping lover or not) can go abroad and visit our neighboring countires for their retail excitement. it's beyond words and im sorry but i must say it IT CANNOT BE FOUND HERE. and dun naman sa mga nakapunta na, it is pointless to even compare it to manila and ponder on sleepless nights kasi ang layo layo layo pa tlga natin. let us just be happy of what we have... at least may improvements naman here and there.

yun lang!

michael677

August 19th, 2009, 06:09 PM

^^ This will be my last reply in this thread regarding your posts.

Our streets in CBD are walkable but we just don't wanna walk it for a number of reasons. Kahit saan my banketa na pwedeng daanan yung iba nga occupied na ng mga vendors. Oh, wait street shopping na yun diba?

And yes, neon lights are cheap, tacky, disgusting and classless!

This is getting boring and so out of touch. Enough of this. I wanna see pictures and updates of redevelopment of AYALA.

im sorry to break it to you, but Ayala is re-doing its complex to make it look like the asian cities you saw earlier. yes, and with bright lights and the works. i read it in one article. cant u see? even now, may konting manifestations na. i laud ayala for making our cbd walkable. but the modernity and approach and overall feeling is still at the infancy compared to our advanced neighbors

michael677

August 19th, 2009, 06:29 PM

I love all the shopping in manila from the malls to Serendra and Bonifacio High Street which give you a different experiance, that is why Manila is so great you can be in the mall of asia one day, powerplant the next, Bonifacio High Street followed by Robinsons Place and then off to the Divisoria.

I am soooo surprised that Manila is not known as a shopping destination for holiday makers, when I tell people about all the shopping that look at me like I am exagerating!!

I have never visited anywhere better!

firstly kevin, you are a good filipino. happy and proud of his country. but sorry talaga, Manila is not known as a great shopping destination for many reasons. ayoko na silang ilahad pa.

you said: " you can be in the mall of asia one day, powerplant the next, Bonifacio High Street followed by Robinsons Place and then off to the Divisoria." if you are in one great shopping destination of the world, that is Hongkong, you could visit these in just one train ride. You use one smart card to tap into its subway system which all major points and malls connect. now, how many filipinos go shopping using our MRT system ??? can u ride a train to rockwell? i attempted once pero i ended up taking a cab! if what u meant was variety naman pala, brands u find in rockwell are in general also in boni high, which possibly robinsons place also has. try going to bangkok to see the real variety. its hard to find the same brands the other mall also carries. sa variety pa lang, talo na tayo thanks to monopolies like SSI Stores Specialists Inc haha.

you said " " -- next time, just brag that manila has good finds, the malls has a good vibe wherein families and eveyone is happy, and that our shopping might not be the best but it truly is something unique and close to heart.

and finally u said: "[I]I have never visited anywhere better" - seriously ? like where? define better. better in finds? or better in what??

panaliganmo

August 19th, 2009, 06:33 PM

May tanong din ako, ANUNG mapapala mo with this discussion anyway??? After mo bang magpakabibo dito about what should be done sa Pinas and sa Malls ng Pinas eh mababago mo ang isip ng lahat ng Pinoy??? Business yan kung asan ang tao dun ang business...

Basta ako naapreciate ko ang bawat project na meron tayo here in the Metro kasi kahit anong gawin ko wala naman akong pera or position na pwedeng magintroduce ng change sa society natin ngayon.

Based on my observation nagiimprove ang Infrastructure ng lugar na tinatayuan ng Mall sa Pinas.
================

My apologies, I thought this was a forum for people to have a healthy discussion of views/ideas on the redevelopment of Ayala Center in Makati.

I don't think intimidation is the way to win an argument. Asking how to make the Makati CBD more pedestrian-friendly was not meant to taunt nor offend you. I wanted to solicit ideas, at the very least a sensible answer, not only from you but from the others who follow this thread. Your observation is correct, there is an improvement in infra where a mall locates. There has to be, you need to make the mall accessible to people. Otherwise, no business will be generated.

In the case of the CBD, improving the sidewalks and expanding the covered walkways will help in the generation of even more business opportunities.

I really have hand to hand it to epic ii ian, you have provided one of the most passionate, intelligent, informative and articulate posts/arguments here.

WawaY[625]

August 19th, 2009, 06:37 PM

i enjoy shopping in GB5 or in BHS more than I did in Bukit Bintang. must be a vibe thing, kasi those places practically have the same shops (well merong shops dun na wala dito and vice versa but)

eh ano naman kinaganda ng Bukit Bintang? its like a poor man's orchard road :lol: yung Pavilion KL lang ang nagustuhan ko dun, starhill is too ewan kahit high end sya, iba ang feel

naku pag natapos ang Ayala Redevelopment, tapos combined with Greenbelt, eto na ang pinakamagandang shopping area na alam ko (well hanggang Pinas, KL and SG lang naman ako so medyo limited ang nakikita ko)

but Greenbelt alone is better than the malls ive seen sa KL and SG...kahit yung ION walang sinabi

TeslaCoil

August 19th, 2009, 07:02 PM

im sorry to break it to you, but Ayala is re-doing its complex to make it look like the asian cities you saw earlier. yes, and with bright lights and the works. i read it in one article. cant u see? even now, may konting manifestations na. i laud ayala for making our cbd walkable. but the modernity and approach and overall feeling is still at the infancy compared to our advanced neighbors

It is still a mall. The reason why we are not recognized as a great shopping haven is because we have poor tourism. Ayala is not copying those cities but making innovations for their malls to be more attractive... cozy.

;41516910']eh ano naman kinaganda ng Bukit Bintang? its like a poor man's orchard road :lol: yung Pavilion KL lang ang nagustuhan ko dun, starhill is too ewan kahit high end sya, iba ang feel

naku pag natapos ang Ayala Redevelopment, tapos combined with Greenbelt, eto na ang pinakamagandang shopping area na alam ko (well hanggang Pinas, KL and SG lang naman ako so medyo limited ang nakikita ko)

but Greenbelt alone is better than the malls ive seen sa KL and SG...kahit yung ION walang sinabi

GB alone is world class. I've seen malls in the US and GB is way better than those I've seen. Add the redevelopment of Glorietta then you have an even better shopping district. It will be interconnected and will cater to larger class of society from high-end to slightly low-end shoppers and visitors.

Kintoy

August 19th, 2009, 08:26 PM

;41516910']eh ano naman kinaganda ng Bukit Bintang? its like a poor man's orchard road :lol: yung Pavilion KL lang ang nagustuhan ko dun, starhill is too ewan kahit high end sya, iba ang feel

naku pag natapos ang Ayala Redevelopment, tapos combined with Greenbelt, eto na ang pinakamagandang shopping area na alam ko (well hanggang Pinas, KL and SG lang naman ako so medyo limited ang nakikita ko)

but Greenbelt alone is better than the malls ive seen sa KL and SG...kahit yung ION walang sinabi

I think somebody mentioned KL as world class or whaever kasi, and Bukit Bintang is the prime example of a shopping street/district. :lol: I even like GB5 more than Suria mall in KLCC.

yes, i love gadgets, so I know that neon lights are so yesterday. I cant see why some people equate tacky neon lights with opulence. On the contrary.

Btw, I did not know neon lights are used to ward off muggers and robbers. Hmmm. Just the sort of things ignorant folks would say :ohno:

Kevinlondon

August 19th, 2009, 09:06 PM

[QUOTE=michael677;41516558]firstly kevin, you are a good filipino. happy and proud of his country. but sorry talaga, Manila is not known as a great shopping destination for many reasons. ayoko na silang ilahad pa.

Michael, I am not filipino I am from the UK, the shopping experiance in Manila is better than most main cities in Europe, it is better than the US and having travelled recently to HK and KL I would say overall it is better than those two places, I have not been to Bangkok so can not comment.

The Philippines has the opportunity to become a good tourist destination for many reasons including the shopping, beaches and general cost of living but it is not seen as such when you compare to HK and KL, why? Unfortunatley Europeans see Manila as being too far away and have an incorrect view of the Philippines, last year I visted with a friend who liked his time in Manila better than HK, Bali and Singapore which he had visted.

Make the most of your wonderful country, coming back onto this forum the new Ayala Centre Redevelopment will go some way towards this.

Kintoy

August 19th, 2009, 09:37 PM

Humble pie is best served piping hot :lol:

TeslaCoil

August 19th, 2009, 09:47 PM

^^ Bull's eye! :lol:

epik ll ian

August 20th, 2009, 05:09 AM

Not bull's eye.

================

My apologies, I thought this was a forum for people to have a healthy discussion of views/ideas on the redevelopment of Ayala Center in Makati.

I don't think intimidation is the way to win an argument. Asking how to make the Makati CBD more pedestrian-friendly was not meant to taunt nor offend you. I wanted to solicit ideas, at the very least a sensible answer, not only from you but from the others who follow this thread. Your observation is correct, there is an improvement in infra where a mall locates. There has to be, you need to make the mall accessible to people. Otherwise, no business will be generated.

In the case of the CBD, improving the sidewalks and expanding the covered walkways will help in the generation of even more business opportunities ...

Great point on how the discussions should be carried out. I fully agree. Talking about making Manila pedestrian friendly deals with everything ... the peripheral malls of Manila, the malls of Manila, Ayala Malls and Manila CBD. We're not hearing much news about this project yet, so it doesn't hurt to discuss this stuff here while we're waiting for updates.

also, street malls have it's downside. pag maulan na at sobrang init walang pumupunta. you have such a small window para kumita. case in point is high street. have you been to high high street during a rainy day... as in yung umuulan halos maghapon, it's almost a ghost town. walang katao-tao. same when it's really too hot in the afternoon, nasa culture ng pinoy ang ayaw maarawan, that's why we have tricycles eh.

I think it's more embarrassing that the streets of our capital district/CBD are regarded as a ghost town. This should pop out to you more than the occasional vacancies of BHS which is not part of the CBD. The CBD should be our primary concern. People won't refuse to walk down the streets - which happen to be the most integral part of our city - if we can only make the more open, accessible, pedestrian friendly and modern. Bonifacio High Street, Serendra, Mall of Asia etc. are integral to our city's economy, but compared with the REAL heart of the thriving central capital district (aka where most of the people live and work/where most of Manila's visitor's WANT to go), they're still accessories compared to what our city can and should offer. The core of our city, the CBD, the buildings with potentially walkable and shoppable streets are a big concern and should be prioritized at the moment.

very interesting insights here so i had to stop reading and post my opinion:

first, i have to give it to epik ian for giving his time and knowledge and cite examples of the 'scene' found in the great shopping cities of the world. you can sense his passion and patriotism in wanting to let the citizens of manila somehow taste the action. MANILA IS REALLY MISSING OUT ON THIS ASPECT. i think we should just accept it. im just so saddened that some of the critics here are childish and sarcastic in their remarks not to say pilosopo pa un iba. pls naman mag mumukha lang tayo katawa tawa when people from other countries read it. let us not be arrogant and just be smart enough to accept the fact.

second, i also feel the arguments of those against it reasons being weather, crime, social class, etc. i believe they already made their point. and i believe din naman the other side answered each one of them squarely and quite logically. but what i want to highlight on is---- OO nga malls are number 1 in the philippines and we should proudly claim it as our culture and identlty rightly so. nothing wrong with that. but when you start praising it to high heavens AND putting down the shopping streets of the world's foremost and renowned shopping cities whether DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN SOME WAY, YOU ARE NOT JUST BEING FOOLISH, BUT ALSO PUTTING DOWN THE PHILIPPINES IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD! let us just be humble shall we?

third, on neon lights (haha, pati ba naman ito??) their purpose is to excite. light attracts people and excites the senses. THERE IS NOTHING POSH OR EXCLUSIVE TO IT. BUT when done nicely, like in the upscale districts of tokyo or even in the newer parts of Manila, it gives an element of modernity and luxury. take note modernity. SO IT IS NOT 80s !!!!!! im happy that we are catching up with the trend like the southgate mall, Link bldg, Rockwell, Hyatt Grand Hotel & Casino, some buildings along ayala ave, Glorietta 5. sooner or later they will light up the whole ayala compound! i read that in one article ! to quote" light...so that the area will be lively even after mall hours." SO IT IS JUST PLAIN WRONG TO SAY THAT THE LIGHTS OF HONGKONG OR TOKYO ARE BADUY! WHEN FOREIGNERS HEAR THAT, THEY WILL SAY THAT MANILA IS SO DARK AND POOR AND SCARY AT NIGHT.

lastly, i hope everyone (shopping lover or not) can go abroad and visit our neighboring countires for their retail excitement. it's beyond words and im sorry but i must say it IT CANNOT BE FOUND HERE. and dun naman sa mga nakapunta na, it is pointless to even compare it to manila and ponder on sleepless nights kasi ang layo layo layo pa tlga natin. let us just be happy of what we have... at least may improvements naman here and there.

yun lang!

firstly kevin, you are a good filipino. happy and proud of his country. but sorry talaga, Manila is not known as a great shopping destination for many reasons. ayoko na silang ilahad pa.

you said: " you can be in the mall of asia one day, powerplant the next, Bonifacio High Street followed by Robinsons Place and then off to the Divisoria." if you are in one great shopping destination of the world, that is Hongkong, you could visit these in just one train ride. You use one smart card to tap into its subway system which all major points and malls connect. now, how many filipinos go shopping using our MRT system ??? can u ride a train to rockwell? i attempted once pero i ended up taking a cab! if what u meant was variety naman pala, brands u find in rockwell are in general also in boni high, which possibly robinsons place also has. try going to bangkok to see the real variety. its hard to find the same brands the other mall also carries. sa variety pa lang, talo na tayo thanks to monopolies like SSI Stores Specialists Inc haha.

you said " I am soooo surprised that Manila is not known as a shopping destination for holiday makers, when I tell people about all the shopping that look at me like I am exagerating!! " -- next time, just brag that manila has good finds, the malls has a good vibe wherein families and eveyone is happy, and that our shopping might not be the best but it truly is something unique and close to heart.

and finally u said: "I have never visited anywhere better" - seriously ? like where? define better. better in finds? or better in what??

Thank you Michael and panaliganmo for your really good posts! They were all insightful and convincing, and things I've been wanting to say but somehow couldn't. Also, thank all of you for still continuing this discussion as we await more news from Ayala Center Redevelopment. Whether you disagree or not with the revival of Manila's streets, this has been an interesting discussion. Sans the insults, I appreciate all of the comments, it's good that we're generating ideas here.

However, back to business. I really hope all of you don't block of this side of your mind to make Manila's streets a better place. It's nothing to argue against. We have a city, we need to make it nice. It's hard to navigate around, it's dark, in some places it's not safe, and when you get to the metropolis places, it's hard to walk around and enjoy yourself. I think you guys should take panaliganmo's advice since he's from Mandaluyong too, and he knows Metro Manila very well, and he knows what it needs.

When it comes to not listening to what other people have to say, my mom's the same way. So, I kind of know what I'm putting up with here. When I try to show her a new way to do something or try out something new, she immediately clams up and is not open to the idea. We must ALWAYS do what we have been doing. And we can't change things! I hope this isn't the case here. I'm listening to all of your claims, but please don't shut me out here. I think we need to tweak our direction a little bit. We need to open up the streets of our city so they can be a modern and inviting place. I encourage you guys to step back and really question why you wouldn't want our streets to not become a beautiful and modern destination. It would truly puzzle me why anyone would debate this.

I recommend neon lights for the same reason Michael posted above. They really show off a modern side to the city, they light up the streets, they're actually really nice to look at if you've ever left the country to see them, and in an indirect way they do help out with safety. They cast a lot light on the street. And robbers can't really get away with anything in bright places. This is pretty obvious.
Btw, I did not know neon lights are used to ward off muggers and robbers. Hmmm. Just the sort of things ignorant folks would say :ohno:
Kintoy, I don't respect the comment you made about me being ignorant. That was uncalled for. You know you have no argument when you resort to using ad hominems/insults.

It is still a mall. The reason why we are not recognized as a great shopping haven is because we have poor tourism. Ayala is not copying those cities but making innovations for their malls to be more attractive... cozy.

GB alone is world class. I've seen malls in the US and GB is way better than those I've seen. Add the redevelopment of Glorietta then you have an even better shopping district. It will be interconnected and will cater to larger class of society from high-end to slightly low-end shoppers and visitors.

If we have poor tourism, you should ask yourself why it is such. We're all doing our best to bring Manila back up to par and into the 21st century here. We can't be back in the times with no desire to change. We have very technologically advanced neighbors that we're competing with.

According to the CIA Factbook Report of the world's biggest economies ... Japan has the 2nd largest world economy. China is 3rd. India is 12th. South Korea is 15th. Indonesia is 21st. Taiwan is 26th. The Philippines is tagging along at 47th.

Do you not see how serious this is? We can't be off in our own world like many tourists in our country have remarked when we're dealing with the big leagues. Asia is modernizing quickly and rapidly with it's own style, and it's attracting a lot of world attention. We have SERIOUS COMPETITORS here and can't be lagging behind if we want to fuel our number one industry. We must use our full potential, we must be willing to make changes, and we must flex our muscles and beat out our neighbors at their own game. The first thing on our agenda should include having an accommodating and pedestrian friendly capital district. This is beyond a must.

It's important that we flex our muscles and play the same game. At the same time, it's important that we give tourists the unique Filipino experience as well - let them do things that they can't do in other countries. Americanized malls with mostly international and American brands isn't going to cut it. Having a city that isn't largely indicative and showy of our own culture and hospitality isn't going to cut it either. If our biggest contribution to the economy focuses on tourism, we have to stop being selfish about everything "we" like, and we have to hold regards to the fact that we need to become an international destination and attract people from all over the globe to come to our country. Nobody wants to visit the Philippines and see a regurgitated version of all of the stores they have in a mall that's losing popularity in their own country. They need to have fun, gawk at how nice our city while walking in it WITHOUT the need of safety from a local (escort), and they need to get the unique Filipino treatment inside of our showcase capital district.

When I go to travel sites and people ask which city to go to, I rarely see Manila as a shopping destination, or a destination at all! Most of the people who recommend Manila are patriotic Pinoy's who are begging for people to come visit their country. Let's do our fellow countrymen a favor and give them a reason for people to come visit their capital. Face it, in general, people don't like our city as much as our neighbors. And if nobody recommends visiting our city, what does that tell you? Do you still think you're going to get tourists if we keep going in the same direction we're going? Somethings have to change here, and we're going to have mature and accept it with an open mind. When we all work together to find a solution and stop being pessimistic, we'll come up with amazing things. I know we will.

On Yahoo! Answers and Travel Website blogs, I see lots of people asking, "What should I do in Manila?" Let me provide you with some answers and comments which generally sum up a majority of what you'll find:

"There's lots to see in the Philippines, unfortunately most of the nice things are outside of Manila."
"You should leave the city and go to the beach or Tagaytay. There's nothing in Manila. Or you can go to Angeles City. The night life there is slightly better. You just have to go to the right night spot or you might end up with a prostitute."
"I'd take shopping in Hong Kong over shopping in Manila any day!"
"I love Bangkok and Hong Kong! I'm Filipino, but I don't really recommend going to Manila."
"Manila... well, yes, it's true that the largest mall in Asia is found there, but, for me, nothing can beat shopping in Hong Kong! Live it, Love it!"
"There are some fun and unique things to do in Manila, but the big destinations don't really show off the Philippines, and they try too hard to be American."
"I want to live in the philippines but filipinos told me that they will kill you if they think you have money?"
"Manila is a really busy place and can be intimidating to a first timer so be warned to expect nothing and take it all in as best as you can."

(Note if anybody ever does admit that there are some things to do in Manila, they always recommend that you bring a local with you because it's a dark and shady city and it's not as inviting as our neighbors' cities).

This is your answer. Nobody ever recommends staying in our capital. Seriously, how many more comments does it have to take before this reality hits you? Malls won't cut it when it comes to preserving the CBD and making it a welcoming sight for everyone. VERY rare will I ever see anyone say that our city is fun and welcoming. Our people are hospitable, but our city is surprisingly the opposite. This should tell you something about our city needs to be worked on. If we don't start changing things around, you will keep seeing that answer. One of our biggest industries is tourism. If it's tourism, we need to give people a fun and exotic feel to our country. We need to allure them with things that are exciting, Asian and most importantly - Filipino. Always ask yourself when you're designing something in the Philippines ... How can I make this uniquely Filipino so people will be attracted to it? At least if it's not as good as other competitors, we will be lauded and people will still want to visit us for the fun and unique cultural experience. It will be fun regardless of the fact because they will be seeing things that are unique to Manila/Philippines.

The capital is the symbol of a country. Likewise, Manila is the symbol of the Philippines. When tourists visit the capital, this should be where we focus the biggest concentration of our culture and fun experiences. A lot of people won't go anywhere else but the capital because it's generally assumed that the capital is pretty much the whole country summed up in one city. As nice as it would be, people just don't have the time to visit all of our islands. We need to treat our capital like it's our nation - boiled down - because this is how capital tourism works. Manila is a big hot spot for tourism, and we need to make it cater to our tourist-centered economy. I think this is pretty much a given.

If our neighbors are doing something right, we should learn from that. You should follow the footsteps of those who have succeeded, and you shouldn't take advice from those who aren't as successful and you shouldn't use ideas from concepts that have failed. Japan and Korea and Hong Kong bring in more toursits than we do. What does this tell you??? You should take what is good, keep what is yours, and leave what is bad.

People won't go to Manila until we have our own unique style, and nobody will get to enjoy our capital until we have safe and nice places to walk WITHIN our city that can show it off (our progress) at the same time. Our malls are not literally inside of our city. They also don't show off our culture as much as the streets can. Malls are good, but we have to focus on developing within our city. We can't make all of our capital destinations outside of our city. Filipino tour guides should not have to answer the question, "What's there to do in Manila?" by starting off with, "Well first we have to leave, take a taxi and ..." We have to draw people inside the heart of our busy and developing capital. All of the problems you guys have mentioned about streets before can be worked out. I won't accept the word can't, I don't believe in "can't."

Kintoy

August 20th, 2009, 09:45 AM

"I recommend neon lights for the same reason Michael posted above. They really show off a modern side to the city, they light up the streets, they're actually really nice to look at if you've ever left the country to see them, and in an indirect way they do help out with safety. They cast a lot light on the street. And robbers can't really get away with anything in bright places. This is pretty obvious"

robbers even rob in broad daylight, so there's no amount of neon lights can keep them away I think. Police visibililty perhaps, but not a bunch of tacky, glittery, hot pink signs that says "Mystique"

I dont have to to leave the country to see how tacky they are. Just go to Quezon Ave or Mabini. marami dun.

the problem with some people here is that they dont know what they are talking about. You want uniquely Filipino pero gusto gayahin ang Korea or China. duh

sloanesquare

August 20th, 2009, 10:09 AM

I'd like to change the tone of the discussion here slightly. Rather than talking about malls, shopping streets and neon lights, why don't we talk about alloting more space in our cities for parks. Want to be world class? Check out the greenery before we get choked with malls, shopping streets and neon lights. World class is, after all, all about finding a balance.

the difficulty with this is that the land being developed is no longer eminent domain and is already privately owned....any land undeveloped (recreational greenery not pocket greenery) is lost profit to the developer.....

the balance you are seeking is to incorporate the "lost" profit into the price of sold lots.....after all isnt that the reason why BGC properties are P160K per sqm as raw land?

i say make it P250K per sqm raw land and give us more greenery.

in_a_rush

August 20th, 2009, 10:09 AM

if only MRT station will be extended up to MOA, Ortigas station be connected to Sm Megamall and Robinson Galleria and they will add more trains and make it more efficient, dagdag mo pa jan yung Shangrila Mall sa shaw, Ayala center sa Ayala station. Trinoma and Sm north sa North Ave station. Gateway etc. to Cubao station, northpoint mall in taft station. plus the upcoming southgate mall sa magallanes and ETon walk sa q.ave station. we can be a shopping mecca! we dont have shopping streets pero we can offer naman, shopping via trains!

hotels in makati and ortigas should take advantage of this. maybe they can build walkways and bridges from the hotels to the train stations.

if only MRT is efficient!

adverg

August 20th, 2009, 10:23 AM

@ Epik
I was really wondering why asian culture have no originality. Whether we like it or not, we are all manggagaya's, we see this in Korea, we see this in Hongkong, we see this in Japan, we want to apply it in our own country. Do you think this few countries you've mentioned as you appreciate much their development did not copy to the western trend of development designs. Saan ba nanggaling yung sabi mong fashionable street mallers people, original ba ang mga Koreans niyan, yung mga neon street lights sa hongkong and shanghai, sila ba ang original niyan. We are so proud of them for seing is but this is very old fashioned already. Pinagtatawanan tayo ng mga western people dahil masyadong tayong bilib na sa mga bagong nakita natin, but the truth, pinaglumaan na lahat yan ng western culture. Nakapasok lang tayo sa lv stores, we are so proud of ourselves because this is branded items. Why dont we make our own that wont follow others fashioned was it because this is the trend and accepted by international tourism. Who cares if we have multiplying malls in every corners of our city rather than street malls as you mersmerize on it. Why dont we make something unique that never been seen in this countries by foreign tourist that can be seen in ours. If koreans are satisfied with their developments, why a lot of Koreans like to go to Philippines, as you say not in the city proper but on beaches, yes I agree because they are bored already in the congestion of the city with so much industrial look developments. In fact I hate this so much industrial look developments. Yes I still agree with street developments, by putting more landscape and trees but not to congest with so much street malls. I prefer to be quiet with more greens and water features rather than more light effects which shows like a red zone district.

adverg

August 20th, 2009, 10:51 AM

watcher09

August 20th, 2009, 01:32 PM

I guess we have to respect with what developers like Ayala are going to build. We just have to be contented on what they want their projects to look like and to offer. These are their projects, it is their money that is being used, it is they who conceptualized such, etc., etc...

Should we want projects to our own liking, it is us who must do that (if we have the money).

For now, let's appreciate what they are doing. It is not their obligation to solicit advice from us on what they should build and design. As they are the ones who are risking billions of pesos, it is to be construed that they have made various analyses on what would be more attractive and what projects would draw and pull investors, tourists, etc.

Go Global

August 20th, 2009, 04:29 PM

the difficulty with this is that the land being developed is no longer eminent domain and is already privately owned....any land undeveloped (recreational greenery not pocket greenery) is lost profit to the developer.....

the balance you are seeking is to incorporate the "lost" profit into the price of sold lots.....after all isnt that the reason why BGC properties are P160K per sqm as raw land?

i say make it P250K per sqm raw land and give us more greenery.

When I mentioned this, I was not referring to Makati alone or at least that part of Makati which is "Ayala" domain. I was referring to the overall picture of all our cities.

One city that sticks to mind (because I visited there this year) is Baguio. I was shocked to see what has become of it. There was really not much left for it to claim itself as the "city of pines".

On the other hand, I'm impressed with what Singapore does, in that it tries to maintain this balance as a rule inspite of its small land mass. Beside the many buildings and malls in Singapore, you also see a lot of areas devoted to parks, creating that balance I'm referring to.

I think, in our case, the will isn't there, not just the money. I think we take out more than what we put back in. Cities, or for that matter countries, that are considered world class are those that do the opposite.

epik ll ian

August 20th, 2009, 04:52 PM

You see why tourist are flocking into Germany, Paris and London, it is not mainly because of their attractive street malls and city development but looking more on their heritage architecture. I prefer like Manila, which comprises more on heritage structure to rehabilitate all of it and make places a friendly place for locals and tourist with nice alfresco dining and those musical shows that depicts Filipino culture and music. Like going to Cambodia (Angkorwatt), Thailand or Indonesia, most western tourist not after on city attraction but they prefer to go beaches and provinces to seen the culture of this country. If they just stack in the city developments sawa na sila sa ganung view na puros lighted street malls and so forth dahil sa western country like in New York, baka di ka pa pinapanganak, yung iniimagine mo sa Korea ay matagal ng pinagsawaan yan sa Amerika.

This is where you're mistaken adverg. Out of all of our neighbors, Manila concentrates the least on our heritage structure. When I go down the streets of Manila, how many times do you see genuine Filipino architecture being constructed? How often do you see Filipino design elements used in new construction? How often to do you see some of our originial architecture like the Bahay na Bato? You just don't! We're globalizing at a pace that's quicker than our ability to preserve what we have. I was just talking to my Makati friend who works for a fashion magazine last week about this. We were talking about how we wish the Philippines would incorporate more its unique architectural style in its new buildings. When you go to Japan and China and South Korea etc. it's nice walking through they city and encountering a nice temple. It's nice seeing how they still design their modern buildings with their own elements. It makes you take a step back and it provides you with a chance to breathe and appreciate the beauty of simpler things amongst the hustle and bustle. In South Korea you can see how they still preserve their native design style in their homes in spite of modernization, they still have Hanok villages, and their homes still have unique features like a little area to where you take off and leave your shoes, kimchi refrigerators, sliding panel doors within the house instead of hinge doors, unique korean pottery and furniture, mats for bowing to your elders, the East Asian style roof, dining tables that you have to sit on the ground for ... and the list goes on. How often do you see that implemented in our designs? You don't. A lot of our new designs that are coming out are really nice, but I'm not seeing many differences between new Filipino condos and something I'd find in California. While we're at it, our OMP industry is also taking the turn to globalization ... A lot of the songs you listen to on our radio by OPM artists are sung in English! Where's the heritage in this when we have our own language? How many more hits does it take before we turn into a completely different country??

I'll tell you why people flock to Europe for travel destinations. It's not mostly because of shopping. Most people can't even afford the clothing that comes out of Europe. And yes, part of the reason why people visit Europe is due to history. Europeans all travel within their continent a lot because it's such a small area and it doesn't take that long to go from one country to the next. Asians find it interesting because the west is so different from the East. Americans would go to Europe not because they think it's better than Asia, but it's geographically closer to them, and that's where most of their ancestors come from. I'll also tell you that when people shop in Europe they don't shop in malls either. So, if you want to follow another European trend, there's another reason to make our streets better. Even Europe doesn't do malls as much as you think. All of the tourists walk down the streets of Europe when they shop. They go down the Champs Elysees, Avenue Montaigne, Via Condotti, Oxford Street, Via Margutta, Regent Street. Nobody goes to Europe to visit the Rome or London or Paris Mall. Tourists buy their stuff on the street. Even if it's too expensive, they still love walking down the street and breathing the nice European air and enjoying the cityscape. Malls are faceless and generic. Same goes in Asia. Same goes with our streets. I'm still trying to see why this isn't clicking with you guys. On the streets you find the most genuine shopping and most true cultural experiences pertaining to the country you're visiting.

Most of the structures in Europe are ancient and they still keep using these structures and they still keep modifying them. This is mostly what their cities are made of - old structures. Now tell me, how many surviving ancient structures do we have to work with in Manila? 10 at most? We have no other choice but to go modern. We should also consider the past in our new designs. Architectural (and cultural too) preservation isn't only about saving old buildings, it's about considering the past in what we construct now and passing it on. We should use elements that are inherently Filipino and implement them in our design. That's the best we can do for our past.

@ Epik
I was really wondering why asian culture have no originality. Whether we like it or not, we are all manggagaya's, we see this in Korea, we see this in Hongkong, we see this in Japan, we want to apply it in our own country. Do you think this few countries you've mentioned as you appreciate much their development did not copy to the western trend of development designs. Saan ba nanggaling yung sabi mong fashionable street mallers people, original ba ang mga Koreans niyan, yung mga neon street lights sa hongkong and shanghai, sila ba ang original niyan. We are so proud of them for seing is but this is very old fashioned already. Pinagtatawanan tayo ng mga western people dahil masyadong tayong bilib na sa mga bagong nakita natin, but the truth, pinaglumaan na lahat yan ng western culture. Nakapasok lang tayo sa lv stores, we are so proud of ourselves because this is branded items. Why dont we make our own that wont follow others fashioned was it because this is the trend and accepted by international tourism. Who cares if we have multiplying malls in every corners of our city rather than street malls as you mersmerize on it. Why dont we make something unique that never been seen in this countries by foreign tourist that can be seen in ours. If koreans are satisfied with their developments, why a lot of Koreans like to go to Philippines, as you say not in the city proper but on beaches, yes I agree because they are bored already in the congestion of the city with so much industrial look developments. In fact I hate this so much industrial look developments. Yes I still agree with street developments, by putting more landscape and trees but not to congest with so much street malls. I prefer to be quiet with more greens and water features rather than more light effects which shows like a red zone district.

Why Asian culture has no originality? Are you sure you’re Asian … because this is the blindest statement I’ve heard in a long time. It’s also really insulting to the many thousands of years of Asian cultural development that has been going on for so long, and you think there’s no originality in it? Don’t make me list all of the things Asia has come up with, and all of the things that separate it from the Western world. I can’t believe you even said that. I think Asia does the best job at becoming ultra modern but preserving its past at the same time. Having nice modern streets to walk down is not being manggagaya it’s being practical. It’s not just in Asia you’ll see a city where you can walk down its street. It’s everywhere. So this isn’t a copying, this is actually making our city livable and tourable.

South Korea is a newly developed country. The South Korea you saw in 1990 is far different from the South Korea you’ll see in 2000. That statement I will stand by. They wouldn’t build their streets nicely with neon/LED …
http://fs.textcube.com/blog/0/92/attach/XUxsBtRuak.jpg

These kinds of lights wouldn’t have been recently constructed and reorganized in South Korea if they were outdated.

"I recommend neon lights for the same reason Michael posted above. They really show off a modern side to the city, they light up the streets, they're actually really nice to look at if you've ever left the country to see them, and in an indirect way they do help out with safety. They cast a lot light on the street. And robbers can't really get away with anything in bright places. This is pretty obvious"

robbers even rob in broad daylight, so there's no amount of neon lights can keep them away I think. Police visibililty perhaps, but not a bunch of tacky, glittery, hot pink signs that says "Mystique"

I dont have to to leave the country to see how tacky they are. Just go to Quezon Ave or Mabini. marami dun.

the problem with some people here is that they dont know what they are talking about. You want uniquely Filipino pero gusto gayahin ang Korea or China. duh

Yes, I want unique Filipino, but look at how Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan have made their economic shopping success by taking the basic concept of nice shopping streets and making it their own. They're not all the same. This is what I'm trying to tell you. Learn from the good ideas but make them your own when you implement them. This is how we will make our own style. Along the way, come up with some of your own good ideas as well.

Robbers are everywhere and in every country. They're in malls, they're in the streets, they're in your neighborhood, you can't avoid them. I'm saying lights do indirectly help out the street scene. If you were a robber, would you rather rob somebody in a dark area or in a bright area where you're completely visible and exposed? I'm not saying lights are the ONLY way to keep robbers away. That's obvious. Of course a police/security presence would do the job.

You guys will soon have to face the facts that these aren’t tacky. You can't base the assumptions that street signs are tacky because of what you've seen on Quezon Ave either. Our signs are tacky and they're giving you false impressions of what we can build. Signs are easily replaceable and they can change with the times. The signs I'm talking about aren't the same kind of lights you’d find on the Las Vegas strip at cheap hotels that say "Mystique Show Girls" in Hot pink, and they’re not the same kinds of lights we’re used to seeing in our Prostitute streets that say "Brown Sugar" or "Beaver House." Those prostitute signs are tacky, I'll agree. And the style they're going after was meant to be tacky. However, I'm talking about modern tasteful signs - simple modern lighted signs (not overly glittery or glitzy) which attract customers and flaunt our technological advancement. If you don't like lighted signs on the street, what's your suggestion? Give me your idea how to make our streets night friendly. How do you think stores will attract customers? Nobody wants to walk down dark streets. Nobody wants to walk down streets with dim lit signs either. It looks old, poor, and it’s just flat out depressing. These kinds lights are the best way to do it. If you suggest another kind of light that can serve the same purpose, go ahead and use it. I'm not stopping you. But our streets need to light up and be modern and inviting. As times change, the lights can change with it. They’re not meant to stay forever. They're replaceable. That’s another reason why malls are impractical. Not only can you not build malls everywhere you please like many of you think, they’re huge, and they require lots of space to build and even more money to update. Once a mall quickly loses the style it was built under do you realize you have a whole eyesore of a LOT sitting in the CBD whose value just went under? Nobody will go to it, it's ugly, not current, old, and you must do something about this huge building. You then have to update it which costs a huge sum of money, or you have to tear it down and build a new one which requires and even BIGGER sum of money. Do you not see how impractical it is shoving malls everywhere within our CBD? Even if you were to accomplish your goal of dotting the CBD with giant dark malls, you’re still not making Manila’s streets walkable by putting malls everywhere. If we had nice streets whose buildings could have shops in them, you already have shells of buildings which only need maintenance. From there, you have the skeleton and all you need to update are the new shops which will change over time. Changing the new shops and new signs over time is easier because they’re not all glued to one mall chain. You don’t have to update ALL AT ONCE. In short, it’s easier to update individual buildings over time than it is to update an ENTIRE mall. And hey, we already have buildings and streets to work with. So, let's do it.

Building malls where ever you please within the CBD? It won't work because:

A.) Because you can’t put malls everywhere since we have a lot of pre-existing buildings that line the street.
B.) What about the rest of the street? You might have one mall, but you still have the rest of the street to attend to.
C.) They're expensive to maintain and update.

I also wouldn’t be proud of the fact that we’re thriving off international brands like you said. That's even worse than what you were mentioning before. That’s another reason why we’re not attracting as many tourists as we can. We need to have a balance by coming up with our own designs. By using only international brands and not coming up with our own in the streets where vendors experiment their own designs to come up with something uniquely Filipino and by using malls which mostly house international brands even like what you just said, nobody will want to come here. What kind of a cultural experience are you going to get in our faceless mall without it's own style that's filled with the leftover brands and styles and stores we've sucked from the rest of the world? They will especially not want to come here if you try and make us look like Europe. We’ll never be Europe, we’re not in Europe. If people wanted to get a dose of European culture, just go to Europe. We’ll forever be second to Europe if you try and copy the European style. We’re not EUROPEAN. We’re Asian. We have an Asian style that’s uniquely Filipino which we should use to allure tourists from everywhere – even Asia. Genetically our blood is only 3.6% percent European. Our culture does have blending with the West, but we still have our own culture to attend to. Asia generates the most tourists out of any continent. We should take advantage of this by being uniquely Filipino. If the Japanese wanted to get a European experience, they won’t go to the Philippines; they’ll just go to Europe. We’re not European and we can’t double what they have. We’ll also not get any European tourists, A.) A lot of European tourists complain about visiting the Philippines because they’re not getting the cultural experience they thought they’d receive (so that knocks out your heritage point) B.) Europe’s not going to want to visit a place that’s 2nd to itself.

When it comes to world style. Many nations have their own unique style the can come up with. Korea is catching up to the lead in developing world class modern style and it has Han style, Japan has a lot of different revolutionary styles including Harajuku style, the Chinese have the Hanfu movement. What do you have to offer? Lacoste? Justin Cariel? Where do you think we'll get our style? In a mall? No. Not everyone who has a passion to develop a Filipino style can make it into mall. It's expensive and malls have little spaces which can't house everyone with a dream. The streets are more accommodating. Leave the malls to international brands, but leave our streets to startups who are awaiting to be discovered. These startup people will also provide for those without as much money because they can offer new fashions and experimental designs to those people without a lot of money. Everyone's benefited. Nouveau Filipino fashionistas all need to work on the streets where there's an ABUNDANCE of opportunity. The mall is too limiting. Street vendors and stores can all have a chance to compete and develop our own unique Filipino taste - something a mall can't provide us.

Regarding your comment why a lot of Korean visit the Philippines ... Korean tourists and temporary visitors don't go to Manila because they want to see a nice city. I think this should be obvious to you. They have Seoul, Daejeon, Busan etc. And lucky for them, they can walk in their own streets. A lot of Koreans come to the Philippines because it's a nice place to vacation in the islands, we're hospitable, and they want to learn English. They don't come here because of the shopping. They already have incredible style. Like I said, have you seen how actors and actresses dress in the KDramas? It's no different in real life. You wouldn't believe how many of these styles were purchased off the streets and street stores as well.

firebender

August 20th, 2009, 07:53 PM

so any recent pictures of the site as of today? :)

Kintoy

August 20th, 2009, 11:06 PM

This is where you're mistaken adverg. Out of all of our neighbors, Manila concentrates the least on our heritage structure. When I go down the streets of Manila, how many times do you see genuine Filipino architecture being constructed? How often do you see Filipino design elements used in new construction? How often to do you see some of our originial architecture like the Bahay na Bato? You just don't! We're globalizing at a pace that's quicker than our ability to preserve what we have. I was just talking to my Makati friend who works for a fashion magazine last week about this. We were talking about how we wish the Philippines would incorporate more its unique architectural style in its new buildings. When you go to Japan and China and South Korea etc. it's nice walking through they city and encountering a nice temple. It's nice seeing how they still design their modern buildings with their own elements. It makes you take a step back and it provides you with a chance to breathe and appreciate the beauty of simpler things amongst the hustle and bustle. In South Korea you can see how they still preserve their native design style in their homes in spite of modernization, they still have Hanok villages, and their homes still have unique features like a little area to where you take off and leave your shoes, kimchi refrigerators, sliding panel doors within the house instead of hinge doors, unique korean pottery and furniture, mats for bowing to your elders, the East Asian style roof, dining tables that you have to sit on the ground for ... and the list goes on. How often do you see that implemented in our designs? You don't. A lot of our new designs that are coming out are really nice, but I'm not seeing many differences between new Filipino condos and something I'd find in California. While we're at it, our OMP industry is also taking the turn to globalization ... A lot of the songs you listen to on our radio by OPM artists are sung in English! Where's the heritage in this when we have our own language? How many more hits does it take before we turn into a completely different country??

I'll tell you why people flock to Europe for travel destinations. It's not mostly because of shopping. Most people can't even afford the clothing that comes out of Europe. And yes, part of the reason why people visit Europe is due to history. Europeans all travel within their continent a lot because it's such a small area and it doesn't take that long to go from one country to the next. Asians find it interesting because the west is so different from the East. Americans would go to Europe not because they think it's better than Asia, but it's geographically closer to them, and that's where most of their ancestors come from. I'll also tell you that when people shop in Europe they don't shop in malls either. So, if you want to follow another European trend, there's another reason to make our streets better. Even Europe doesn't do malls as much as you think. All of the tourists walk down the streets of Europe when they shop. They go down the Champs Elysees, Avenue Montaigne, Via Condotti, Oxford Street, Via Margutta, Regent Street. Nobody goes to Europe to visit the Rome or London or Paris Mall. Tourists buy their stuff on the street. Even if it's too expensive, they still love walking down the street and breathing the nice European air and enjoying the cityscape. Malls are faceless and generic. Same goes in Asia. Same goes with our streets. I'm still trying to see why this isn't clicking with you guys. On the streets you find the most genuine shopping and most true cultural experiences pertaining to the country you're visiting.

Most of the structures in Europe are ancient and they still keep using these structures and they still keep modifying them. This is mostly what their cities are made of - old structures. Now tell me, how many surviving ancient structures do we have to work with in Manila? 10 at most? We have no other choice but to go modern. We should also consider the past in our new designs. Architectural (and cultural too) preservation isn't only about saving old buildings, it's about considering the past in what we construct now and passing it on. We should use elements that are inherently Filipino and implement them in our design. That's the best we can do for our past.

Why Asian culture has no originality? Are you sure you’re Asian … because this is the blindest statement I’ve heard in a long time. It’s also really insulting to the many thousands of years of Asian cultural development that has been going on for so long, and you think there’s no originality in it? Don’t make me list all of the things Asia has come up with, and all of the things that separate it from the Western world. I can’t believe you even said that. I think Asia does the best job at becoming ultra modern but preserving its past at the same time. Having nice modern streets to walk down is not being manggagaya it’s being practical. It’s not just in Asia you’ll see a city where you can walk down its street. It’s everywhere. So this isn’t a copying, this is actually making our city livable and tourable.

South Korea is a newly developed country. The South Korea you saw in 1990 is far different from the South Korea you’ll see in 2000. That statement I will stand by. They wouldn’t build their streets nicely with neon/LED …
http://fs.textcube.com/blog/0/92/attach/XUxsBtRuak.jpg

These kinds of lights wouldn’t have been recently constructed and reorganized in South Korea if they were outdated.

Yes, I want unique Filipino, but look at how Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan have made their economic shopping success by taking the basic concept of nice shopping streets and making it their own. They're not all the same. This is what I'm trying to tell you. Learn from the good ideas but make them your own when you implement them. This is how we will make our own style. Along the way, come up with some of your own good ideas as well.

Robbers are everywhere and in every country. They're in malls, they're in the streets, they're in your neighborhood, you can't avoid them. I'm saying lights do indirectly help out the street scene. If you were a robber, would you rather rob somebody in a dark area or in a bright area where you're completely visible and exposed? I'm not saying lights are the ONLY way to keep robbers away. That's obvious. Of course a police/security presence would do the job.

You guys will soon have to face the facts that these aren’t tacky. You can't base the assumptions that street signs are tacky because of what you've seen on Quezon Ave either. Our signs are tacky and they're giving you false impressions of what we can build. Signs are easily replaceable and they can change with the times. The signs I'm talking about aren't the same kind of lights you’d find on the Las Vegas strip at cheap hotels that say "Mystique Show Girls" in Hot pink, and they’re not the same kinds of lights we’re used to seeing in our Prostitute streets that say "Brown Sugar" or "Beaver House." Those prostitute signs are tacky, I'll agree. And the style they're going after was meant to be tacky. However, I'm talking about modern tasteful signs - simple modern lighted signs (not overly glittery or glitzy) which attract customers and flaunt our technological advancement. If you don't like lighted signs on the street, what's your suggestion? Give me your idea how to make our streets night friendly. How do you think stores will attract customers? Nobody wants to walk down dark streets. Nobody wants to walk down streets with dim lit signs either. It looks old, poor, and it’s just flat out depressing. These kinds lights are the best way to do it. If you suggest another kind of light that can serve the same purpose, go ahead and use it. I'm not stopping you. But our streets need to light up and be modern and inviting. As times change, the lights can change with it. They’re not meant to stay forever. They're replaceable. That’s another reason why malls are impractical. Not only can you not build malls everywhere you please like many of you think, they’re huge, and they require lots of space to build and even more money to update. Once a mall quickly loses the style it was built under do you realize you have a whole eyesore of a LOT sitting in the CBD whose value just went under? Nobody will go to it, it's ugly, not current, old, and you must do something about this huge building. You then have to update it which costs a huge sum of money, or you have to tear it down and build a new one which requires and even BIGGER sum of money. Do you not see how impractical it is shoving malls everywhere within our CBD? Even if you were to accomplish your goal of dotting the CBD with giant dark malls, you’re still not making Manila’s streets walkable by putting malls everywhere. If we had nice streets whose buildings could have shops in them, you already have shells of buildings which only need maintenance. From there, you have the skeleton and all you need to update are the new shops which will change over time. Changing the new shops and new signs over time is easier because they’re not all glued to one mall chain. You don’t have to update ALL AT ONCE. In short, it’s easier to update individual buildings over time than it is to update an ENTIRE mall. And hey, we already have buildings and streets to work with. So, let's do it.

Building malls where ever you please within the CBD? It won't work because:

A.) Because you can’t put malls everywhere since we have a lot of pre-existing buildings that line the street.
B.) What about the rest of the street? You might have one mall, but you still have the rest of the street to attend to.
C.) They're expensive to maintain and update.

I also wouldn’t be proud of the fact that we’re thriving off international brands like you said. That's even worse than what you were mentioning before. That’s another reason why we’re not attracting as many tourists as we can. We need to have a balance by coming up with our own designs. By using only international brands and not coming up with our own in the streets where vendors experiment their own designs to come up with something uniquely Filipino and by using malls which mostly house international brands even like what you just said, nobody will want to come here. What kind of a cultural experience are you going to get in our faceless mall without it's own style that's filled with the leftover brands and styles and stores we've sucked from the rest of the world? They will especially not want to come here if you try and make us look like Europe. We’ll never be Europe, we’re not in Europe. If people wanted to get a dose of European culture, just go to Europe. We’ll forever be second to Europe if you try and copy the European style. We’re not EUROPEAN. We’re Asian. We have an Asian style that’s uniquely Filipino which we should use to allure tourists from everywhere – even Asia. Genetically our blood is only 3.6% percent European. Our culture does have blending with the West, but we still have our own culture to attend to. Asia generates the most tourists out of any continent. We should take advantage of this by being uniquely Filipino. If the Japanese wanted to get a European experience, they won’t go to the Philippines; they’ll just go to Europe. We’re not European and we can’t double what they have. We’ll also not get any European tourists, A.) A lot of European tourists complain about visiting the Philippines because they’re not getting the cultural experience they thought they’d receive (so that knocks out your heritage point) B.) Europe’s not going to want to visit a place that’s 2nd to itself.

When it comes to world style. Many nations have their own unique style the can come up with. Korea is catching up to the lead in developing world class modern style and it has Han style, Japan has a lot of different revolutionary styles including Harajuku style, the Chinese have the Hanfu movement. What do you have to offer? Lacoste? Justin Cariel? Where do you think we'll get our style? In a mall? No. Not everyone who has a passion to develop a Filipino style can make it into mall. It's expensive and malls have little spaces which can't house everyone with a dream. The streets are more accommodating. Leave the malls to international brands, but leave our streets to startups who are awaiting to be discovered. These startup people will also provide for those without as much money because they can offer new fashions and experimental designs to those people without a lot of money. Everyone's benefited. Nouveau Filipino fashionistas all need to work on the streets where there's an ABUNDANCE of opportunity. The mall is too limiting. Street vendors and stores can all have a chance to compete and develop our own unique Filipino taste - something a mall can't provide us.

Regarding your comment why a lot of Korean visit the Philippines ... Korean tourists and temporary visitors don't go to Manila because they want to see a nice city. I think this should be obvious to you. They have Seoul, Daejeon, Busan etc. And lucky for them, they can walk in their own streets. A lot of Koreans come to the Philippines because it's a nice place to vacation in the islands, we're hospitable, and they want to learn English. They don't come here because of the shopping. They already have incredible style. Like I said, have you seen how actors and actresses dress in the KDramas? It's no different in real life. You wouldn't believe how many of these styles were purchased off the streets and street stores as well.

are you writing a book?

epik ll ian

August 20th, 2009, 11:47 PM

are you writing a book?

What if I am?

taipan101

August 20th, 2009, 11:49 PM

I don't care weather if it would be a street shopping or what just redesign and update the whole Glorietta area. Just build it and they will come as they say. It's the Zobel's project and property. But for moi maybe the street like shopping district is applicable elsewhere in the metro. Philippine architecture hmmm that would be a tough one. It's really hard to determine what Filipino architecture is. Our design and style is somewhat close to our South East Asian Neighbors. For us architect we prefer working on green and efficient edifice. The redevelopment of Glorietta is close to what we architects are aiming for.

adverg

August 21st, 2009, 05:09 AM

leechtat

August 21st, 2009, 08:09 AM

^^ i must agree... greenbelt is an internationally acclaimed and awarded mall. mall-type developments are better for CBD, since property values there are high and contsructing a low-rise, low-rent yield bldg is not lucrative.

we really do agree with you @epikIIian. i read your term paper like comment and you make sense. however, what you are proposing here is already in existence in metro manila.. so you wouldn't even need to argue here...

we have divisoria and binondo, boni high st, eton centris, some street shopping in intramuros, in malate, in greenhills, an open-air mall as tiendesitas and mall of asia... i can name more..

what you need to argue about is how to turn these places into ideal places to street shop either for locals or tourists..

in addition:

you said and i quote:
If you want to quickly grab a bite to eat, get a shirt dry cleaned, quickly pick up medicine because you're weak and sick, get an ingredient for something you're in the middle of cooking, you don't have TIME to be taxied all the way to the end of town or to the nearest mall in the middle of Manila traffic to do little tasks. That's what shopping is like in Manila. It's inconvenient.

^^ kaya nga maraming nag-iinvest sa sari-sari store sa mga villages and communites... sa tindahan ni aling nene mabibili yan.. kahit school supplies meron... kahit gamot... magandang negosyo yan, lalo na pag-supplier ka nila... meron din labendera ko atbp na negosyo na nasa loob ng mga komunidad.. katulad ng sa Don Antonio in QC.

cebu2manila

August 21st, 2009, 08:09 AM

are you writing a book?
What if I am?

the name just suggest,

epik ka dian ( LONNNGGG AND WINDING ROAD).:lol:

crappypants

August 21st, 2009, 08:13 AM

our city is tropical , we just need to play up our advantage. make everything lush , green , colorful clean and organized ,no matter what type of malls we have it will be a hit. unfortunately majority metro mayors are inutile and indifferent as long as they remain in their positions who cares if the city looks like a giant ghetto.

epik ll ian

August 21st, 2009, 03:16 PM

@ Epik
I ask you and you answer me directly to the point. Do you think if Ayala during their initial development stage like the Greenbelt areas follow the ideas as what you proposed, like with neon lights street mall type, they will win the international awards for most innovative mall development in the whole world? Why we need to follow others idea. So where is now the originality you are saying?

Use the idea of street malls and make it your own. Just because I ask you to have shops outdoors you think that's unoriginal because we have neighbors with nice walkable and high class streets who made a success out of it? Why can't we? I'll leave it there. Whether you shop outside or inside, that idea is not original. Making the street your own is original. Also, I'm not talking about eliminating our existing malls. Our existing malls are fine. But having a bunch of malls won't make our city world class if we don't have nice streets to go along with them. That's the point you're missing. You've got the most innovative mall development in the whole world, great. What about when your city's streets can't match up? I'm talking about taking a break from mall building and focusing on the other part of Manila that needs development. I'd rather have a city that's award winning, and a city where tourists feel fine walking throughout than a few award winning malls.

^^ i must agree... greenbelt is an internationally acclaimed and awarded mall. mall-type developments are better for CBD, since property values there are high and contsructing a low-rise, low-rent yield bldg is not lucrative.

we really do agree with you @epikIIian. i read your term paper like comment and you make sense. however, what you are proposing here is already in existence in metro manila.. so you wouldn't even need to argue here...

we have divisoria and binondo, boni high st, eton centris, some street shopping in intramuros, in malate, in greenhills, an open-air mall as tiendesitas and mall of asia... i can name more..

what you need to argue about is how to turn these places into ideal places to street shop either for locals or tourists.

I really feel like I had no other option than make it long here. A lot of people don't get what I say and people keep asking me the same question over and over again. >.< So, I have no option but to give thorough answers. It might seem annoying to me, but this topic is pretty important to me. If the same question would stop getting asked and the same criticism would stop getting delivered, I'd keep them shorter. Hey, if you don't want to read it, fine by me. I'm not doing any harm by answer questions and criticism thoroughly though.

I think those places you mentioned should be expanded and revived and modernized. That's my point. We have to start somewhere. Eventually, I would hope the whole city can be walkable someday. The city has many buildings where malls can not be put. Expanding street shopping and safe streets throughout the city wherever it is possible tasteful is lucrative. It's a great way to drag tourists and citizens throughout our city and shop. It shows off our modernization and architecture to tourists, and having our citizens safely walking throughout the city will inspire them to work even harder for their country that they love.

Go Global

August 21st, 2009, 03:41 PM

Folks, I think it's all very clear by now after several posts (some short and some very long) that there are differing views on what epik ll ian has proposed. I don't know about you, but don't you think the on-going discussion is now becoming redundant?

Maybe we should move on with posting pictures or plans of the proposed Ayala Center Redevelopment and talk about the tenants or establishments that will be housed in the complex.

cebu2manila

August 21st, 2009, 04:01 PM

good idea am just not into reading of a long epic.

epik ll ian

August 21st, 2009, 04:09 PM

good idea am just not into reading of a long epic.

HILARIOUS. If you don't want to read it, then just don't. Not so difficult.

Kintoy

August 22nd, 2009, 11:41 AM

basta, I trust the Ayala designers more of what they think world-class shopping experience should be, than some two-bit observer whose idea of cool is lots of neon lights.

@epik, maybe you should design malls for Ever Gotesco or Puregold, you seem to have the same ideas as them

in_a_rush

August 22nd, 2009, 02:59 PM

shopping street concept wont work in the Ayala redevelopment due to the limited space. plus the fact that it is in the CBD. therefore every space is important, im sure Ayala will maximize it to have a bigger profit. its all about profitability.

kurapica

August 23rd, 2009, 08:43 AM

rmn

August 23rd, 2009, 08:58 AM

Makati Central Business District (MCBD) gets a makeover
PERSPECTIVES By Ching M. Alano (The Philippine Star) Updated August 23, 2009 12:00 AM

The future Ayala Avenue will feature uniform tree planting, enhanced intersections, improved lighting, and improved urban design to bring it to the level of major boulevards such as those in Singapore, the US, and Europe.
| Zoom

Picture a worthless swamp-land with nary a sign of life back in the 1600s. And now, picture a prime real estate property throbbing with frenetic activity. From grass to glass, from cogon land to the financial and commercial heartland of the country — that sums up Makati today and its premier Central Business District, dubbed the Wall Street of the Philippines.

Like most young people chasing their dreams in the 1970s, architect Paulo Alcazaren has fond memories of Makati Commercial Center (now known as “Ayala Center”). “I remember Rizal Theater, Maranao Mart, Erehwon, and the many food courts.”

Today, Makati boasts some of the tallest buildings in the Philippines, the finest shopping malls, and the grandest five-star hotels.

And now, this much-loved grand old dame is getting a much-deserved face-lift. True, Makati has kept apace with the times, its Central Business District (CBD) boasting world-class buildings, urban design, and landscape architecture. MCBD has successfully accommodated the business, residential, and retail requirements of metropolitan growth in the last few decades.

“But despite its maturity, opportunities for investment, new building projects, and renovations of existing properties to cater to higher and better use continue at a pace that belies the district’s physical and economic zeitgeist,” notes Paulo Alcazaren, principal of PGAA Creative Design, whose firm was tapped by the Makati Commercial Estate Association (MACEA) for the urban master plan of the impro–vements. “These opportunities are given impetus by rising property values and sustained within a continually improving infrastructural framework of utilities, pedestrian and vehicular transportation, and amenities for open space, recreation, shopping, and entertainment.”

Not one to simply stand still, MCBD — through MACEA and Ayala Land, which holds sway over two prime components Ayala Center and the Ayala Triangle — is embarking on a major urban makeover.

In the next few years, a series of projects will be launched to change the face of the district to bring it at par with the best cities in the world. According to Jaime Matias, general manager of MACEA, the association’s main goal is to “maintain and enhance its status as the country’s premier Central Business District and be a regional exemplar of progressive urban development.”

Sustainable Green Development

Together with noted architect William Coscolluela, who’s head of the technical committee and one of the governors of MACEA, Matias lists the following strategies to achieve the association’s goals:

• Enhance the pedestrian realm of the district to make it even more friendly for people.

• Develop pleasant public spaces with lush landscape and functional amenities.

• Create a district-wide urban design makeover within the context of sustainable and green development.

“Dating back to 15 years ago, this overhead and underground pedestrian system allowed for the separation of people and cars, just like in the US, Europe, Singapore, and Japan,” Alcazaren points out. “The models we looked at were the walkable cities like San Francisco and Singapore. We looked at how much cover or shelter from the rain we could provide, the shades from trees, the quality of the pavement, the width of the sidewalks. Ayala Avenue has the widest sidewalks in the country. We’re upgrading the material of the paving and enhancing the concrete and stone pavement.”

Fact is, these bridges and covered walkways have been emulated by other districts in Metro Manila and even by other cities nationwide. But MCBD is not resting on its laurels. It is expanding its network to cover the entire commercial business district so that sooner than you think, you’ll be able to walk from EDSA to Gil Puyat, Makati Medical Center to SM, Pasay Road to Pacific Star, unhampered by traffic and protected from the sun and rain.

Walkable Sidewalks And Urban Patios

Improvements are afoot for Ayala Avenue, MCBD’s premier main street — and perhaps the country’s. Plans for this popular grand avenue will enhance the existing street trees, sidewalk paving, weather protection, lighting, signage, and access to undeground walkways. Pedestrians will be able to walk on smooth, even sidewalks at par in quality with those of Tokyo and Singapore.

We will see a lot of green and open spaces in the inner sub-districts of Salcedo and Legaspi Villages. “These ‘urban patios’ take advantage of unused corners and empty areas,” Alcazaren describes. “When we evaluated the area, we found out that certain corners were not being used. These large triangles of land we’re turning into usable space. These urban patios will have opportunities for well-designed new snack and newspaper kiosks like in Singapore or Tokyo. They will have good paving, shade from trees, and will be clean and well-lighted like the public spaces of Paris or San Francisco.”

Ayala Triangle will also undergo a makeover with Ayala Land opening up portions of it for pedestrians and improving its green open spaces with new landscape designs.

Greenbelt and Glorietta, the original commercial center, are also going through an exciting makeover.

The improvements being considered for the Makati CBD and being implemented by MACEA and Ayala Land are all part of the progressive evolution of the district. These changes are part of the urban DNA started by Ayala and based on the lessons learned over the decades of MCBD’s growth.

Ayala Land continues this mode of smart development with its newer projects in Bonifacio Global City and Nuvali. The original MCBD moves on however, and the lessons learned from this advanced district will then become part of the Ayala Land genetic code for all its projects and interests.

All these exciting changes will be visible starting the end of 2010. We can only wait with bated breath.

* * *

sloanesquare

August 23rd, 2009, 11:37 AM

Improvements are afoot for Ayala Avenue, MCBD’s premier main street — and perhaps the country’s. Plans for this popular grand avenue will enhance the existing street trees, sidewalk paving, weather protection, lighting, signage, and access to undeground walkways. Pedestrians will be able to walk on smooth, even sidewalks at par in quality with those of Tokyo and Singapore.

one does weary and tear in the eye after ridiculous articles like this....the journalist i think just reprinted the Ayala Land brochure...

Ayala Avenue the popular grand avenue????we really are starting from A VERY LOW BASE if this is the classification.

lighting..theres nothing to study..you just keep using the wrong low wattage.

trees....again the wrong trees...we need shade not palm trees on the centre island.

sidewalks...why study Singapore San Francisco or Tokyo.. whats there to study..the sidewalks are bulging because the wrong trees were planted where the roots are erupting instead of heading south..

and most of the buildings look dreary and tired because they are all concrete and full of soot or dirty paint instead of using washable granite ...

the pedestrian lanes dont work because we dont have right of way pedestrian laws...

Whats there to study? another article full of hyperbole..if you want to really see what the new Ayala Avenue may look like just looks at the Links ..After less than 2years , paint is peeling, exit area wall paint is very dirty and corrosion is visible in all the eaves...p.s. wrong material used again

stanleymalls

August 23rd, 2009, 11:45 AM

^^ @epik ll ian: You should read this one.....

This is where you're mistaken adverg. Out of all of our neighbors, Manila concentrates the least on our heritage structure. When I go down the streets of Manila, how many times do you see genuine Filipino architecture being constructed? How often do you see Filipino design elements used in new construction? How often to do you see some of our originial architecture like the Bahay na Bato? You just don't! We're globalizing at a pace that's quicker than our ability to preserve what we have. I was just talking to my Makati friend who works for a fashion magazine last week about this. We were talking about how we wish the Philippines would incorporate more its unique architectural style in its new buildings. When you go to Japan and China and South Korea etc. it's nice walking through they city and encountering a nice temple. It's nice seeing how they still design their modern buildings with their own elements. It makes you take a step back and it provides you with a chance to breathe and appreciate the beauty of simpler things amongst the hustle and bustle. In South Korea you can see how they still preserve their native design style in their homes in spite of modernization, they still have Hanok villages, and their homes still have unique features like a little area to where you take off and leave your shoes, kimchi refrigerators, sliding panel doors within the house instead of hinge doors, unique korean pottery and furniture, mats for bowing to your elders, the East Asian style roof, dining tables that you have to sit on the ground for ... and the list goes on. How often do you see that implemented in our designs? You don't. A lot of our new designs that are coming out are really nice, but I'm not seeing many differences between new Filipino condos and something I'd find in California. While we're at it, our OMP industry is also taking the turn to globalization ... A lot of the songs you listen to on our radio by OPM artists are sung in English! Where's the heritage in this when we have our own language? How many more hits does it take before we turn into a completely different country??

I'll tell you why people flock to Europe for travel destinations. It's not mostly because of shopping. Most people can't even afford the clothing that comes out of Europe. And yes, part of the reason why people visit Europe is due to history. Europeans all travel within their continent a lot because it's such a small area and it doesn't take that long to go from one country to the next. Asians find it interesting because the west is so different from the East. Americans would go to Europe not because they think it's better than Asia, but it's geographically closer to them, and that's where most of their ancestors come from. I'll also tell you that when people shop in Europe they don't shop in malls either. So, if you want to follow another European trend, there's another reason to make our streets better. Even Europe doesn't do malls as much as you think. All of the tourists walk down the streets of Europe when they shop. They go down the Champs Elysees, Avenue Montaigne, Via Condotti, Oxford Street, Via Margutta, Regent Street. Nobody goes to Europe to visit the Rome or London or Paris Mall. Tourists buy their stuff on the street. Even if it's too expensive, they still love walking down the street and breathing the nice European air and enjoying the cityscape. Malls are faceless and generic. Same goes in Asia. Same goes with our streets. I'm still trying to see why this isn't clicking with you guys. On the streets you find the most genuine shopping and most true cultural experiences pertaining to the country you're visiting.

Most of the structures in Europe are ancient and they still keep using these structures and they still keep modifying them. This is mostly what their cities are made of - old structures. Now tell me, how many surviving ancient structures do we have to work with in Manila? 10 at most? We have no other choice but to go modern. We should also consider the past in our new designs. Architectural (and cultural too) preservation isn't only about saving old buildings, it's about considering the past in what we construct now and passing it on. We should use elements that are inherently Filipino and implement them in our design. That's the best we can do for our past.

Why Asian culture has no originality? Are you sure you’re Asian … because this is the blindest statement I’ve heard in a long time. It’s also really insulting to the many thousands of years of Asian cultural development that has been going on for so long, and you think there’s no originality in it? Don’t make me list all of the things Asia has come up with, and all of the things that separate it from the Western world. I can’t believe you even said that. I think Asia does the best job at becoming ultra modern but preserving its past at the same time. Having nice modern streets to walk down is not being manggagaya it’s being practical. It’s not just in Asia you’ll see a city where you can walk down its street. It’s everywhere. So this isn’t a copying, this is actually making our city livable and tourable.

South Korea is a newly developed country. The South Korea you saw in 1990 is far different from the South Korea you’ll see in 2000. That statement I will stand by. They wouldn’t build their streets nicely with neon/LED …

Yes, I want unique Filipino, but look at how Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan have made their economic shopping success by taking the basic concept of nice shopping streets and making it their own. They're not all the same. This is what I'm trying to tell you. Learn from the good ideas but make them your own when you implement them. This is how we will make our own style. Along the way, come up with some of your own good ideas as well.

Robbers are everywhere and in every country. They're in malls, they're in the streets, they're in your neighborhood, you can't avoid them. I'm saying lights do indirectly help out the street scene. If you were a robber, would you rather rob somebody in a dark area or in a bright area where you're completely visible and exposed? I'm not saying lights are the ONLY way to keep robbers away. That's obvious. Of course a police/security presence would do the job.

You guys will soon have to face the facts that these aren’t tacky. You can't base the assumptions that street signs are tacky because of what you've seen on Quezon Ave either. Our signs are tacky and they're giving you false impressions of what we can build. Signs are easily replaceable and they can change with the times. The signs I'm talking about aren't the same kind of lights you’d find on the Las Vegas strip at cheap hotels that say "Mystique Show Girls" in Hot pink, and they’re not the same kinds of lights we’re used to seeing in our Prostitute streets that say "Brown Sugar" or "Beaver House." Those prostitute signs are tacky, I'll agree. And the style they're going after was meant to be tacky. However, I'm talking about modern tasteful signs - simple modern lighted signs (not overly glittery or glitzy) which attract customers and flaunt our technological advancement. If you don't like lighted signs on the street, what's your suggestion? Give me your idea how to make our streets night friendly. How do you think stores will attract customers? Nobody wants to walk down dark streets. Nobody wants to walk down streets with dim lit signs either. It looks old, poor, and it’s just flat out depressing. These kinds lights are the best way to do it. If you suggest another kind of light that can serve the same purpose, go ahead and use it. I'm not stopping you. But our streets need to light up and be modern and inviting. As times change, the lights can change with it. They’re not meant to stay forever. They're replaceable. That’s another reason why malls are impractical. Not only can you not build malls everywhere you please like many of you think, they’re huge, and they require lots of space to build and even more money to update. Once a mall quickly loses the style it was built under do you realize you have a whole eyesore of a LOT sitting in the CBD whose value just went under? Nobody will go to it, it's ugly, not current, old, and you must do something about this huge building. You then have to update it which costs a huge sum of money, or you have to tear it down and build a new one which requires and even BIGGER sum of money. Do you not see how impractical it is shoving malls everywhere within our CBD? Even if you were to accomplish your goal of dotting the CBD with giant dark malls, you’re still not making Manila’s streets walkable by putting malls everywhere. If we had nice streets whose buildings could have shops in them, you already have shells of buildings which only need maintenance. From there, you have the skeleton and all you need to update are the new shops which will change over time. Changing the new shops and new signs over time is easier because they’re not all glued to one mall chain. You don’t have to update ALL AT ONCE. In short, it’s easier to update individual buildings over time than it is to update an ENTIRE mall. And hey, we already have buildings and streets to work with. So, let's do it.

Building malls where ever you please within the CBD? It won't work because:

A.) Because you can’t put malls everywhere since we have a lot of pre-existing buildings that line the street.
B.) What about the rest of the street? You might have one mall, but you still have the rest of the street to attend to.
C.) They're expensive to maintain and update.

I also wouldn’t be proud of the fact that we’re thriving off international brands like you said. That's even worse than what you were mentioning before. That’s another reason why we’re not attracting as many tourists as we can. We need to have a balance by coming up with our own designs. By using only international brands and not coming up with our own in the streets where vendors experiment their own designs to come up with something uniquely Filipino and by using malls which mostly house international brands even like what you just said, nobody will want to come here. What kind of a cultural experience are you going to get in our faceless mall without it's own style that's filled with the leftover brands and styles and stores we've sucked from the rest of the world? They will especially not want to come here if you try and make us look like Europe. We’ll never be Europe, we’re not in Europe. If people wanted to get a dose of European culture, just go to Europe. We’ll forever be second to Europe if you try and copy the European style. We’re not EUROPEAN. We’re Asian. We have an Asian style that’s uniquely Filipino which we should use to allure tourists from everywhere – even Asia. Genetically our blood is only 3.6% percent European. Our culture does have blending with the West, but we still have our own culture to attend to. Asia generates the most tourists out of any continent. We should take advantage of this by being uniquely Filipino. If the Japanese wanted to get a European experience, they won’t go to the Philippines; they’ll just go to Europe. We’re not European and we can’t double what they have. We’ll also not get any European tourists, A.) A lot of European tourists complain about visiting the Philippines because they’re not getting the cultural experience they thought they’d receive (so that knocks out your heritage point) B.) Europe’s not going to want to visit a place that’s 2nd to itself.

When it comes to world style. Many nations have their own unique style the can come up with. Korea is catching up to the lead in developing world class modern style and it has Han style, Japan has a lot of different revolutionary styles including Harajuku style, the Chinese have the Hanfu movement. What do you have to offer? Lacoste? Justin Cariel? Where do you think we'll get our style? In a mall? No. Not everyone who has a passion to develop a Filipino style can make it into mall. It's expensive and malls have little spaces which can't house everyone with a dream. The streets are more accommodating. Leave the malls to international brands, but leave our streets to startups who are awaiting to be discovered. These startup people will also provide for those without as much money because they can offer new fashions and experimental designs to those people without a lot of money. Everyone's benefited. Nouveau Filipino fashionistas all need to work on the streets where there's an ABUNDANCE of opportunity. The mall is too limiting. Street vendors and stores can all have a chance to compete and develop our own unique Filipino taste - something a mall can't provide us.

Regarding your comment why a lot of Korean visit the Philippines ... Korean tourists and temporary visitors don't go to Manila because they want to see a nice city. I think this should be obvious to you. They have Seoul, Daejeon, Busan etc. And lucky for them, they can walk in their own streets. A lot of Koreans come to the Philippines because it's a nice place to vacation in the islands, we're hospitable, and they want to learn English. They don't come here because of the shopping. They already have incredible style. Like I said, have you seen how actors and actresses dress in the KDramas? It's no different in real life. You wouldn't believe how many of these styles were purchased off the streets and street stores as well.

Okay. Wooh! It surely is a long essay regarding shopping & the experience in general.

First, the Bahay na Bato Architecture is one of our country's pride. Yes, the preservation of the heritage issue is an ÜBER big issue. it has long been in the pipes and still dozens of structures in the country need preservation. The Filipino market demand is a market wanting what's new & up-to-date. So expect architecture that is just plain global. But let's say that if a building is to be constructed and its inspiration is of Filipino nature, would you call it Modern Philippine Architecture?

Japan, Korea and other Asian countries have their own identity in architecture. And so as the Philippines. Intramuros is an example. It vividly shows the colonial architecture inherited from the Spaniards. Our architecture is simple: Bahay Kubo. Then it evolved into Bahay na Bato, then to Spanish-Filipino houses, to American-style houses, and everything mashed up. IMHO, Filipino architecture is simple, yet straight forward in element.

Tourists here want to get away from stress in their home country, so we offer them our beaches, nature parks and wildlife. Our hospitality is a plus.

You can't just make a shopping street like those in developed countries in a city/development/country that is scorching in heat, people don't want to get sunburned, and pollution.

Asian architecture is distant from Western architecture. But they are correlated.

Shopping streets have been in Manila back then. But Filipinos don't care that much on whether it is a shopping street or not. We have arcades and these arcades are, at that time, considered shopping alleys due to the shops and the shade that it offers to Filipino shoppers. You can practically buy everything Filipino in these arcades, back then.

Faceless mall? What?! So you mean Greenbelt, MoA, Glorietta, Megamall and others are made only of concrete facades?

If one has the will, nothing is impossible.

epik ll ian

August 23rd, 2009, 05:42 PM

^^ @epik ll ian: You should read this one.....

Okay. Wooh! It surely is a long essay regarding shopping & the experience in general.

First, the Bahay na Bato Architecture is one of our country's pride. Yes, the preservation of the heritage issue is an ÜBER big issue. it has long been in the pipes and still dozens of structures in the country need preservation. The Filipino market demand is a market wanting what's new & up-to-date. So expect architecture that is just plain global. But let's say that if a building is to be constructed and its inspiration is of Filipino nature, would you call it Modern Philippine Architecture?

Japan, Korea and other Asian countries have their own identity in architecture. And so as the Philippines. Intramuros is an example. It vividly shows the colonial architecture inherited from the Spaniards. Our architecture is simple: Bahay Kubo. Then it evolved into Bahay na Bato, then to Spanish-Filipino houses, to American-style houses, and everything mashed up. IMHO, Filipino architecture is simple, yet straight forward in element.

Tourists here want to get away from stress in their home country, so we offer them our beaches, nature parks and wildlife. Our hospitality is a plus.

You can't just make a shopping street like those in developed countries in a city/development/country that is scorching in heat, people don't want to get sunburned, and pollution.

Asian architecture is distant from Western architecture. But they are correlated.

Shopping streets have been in Manila back then. But Filipinos don't care that much on whether it is a shopping street or not. We have arcades and these arcades are, at that time, considered shopping alleys due to the shops and the shade that it offers to Filipino shoppers. You can practically buy everything Filipino in these arcades, back then.

Faceless mall? What?! So you mean Greenbelt, MoA, Glorietta, Megamall and others are made only of concrete facades?

If one has the will, nothing is impossible.

I read it. I also read the above post, and I'm beyond thrilled that MCBD will finally be given a facelift to be more pedestrian friendly. I hope this trend will soon catch on. I think it would be better if they start on smaller streets to experiment with ideas, but I'm fine with making MCBD a more thriving area. I think you guys should not be pessimistic and have a little faith in its success since it will be started. If you put faith in it, it will probably work out. However, still be critical and bring opinions and suggestions for improvement. It can only make the area better.

We have places for the to get away. It's called Boracay, Cebu, 100 Islands, Vigan etc. We have enough places for the tourists to calm down and relax. That's pretty much all we have for tourism. The Philippines can't just be this giant relaxing place. We need a few places to have fun too. We need a few places to boast off our modernization and technological advancement. I think it would be wise to do this favor for our capital district.

If you go back a little bit, and read a few of my posts. I really urge you too cause I don't want to write another long post here again ... people here evidently don't like to read. Please!! I'm not being mean here, I really do beg you to read it. I listed NUMEROUS solutions to the heat.They were all pretty interesting too. I also noted how Kuala Lumpur and Singapore managed to pull of shopping streets as well. They're closer to the equator (aka probably hotter) and just as humid if not more. They both managed to make their cities nice and walkable. Manila isn't the only hot city.

Compared to other places that have shopping streets where private vendors can sell their ideas and wares ... yes a mall is faceless to me in comparison. Most of our malls are filled with international brands that are not ours, and they're also filled national retail brands that don't have our own originality in them because they're made in some large scale machine factory somewhere. Streets have always had a reputation in other countries of providing people with cheaper wares from private vendors who are experimenting new designs and at the same time providing a new trend for the country. These vendors can also sell neat new fashions to those who are not as well off and can't afford clothes a mall can sell. Malls are buying out vendors quicker than we can imagine and we'll soon have none of them left if we don't give the street shopping a chance to develop. If you think about, giving people the opportunity to start businesses in the CBD will give people Manila a bigger air of nativity and it'll provide Manila with a unique shopping experience with our goods (and a few international/national name brands ones dotted here and there).

As you said, if one has a will, nothing is impossible. So have a will.

Improvements are afoot for Ayala Avenue, MCBD’s premier main street — and perhaps the country’s. Plans for this popular grand avenue will enhance the existing street trees, sidewalk paving, weather protection, lighting, signage, and access to undeground walkways. Pedestrians will be able to walk on smooth, even sidewalks at par in quality with those of Tokyo and Singapore.

one does weary and tear in the eye after ridiculous articles like this....the journalist i think just reprinted the Ayala Land brochure...

Ayala Avenue the popular grand avenue????we really are starting from A VERY LOW BASE if this is the classification.

lighting..theres nothing to study..you just keep using the wrong low wattage.

trees....again the wrong trees...we need shade not palm trees on the centre island.

sidewalks...why study Singapore San Francisco or Tokyo.. whats there to study..the sidewalks are bulging because the wrong trees were planted where the roots are erupting instead of heading south..

and most of the buildings look dreary and tired because they are all concrete and full of soot or dirty paint instead of using washable granite ...

Whats there to study? another article full of hyperbole..if you want to really see what the new Ayala Avenue may look like just looks at the Links ..After less than 2years , paint is peeling, exit area wall paint is very dirty and corrosion is visible.

I agree, they have a lot of work to do. However, there's much studying to be done. They can learn from past mistakes and also learn from the mistakes of other cities. They can also learn about how other cities have made theirs successful. By combining a few of our unique ideas, they can most likely build a really nice shopping street. Criticism like you have provided is good. I actually fully support what you have said! It's good on double checking ourselves and making sure we don't end up with crap. But let's hope they take this criticism to heart and use it to make a nice street to give the city. We have FIERCE competition out there.

To everyone: Quit the insults. A lot of you guys are so geared with bitterness and personal attacks, and it's really getting bothersome now. If anything, be critical, but don't be insulting. No one appreciates insults and it immediately devalues your opinion. As much as some of you don't like Ayala, you're going to have to learn to give and take a little. No one listens to insults, and you'd be better off saying nothing at all. Insulting people and corporations makes them shut you out, and ALL your effort will be put to waste. It's difficult, I know. However, this little tidbit is directed to everyone out there with a sharp tongue. Some people here - especially you, Kintoy - speak more freely than you should. As many insults as you've dished out to me, I won't return you the favor. I'm surprised seeing how some have the nerve to treat others like dirt even when we're posting among corporation representatives. This kind of immaturity is ridiculous and should have ended in high school - at the latest. Skyscrapercity forums are unlike most others. All of us here are dealing high caliber corporates, artchitects and projects. This is real life stuff, and things you say can make a big impact. If you want to be immature go talk like that to your friends, but this forum is too influential and too serious to be plagued with rotten attitudes and remarks. The developers of this MCBD street revival project already made a great consideration to the solvable weather problem everyone is complaining about. I also think they'll soon realize that since this is the MCBD and millions of tourists and citizens will begin to surge down these streets (which are an integral aspect of the city that need attention) - they'll have no other choice but to make it as nice as possible. I just want to invest faith in that they'll consider and accommodate our opinions, and that they're burning with a passion to compete with and SURPASS other modern metropolises that have pedestrian oriented streets.

By the way, here's the source of the full article on Philstar: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=498334&publicationSubCategoryId=86

in_a_rush

August 24th, 2009, 01:01 AM

sloanesquare

August 24th, 2009, 03:09 AM

sloanesquare hates Ayala avenue and Ayala bigtime! i saw your post from makati thread to pasay thread, there is always something about Ayala. its just an observation.dont worry, we know where the anger is coming from. peace dude!

not hate..just disappointed...they have the money and education..but the vision is limited by their targeted ROI.....they do just enough but never push the envelope...for example for a few more pesos they could have spent for an interesting entrance design to all the Ayala Avenue subway entrances..we got a functional design....and peeling paint at that with air bubbles.

Makati Ayala commands the highest rents and land prices in the country. It is unique in that its appearance is dependent on the Zobels and not Binay.

On the other hand I do not criticise Libis because Megaworlds prices are commensurate with the aesthetics and congestion.

The Ayala/Campos area in Fort is being observed by many. The criticisms will be resounding if all the greenery disappears just as they did in the original Makati CBD plan. At Fort prices, the presumption is that sold lots are subsidising more greenery.

The Ayala clan are from northern Basque spain. They would be familiar with the reinvention of Bilbao as a tired ugly industrial shipping town with the introduction of modern architecture. The Zobels are efficient Germans. So the connections are there to make Ayala Makati something enviable. I just dont think that the 2 other major developers that we have can do it..Megaworld and filinvest.

sloanesquare

August 24th, 2009, 05:56 AM

in_a_rush

August 24th, 2009, 10:58 AM

and to think that Ayala is regarded as the best developer in the country.. the best na yun? so sad...:ohno:

sloanesquare

August 24th, 2009, 12:03 PM

watcher09

August 24th, 2009, 12:38 PM

cq40

August 24th, 2009, 12:53 PM

Yes, I agree with you. I think we need to have nice meditative parks, and beautifully designed zen like parks with ponds/city getaways within the city.

Parks and greeneries have been introduced to the Philippine market just several years ago and it's being slowly incorporated to new and upcoming structures.

I think I already mentioned the downsides of Bonifacio High Street and Serendra. As nice as they are, they're kind of out of the way, and they're not central to the actual bustling metropolis. They're like a mall somewhere in a space outside of the city that's also conveniently outside. I appreciate the measures they took though to kick off the pedestrian culture. However, that's why they're not as popular as they could be. See the difference? If it were part of the actual busy part of the city where all of the buildings and sidewalks and people are, we'd be talking about a different story. Hopefully when Bonifacio Global City becomes this huge bustling area.

Bonifacio High Street and Serenada is situated in the middle of a future mini city filled with high-rises for coporate, business and mixed use applications. It will become a bustling city, just wait and see.

I think it would be nice in the near future once we get a sophisticated subway system, to connect some of the subway stations and tunnels with the subterranean walkways that link the buildings. Wow, that would be a really neat idea, and I bet we'd be the first. AKA The Philippines first to do this! How cool would that be?

We currently have 3 working lines and one national railway right now. We also have 2 more lines underway, 2 proposed lines and 1 undergound line to connect all metro cities.

I'm not appalled. I think we're heading in the wrong direction. We have more than we need. We need SOME malls, but we don't need ALL malls. There's another sector of the economy and city structure that we need to focus on. Mall shopping is all but virtually dead because that's the only option we have. Nobody has the option to go shop on the streets because they can't even walk there. That's why it's like that, and that's why our shopping balance is heavily lopsided to leaving the city and going inside.

Nobody asked SM Malls and other groups to build a whole bunch here and there like mushrooms, it's their own decision because naturally people love to go to malls. It's business. Malls there, died because you need a car to drive there, here, a few coins can get you to the nearest mall.

We don't need to bring malls down. We have them, and we're satisfied. But malls have an Achilles heel which the streets can accommodate. There's not one reason you could give me that would convince me to say we shouldn't work on making our streets nice, WALKABLE, accessible and shoppable as well.

MMDA, the Metro Manila Development authority in cooperation with the City Mayors are assigned to make the Metro Manila streets walkable, please vent out issues with them not here, this is a forum.

Yes we have different shopping lifestyle with other Asian countries and that should remain. Why be like them? We'll just add to the competition of the SAME. Mall culture in America and Europe is dead or we could say that it did not live well because street shopping in most major cities were there since the beginning. It is part of their culture. I don't understand why we have to be like them just to be able to compete. Mall is a niche that we have. Have you seen GB during weekends night? You'll be surprised how many foreigners dine and shop there. Our malls cater from higher echelon of society to people who can only afford window shopping. That's our niche... every mall caters to different people. We have specialization...

Any news regarding the redevelopment of AYALA Makati?

We are not being like them, that kind of innovation is being introduced here, to compete with other Mall developers wile customizing it at the same time.

Why be like them????? Are you serious? Making our city accessible isn't being like the REST of the world which has walkable streets. It should be a right! This shouldn't even be an issue here! While we're at it, let's get to the root of this right now. The high rise and bustling sections of Manila are already developed and filled with buildings. These areas are expanding. You can't build a mall EVERYWHERE. You need lots of space, and you need vacant areas. The fact that you can't walk within our town and shop, and the fact that our streets are inaccessible for walkers is a problem we have to face now. Of course all of our malls are filled with people. That's the only option they have! We need to give the people places to start up, at the same time we need to make the center of our city accessible. Who would ever want to move to Manila if they knew that they can't walk around it? As soon as you leave your condo, you have to take a taxi because you can't even walk a few meters down the street before finding out you have nowhere to go. People who can only afford window shopping? They have to be taken into account too. Not everyone can afford to shop in the mall. That's another reason why the poor are being barred from at least becoming lower middle class. I think we'd be able to help them if we had shopping streets that have vendors that sold stylish experimental design clothes at affordable prices.

We just did, and guess what, we have lots more to come here and in the provinces, stop us..We have specific malls that cater to it's intended market, we also have malls for the masses.

If you want to quickly grab a bite to eat, get a shirt dry cleaned, quickly pick up medicine because you're weak and sick, get an ingredient for something you're in the middle of cooking, you don't have TIME to be taxied all the way to the end of town or to the nearest mall in the middle of Manila traffic to do little tasks. That's what shopping is like in Manila. It's inconvenient.

We have 7-11, ministop and your trusty sari-sari store and even a nearby mini supermarket/all in one shop hypermarket that's recently introduced everywhere now.

Every mall doesn't cater to different people. They're all becoming one of the same, and we're losing individuality to them. How many malls would like to see that are all filled with Francais Girbaud, Giordano, Paotsin, Hang Ten, Lacoste, Bench, Aling Lucing's Sisig ... we're running out of options here. Nobody is going to start off in a mall anymore. It's only accessible for the very few to ever think of starting up in a mall. We need the innovation to come from the people. Building malls and filling them with mostly imported brands and the same old with what we have isn't getting us anywhere, and that grasps the concept of "copying" a million times more than an open forum of street shopping ever would.

You want to tell the Mall developers that, you'd be a great analyst. BTW, we have dozens more malls in the next 5-10 years, stop us please.

Not bull's eye.

Great point on how the discussions should be carried out. I fully agree. Talking about making Manila pedestrian friendly deals with everything ... the peripheral malls of Manila, the malls of Manila, Ayala Malls and Manila CBD. We're not hearing much news about this project yet, so it doesn't hurt to discuss this stuff here while we're waiting for updates.

renders have been posted a few pages and threads back. The current update is that they are now being constructed. That's why the topic in this thread is stale at the moment.

I think it's more embarrassing that the streets of our capital district/CBD are regarded as a ghost town. This should pop out to you more than the occasional vacancies of BHS which is not part of the CBD. The CBD should be our primary concern. People won't refuse to walk down the streets - which happen to be the most integral part of our city - if we can only make the more open, accessible, pedestrian friendly and modern. Bonifacio High Street, Serendra, Mall of Asia etc. are integral to our city's economy, but compared with the REAL heart of the thriving central capital district (aka where most of the people live and work/where most of Manila's visitor's WANT to go), they're still accessories compared to what our city can and should offer. The core of our city, the CBD, the buildings with potentially walkable and shoppable streets are a big concern and should be prioritized at the moment.

The CBDs are walkable at the moment, so they are not really that big of a concern. Tourists should ride the taxi and not be cheap by walking from one side of the city to the other. It's humid here anyways.

People won't go to Manila until we have our own unique style, and nobody will get to enjoy our capital until we have safe and nice places to walk WITHIN our city that can show it off (our progress) at the same time. Our malls are not literally inside of our city. They also don't show off our culture as much as the streets can. Malls are good, but we have to focus on developing within our city. We can't make all of our capital destinations outside of our city. Filipino tour guides should not have to answer the question, "What's there to do in Manila?" by starting off with, "Well first we have to leave, take a taxi and ..." We have to draw people inside the heart of our busy and developing capital. All of the problems you guys have mentioned about streets before can be worked out. I won't accept the word can't, I don't believe in "can't."

The Philippines has been under the influence of foreigners for a long period of 333 years, meaning, the uniqueness that you want did not surface, however, we are incorporating a mix of Western, Filipino, Spanish and Asian styles in everything we have from foods, to our language to everything that you see.. That's the true nature of being a filipino, having a taste of everything in one serving.

You do have a strong vision and some good points for a bright Philippines, however, even if you run for President, you will not win because the masses will vote only those who promised to give them money.

leechtat

August 24th, 2009, 03:45 PM

not to worry...i was hoping to elicit a reply from someone from Ayala Land...but clearly they have no interest in this forum or read and do not participate...which means anything we write is meaningless....

^^ contrary to what you said, ali and other developers read this forum. we have proven that. i for one has proven this...

epik ll ian

August 24th, 2009, 05:02 PM

help me here: man made first impressions for instant recall

sydney..opera house, bridge, tower
KL...petronas
singapore...clean, preserved turn of the century structures,safe
taipei...?
bangkok....buddhist temples...oriental hotel
brunei...??
jakarta... wide boulevard,,roundabout fountain.
tokyo...bright ginza...infrastructure
HK...bright lights..shopping
Makati....??

Exactly that's what I was thinking! Tokyo has the Tokyo Tower too ... Hong Kong has a lot ... Seoul has Namsan ... I was hoping we could have something for Metro Manila at least. The Pagcor Tower in E-City would've been nice, but even that's up for grabs after the NAIA issue.

Parks and greeneries have been introduced to the Philippine market just several years ago and it's being slowly incorporated to new and upcoming structures.

Bonifacio High Street and Serenada is situated in the middle of a future mini city filled with high-rises for coporate, business and mixed use applications. It will become a bustling city, just wait and see.

We currently have 3 working lines and one national railway right now. We also have 2 more lines underway, 2 proposed lines and 1 undergound line to connect all metro cities.

Nobody asked SM Malls and other groups to build a whole bunch here and there like mushrooms, it's their own decision because naturally people love to go to malls. It's business. Malls there, died because you need a car to drive there, here, a few coins can get you to the nearest mall.

MMDA, the Metro Manila Development authority in cooperation with the City Mayors are assigned to make the Metro Manila streets walkable, please vent out issues with them not here, this is a forum.

We are not being like them, that kind of innovation is being introduced here, to compete with other Mall developers wile customizing it at the same time.

We just did, and guess what, we have lots more to come here and in the provinces, stop us..We have specific malls that cater to it's intended market, we also have malls for the masses.

We have 7-11, ministop and your trusty sari-sari store and even a nearby mini supermarket/all in one shop hypermarket that's recently introduced everywhere now.

You want to tell the Mall developers that, you'd be a great analyst. BTW, we have dozens more malls in the next 5-10 years, stop us please.

renders have been posted a few pages and threads back. The current update is that they are now being constructed. That's why the topic in this thread is stale at the moment.

The CBDs are walkable at the moment, so they are not really that big of a concern. Tourists should ride the taxi and not be cheap by walking from one side of the city to the other. It's humid here anyways.

The Philippines has been under the influence of foreigners for a long period of 333 years, meaning, the uniqueness that you want did not surface, however, we are incorporating a mix of Western, Filipino, Spanish and Asian styles in everything we have from foods, to our language to everything that you see.. That's the true nature of being a filipino, having a taste of everything in one serving.

You do have a strong vision and some good points for a bright Philippines, however, even if you run for President, you will not win because the masses will vote only those who promised to give them money.

I'm glad they're incorporating some greenery into new structures. Some people overdo it on the buildings, and it looks like extra unshaven facial/nostril hair. But I'm not seeing a lot of that. But there are also need to be small little pockets of green shangri la designed for getting away from the city without ever leaving it. You can see this in many places ... from Central Park to serene Tokyo temples.

Yeah I know about Bonifacio Global City. I'm talking about why it's not popular now. Everyone is saying, well we built Bonifacio High Street, and look, nobody's going! The city isn't built yet, and right now Bonifacio High Street looks naked by itself - it's pretty much sitting in the open waiting for everything else to surround it. This is especially evident if you've seen the aerial pictures. I know, I'm waiting.

Yes, our subway system/above ground is still developing. I'm glad it is, and I know it's going to take time for it to finally access all points of the city. However, some people still have to take a subway and hail a taxi. The subway is slowly becoming efficient, but unarguably, it's not yet efficient to the point where all you need in Metro Manila is to take a subway and walk to your destination.

I didn't ask them to build malls either. And to be honest, I never said I hated them. I'm not saying tear them down either because we need a few and I'm contented that we have some to work with. They're good for people who truly HATE walking outside in the city to get stuff. However, it does kind of look weird to see our nice high rises and look at the streets and say, where did everything go??

When Travel Channel people and Travel guide experts come to film their Philippines special, you don't ever seem them walking through Manila or showing off our shopping. It's hard to find a place like that. You also can't do it in a mall, it's tight and it doesn't show off true Filipino culture for the reasons I've mentioned before. Our malls are filled with things you can find back in Australia, England and the States. Having fun streets spiced with Filipino culture is something I've always envied of other countries. Wouldn't it be nice for these travel people to start walking down the streets, going to all these unique stores and eating safe unique street food and bragging about how much fun Manila is? In a 1 hour block they would spend about 5-10 minutes at most in Manila ...

Our CBD's are kind of walkable. But really - how much fun are you having walking through the CBD if you're finding it a drag to walk from one side to another and that you should hail a taxi. I like what Ayala is doing. They're starting to make walking through our city fun, and it will help the economy while at the same time letting tourists and citizens see how nice and modern the MCBD is becoming. Let's face it right now. It's humid in KL and Singapore and Jakarta. It's also hotter. If they can successfully pull it off, so can we.

I think the streets need to be laced with places to go and fun things to do in a city. That's what makes cities so much fun. You walk down one street, and you find something else to do. You walk down another and you see some more fun places to go - Karaoke bar, your favorite place to get a bowl of noodles before going to work, a jewelry vendor, a neat place to dedicated to making interesting sandwiches ... etc. Some areas don't have these little convenience type shopping areas either. That's what they need - in places where big malls and hypermarkets can't be built a stone's throw away from where you live. Sometimes you have to walk or bike a while or you have to hail a taxi to get to these places. They're not THAT ubiquitous.

I wish people could vote for who would give them a better country, education, and future - not just a few extra pesos in the pocket. :(

Thanks for your replies!

michael677

August 24th, 2009, 05:58 PM

jefflacs

August 24th, 2009, 06:47 PM

I find Makati CBD walkable! everytime andun ako nilalakad ko parati ang MRT station. Nakakatakot lang sa gabi lalo na sa may paseo de roxas kasi nga wala halos ako kasabay maglakad (nilalakad ko kasi from pacific star to Ayala MRT station), pinapatay pa naman nila yung ilaw (yung mga buildings) considering 8pm ako naglalakad dito. Minsan din nilalakad ko from RCBC Plaza to Ayala MRT (going through Greenbelt, landmark, glorietta and SM)

FlashCollider

August 24th, 2009, 09:36 PM

We therefore conclude that our malls can not please everybody. Can we move on now and discuss the redevelopment(really the redevelopment plan) of ayala center. Please refrain from discussing something else. If you want to discuss design and aesthetic of another mall better create another tread for it.

Go Global

August 24th, 2009, 10:36 PM

epik ll ian

August 25th, 2009, 12:12 AM

^^
I cannot agree more.

I have one small request directed at epik ll ian. We all know that you feel very much about your position and views. I think each one respects that. But don't you think, for the sake of this forum, that we should move on with what the thread's title is all about?

They say wisdom is expressed when one can discern when not to say anything. In other words, you don't really have to react to each and every comment by posters who have different or opposing opinions. Let the air clear and the dust settle, so to speak.

There is, in fact, another existing thread which might be more appropriate if you want to continue your particulat discussion. It's called "Mega Metro Manila Malls". Here's the link:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=906726

So, what do you think? You want to give a shot?

I won't be able to start this over again in that thread. Thanks though. The reason why I kept active and replied to what everyone said is because I care about this and I had to post as much as I could and clear as many misconceptions possible as I could before going to back to college. I go back in a few days and won't have time to discuss this anymore. Go ahead, celebrate. You'll have plenty of time for dust to settle. I just so happened to land here with this discussion because of the article I saw posted here about how many more malls were supposed to be built. Plus, we've been getting few to no updates on this project and it discuss this as we await more news.

sloanesquare

August 25th, 2009, 03:06 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by sloanesquare
help me here: MAN MADE FIRST IMPRESSIONS FOR INSTANT RECALL

sydney..opera house, bridge, tower
KL...petronas
singapore...clean, preserved turn of the century structures,safe
taipei...?
bangkok....buddhist temples...oriental hotel
brunei...??
jakarta... wide boulevard,,roundabout fountain.
tokyo...bright ginza...infrastructure
HK...bright lights..shopping
Makati....??
Taipei ...Taipei 101
Brunei ... Istana Nurul Iman - the palace of the Sultan of Brunei which is the largest residential palace in the world
Makati ... Ayala Avenue

ok so the Makati contribution to this list after 60 years of development is Ayala Avenue...well there you are.

and finally, Leechtat, is Ayala Avenue maintenance paid for by ALI or Makati taxpayers?
I am advised that it is ALI which is why Binay has put taxpayer money to work in Buendia to make it brighter and landscaping the centre island. Binays Buendia is definitely brighter than Zobel's Ayala Avenue.

. I wonder if the commuters standing along Ayala Avenue at night who cannot even read a newspaper because it is so dark think that Ayala Avenue is the "grand" avenue referred to in the article.

pat3ck

August 25th, 2009, 08:19 AM

hehe....funny, i've also always noticed sloanesquare's acid tongue when it comes to ayala developments as well. i'm sure he means well in many ways coz maybe it shows his perfectionist nature. perhaps one day he can become a real estate giant and show us all how to transform a barren land into an economic miracle.

but let's not forget how much these AAA developers have contributed to the improvement of metro manila if not the philippines with their private money. bcoz we all know how much we can NOT rely on public funds for beautification.

criticizing the misses isn't bad. but we must also commend the hits that these developers got while aiming tirelessly through the lens of the future.

sloanesquare

August 25th, 2009, 08:46 AM

Eaton Square

August 25th, 2009, 08:48 AM

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:acid tongue

sloanesquare

August 25th, 2009, 08:51 AM

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:acid tonguei know...didnt mean to make the litmus paper turn red

Kintoy

August 25th, 2009, 11:30 AM

I won't be able to start this over again in that thread. Thanks though. The reason why I kept active and replied to what everyone said is because I care about this and I had to post as much as I could and clear as many misconceptions possible as I could before going to back to college. I go back in a few days and won't have time to discuss this anymore. Go ahead, celebrate. You'll have plenty of time for dust to settle. I just so happened to land here with this discussion because of the article I saw posted here about how many more malls were supposed to be built. Plus, we've been getting few to no updates on this project and it discuss this as we await more news.

we can all sum up what you want anyways: neon lights, lots of it. Got it, now move along :lol:

wynngd

August 25th, 2009, 12:05 PM

^^ :lol: I second the motion...

Sky Harbor

August 25th, 2009, 04:20 PM

what a shame we dont have threads for Anvaya Cove and Greenfields....I have lots of nice commendations for ALI...true they're very nice..even Ayala Alabang is nice...Maynilad Water is very well run......Globe could give better reception.

I think you mean Manila Water there, not Maynilad. Maynilad is currently owned by DMCI and Metro Pacific, not Ayala Corporation.

cebu2manila

August 25th, 2009, 08:29 PM

^^ :lol: I second the motion...

:lol: case closed.:cheers:

sloanesquare

August 26th, 2009, 03:16 AM

I think you mean Manila Water there, not Maynilad. Maynilad is currently owned by DMCI and Metro Pacific, not Ayala Corporation.
thanks....actually even Maynilad is doing well..in time we should have a new sewerage water pipe system totally upgraded from NAWASA days inherited from the Spanish infrastructure...the unseen upgrading necessary to become 2nd world.

Now that the Zobels have Manila Water as well, the Makati system could have a centralised sewer to replace the septic tank system..acceptable but might as well go for the first world solution.

leechtat

August 26th, 2009, 06:45 AM

^^ i know its run by apmc. but correct me if i am wrong...

i do hope that they really improve the lighting situation, as well as the non-operation of underpass past 12am... for security reasons they close it, but its still supposed to be used other than crossing the streets at night with no systems to facilitate (though magaling tumawid ng kalsada ang pinoy).

and if they light up the streets at night, the meralco bill will be passed to the owners/businesses of/along ayala ave bldgs. will they permit this? i think they did not, thus ayala ave is not well-lit.

OT:
acid toungue, turning litmus paper into red.. that made me :rofl:

sloansquare is just highly opinionated, as with all of us here in this forum. i laud his standards.

anyway, i agree. let's create anvaya cove and ayala greenfield and westgrove threads... though they are not skyscrapers...

pat3ck

August 26th, 2009, 07:30 AM

yeah i wonder why we don't have those village threads. they're also part of construction and development. let's not forget Nuvali. and while we're at the subject, is it true that ayala hillside estates will be expanded daw? that there's an ayala owned property that overlooks marikina connected to hillside under the ayala heights overpass. its around 40 hectares daw.

can anybody with knowledge comment on this? anyone from ALI here?

Eaton Square

August 26th, 2009, 10:35 AM

call it tongue lashing, ala sen. miriam defensor santiago. :lol::lol::lol::lol:

epik ll ian

August 26th, 2009, 04:23 PM

Where can you get more information regarding the MCBD makeover??

adverg

August 26th, 2009, 06:03 PM

No matter what you say to be unique and innovative to make it originality, it is still the same street malls is street malls and indoor malls is still indoor malls. Nothing is unique of it. And if we are mersmmerize to modeled this first world country innovative design, it is considered as a copycat of it. Why don't we think as I've said before that does not relate to street or indoor malls that never been seen in any part of the world. I don't know what is that but if that one was implemented, that's only I can call it unique development. If you put so much light effect on street malls and make it in Filipino Culture atmosphere, it is not unique because you just modified it's existence.

Eaton Square

August 27th, 2009, 12:23 PM

if you're dreaming of going to a street mall of some sort, try evangelista street or garcia street (formerly reposo) in makati.

Go Global

August 27th, 2009, 08:10 PM

[B]
trees....again the wrong trees...we need shade not palm trees on the centre island.

Agreed. They could move the palm trees to Roxas Blvd. Mas bagay doon. Wind resistant pa.

What's this thing with palm trees? Kahit sa Filinvest sa Alabang, ganun din.

diz

August 27th, 2009, 09:23 PM

taipei....101
brunei.....golden dome mosque

ruralvillage

August 29th, 2009, 04:15 AM

Makati CBD to be revitalized (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=500013&publicationSubCategoryId=76)
(The Philippine Star (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=500013&publicationSubCategoryId=76)) Updated August 28, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Makati denizens will soon experience the first of a series of ambitious projects designed to keep the 124-hectare premier business district at the forefront of successful masterplanned communities in the Philippines.

Despite the profusion of modern business districts in Metro Manila — eight major ones at the last count — Makati remains the most prestigious with land values and rentals pegged at a much higher price than that of its closest competitor. Prime Makati office space, for instance, rents out at P900/sqm. on the average and is almost double that in Ortigas.

Emphasizes Anna Margarita Dy, group head of the Strategic Landbank Management Group of Ayala Land, the developer mainly priming the district’s sustained growth: “We intend to maintain Makati’s competitive edge through a constant stream of projects that will keep the place vibrant. We want it to continue being friendly, engaging and interesting to all who live, work and visit here.”

A key component to making Makati a vibrant city is to make it even more friendly to pedestrians than it already is. The executives, workers, and visitors who enjoy Makati’s pedestrian walkways will certainly welcome the completion of a new urban oasis at the heart of the business district to be unveiled this November.

The two-hectare garden lies behind the Tower One and Exchange Plaza on Ayala Avenue and is bordered by Paseo de Roxas and Makati Avenue. Salcedo Village residents and employees who cut across the Ayala Triangle from Paseo de Roxas as they head for Ayala Avenue and Ayala Center will see the board-ups come down in a few weeks time to reveal a landscaped promenade.

panaliganmo

August 29th, 2009, 04:31 PM

Makati CBD to be revitalized (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=500013&publicationSubCategoryId=76)
(The Philippine Star (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=500013&publicationSubCategoryId=76)) Updated August 28, 2009 12:00 AM

A key component to making Makati a vibrant city is to make it even more friendly to pedestrians than it already is. The executives, workers, and visitors who enjoy Makati’s pedestrian walkways will certainly welcome the completion of a new urban oasis at the heart of the business district to be unveiled this November.

The two-hectare garden lies behind the Tower One and Exchange Plaza on Ayala Avenue and is bordered by Paseo de Roxas and Makati Avenue. Salcedo Village residents and employees who cut across the Ayala Triangle from Paseo de Roxas as they head for Ayala Avenue and Ayala Center will see the board-ups come down in a few weeks time to reveal a landscaped promenade.

This is good to know... so that's why there are workers in the area ...

There is also some activity at the vacant lot beside the solaris building along dela rosa street. They tore down the perimeter fence and there are some gravel. Will they turn that into a car park or a garden? They also moved the fence at that unfinished building beside convergys along ayala ...anyone here has any idea what the plans are for the lot and the unfinished building?

marchitecto

September 1st, 2009, 02:25 PM

nice discussion here guys.
can i use these as basis for our case studies in class?

ruralvillage

September 5th, 2009, 06:40 PM

New masterplan envisions more pedestrian-friendly business hub (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/sept/06/yehey/property/20090906prop1.html)
Manila Times (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/sept/06/yehey/property/20090906prop1.html)

Makati denizens will soon experience the first of a series of ambitious projects designed to keep the 124-hectare premier business district at the forefront of successful master-planned communities in the Philippines.

Despite the profusion of modern business districts in Metro Manila—eight major ones at the last count— Makati remains the most prestigious with land values and rentals pegged at a much higher price than that of its closest competitor. Prime Makati office space, for instance, rents out at P900 per sqm on the average and is almost double that in Ortigas.

Emphasizes Anna Margarita Dy, group head of the Strategic LandBank Management Group of Ayala Land, the developer mainly priming the district’s sustained growth: “We intend to maintain Makati’s competitive edge through a constant stream of projects that will keep the place vibrant. We want it to continue being friendly, engaging and interesting to all who live, work and visit here.”

A key component to making Makati a vibrant city is to make it even more friendly to pedestrians than it already is. The executives, workers, and visitors who enjoy Makati’s pedestrian walkways will certainly welcome the completion of a new urban oasis at the heart of the business district to be unveiled this November.

The two-hectare garden lies behind the Tower One and Exchange Plaza on Ayala Avenue and is bordered by Paseo de Roxas and Makati Avenue. Salcedo Village residents and employees who cut across the Ayala Triangle from Paseo de Roxas as they head for Ayala Avenue and Ayala Center will see the board-ups come down in a few weeks time to reveal a landscaped promenade.

“You can take a walk, exercise your dog, or just enjoy a coffee break in this convergence area which is one of the most valuable land parcels in Makati,” says Dy. “The place will also be a venue for cultural, art and shared events.” She observes that great cities of the world are distinguished by their gardens and civic areas where the pursuit of art and other finer things in life can take place. In that sense, the Ayala Triangle garden will be another symbol of Makati’s progress.

The Ayala Land project will be complemented by an undertaking of the Makati Commercial Estates Association (Macea), the organization of property owners in the business district, to make the business district truly a walking city. On-grade sidewalks will be expanded in some areas, lighting will be improved and special paving material will be incorporated in important locations. Urban patios dedicated to pedestrians are part of the scheme.

Dy emphasizes that in addition to its location at the center of Metro Manila, Makati has remained the preferred business district even after close to six decades because of deliberate planning on the part of Ayala Land, the continuous upgrade of the district’s facilities including the Ayala Center, the completeness of its offerings, as well as the participation of its most important stakeholders like the organization of the lot owners in the area, the Makati Commercial Estates Association, in the governance and planning of the area. “Makati’s success has inspired Ayala Land planners to replicate its growth in other areas of the country such as BGC and Nuvali,” she notes.

ruralvillage

September 12th, 2009, 07:15 PM

Green roof at Greenbelt 5 (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=504607&publicationSubCategoryId=86)
(The Philippine Star (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=504607&publicationSubCategoryId=86)) Updated September 13, 2009 12:00 AM

Green and loving it: The green roof at Greenbelt 5 serves as Ayala Land’s testing ground for a concept that will be utilized at all their mall and property developments.

MANILA, Philippines – The view from above will be a whole lot greener with Ayala Land Inc.’s push towards a more environmentally-conscious future.

The concept of green-roofing has gained ground with city and urban planners in recent years. The idea of transforming office building rooftops and open spaces into gardens, lush with plant life, serves more than just an aesthetic purpose.

As Ayala Land has discovered, green roofs make sense not just in the ecological sense but in the economical as well. The green roofing system now employed at Greenbelt 5 reduces heat gain inside the building, translating to energy saved from airconditioners operating inside the mall.

Additionaly, there is a green roof at another mall, Market! Market!, which employs a green roof system that has the added aspect of urban agriculture.

At TriNoma Mall, the green roof concept goes further by providing a useful public area that enhances the idea of wide-open spaces in an urban setting.

The green roof at Greenbelt 5 serves as Ayala Land’s testing ground for a concept that will be utilized at all their mall and property developments. If successful, the years ahead will see an evolution in property development unlike anything the industry has seen.

Bosnyboy

September 14th, 2009, 06:15 AM

watcher09

September 14th, 2009, 02:28 PM

Question to architects: Wont having a green roof give rise to new problems such as pests like anay and bugs? Also how about leaking roof from the watering needed for the plants as well as deterioration of the roof due to exposure to wet and damp environment. Plus is the savings in the electricity enuf to compensate for the added cost of maintaining the roof?

Hi! Isn't it that what anay destroys are wood and wood products? Even if you don't have a garden on your top, there will be bugs anywhere. The building contractors put different layers of coatings, etc. I live in a room built in a corner of a large terrace. On top of my room is another terrace. These two levels of terraces are full of plants (nasa pots nga lang). I'm experiencing no roof leaks considering that the building's construction is sub-standard.

I think it's just like a roof ready for the rainy season. Roof deteriorates because of elements not just water but also wind (or air), heat (sun), dust and microorganisms.

cq40

September 19th, 2009, 10:03 AM

Question to architects: Wont having a green roof give rise to new problems such as pests like anay and bugs? Also how about leaking roof from the watering needed for the plants as well as deterioration of the roof due to exposure to wet and damp environment. Plus is the savings in the electricity enuf to compensate for the added cost of maintaining the roof?
Every problem has a solution, it's a matter of doing it, and when. Did you know that it is the future of architecture in the world? It's only a matter of time before we say goodbye to roofs. Of course they will do something do any problem that arises from garden roofs, basta hinding hindi nila yan gagawing metal/brick bubong, kundi garden no matter WHAT happens.

michael677

September 21st, 2009, 10:14 AM

masterpogi

September 21st, 2009, 06:26 PM

^^

i saw some diggings at intersections in ayala center. looks like they're installing pedestrian signalling system ? :banana:

if yes, then it will be one of the few districts in manila where you will have functioning lights! nice

as far as i know, there is already pedestrian signaling systems at Landmark-Glorietta and SM-Glorietta pedestrian crossings.

michael677

September 22nd, 2009, 02:20 PM

as far as i know, there is already pedestrian signaling systems at Landmark-Glorietta and SM-Glorietta pedestrian crossings.

correct ! but this one is at ayala park and around rustans, glorietta. i think someone from the management observed how tourists would dodge cars just to cross and it is not a very good impression on them..

:) good development!

sloanesquare

September 24th, 2009, 03:09 AM

the old Max Brenner site now sports an unmissable bright orange colour exterior..future home of Hermes...at odds is a cheap tarpaulin banner next to it, on top of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf advertising some sort of fruit juice.....just another case of wearing a dinner suit with white socks...

and while on this topic, across the street at the foot of the escalators outside Landmark, the exhaust fans continue to do what they have been doing for over 20 years..spewing the smell of garbage...amazingly makati Avenue is where the garbage exhaust has been located.. was not a problem when Greenbelt was not much of a venue but Makati avenue is ripe to be our most elegant street from the San Lo gates to Mandarin Hotel..

obviously Mr Zobel does not walk here and has never walked here.

pau_p1

September 24th, 2009, 09:00 AM

correct ! but this one is at ayala park and around rustans, glorietta. i think someone from the management observed how tourists would dodge cars just to cross and it is not a very good impression on them..

:) good development!

there is a signage somewhere in the CBD (i forgot where i saw it) that says they are improving the pedestrian atmosphere of the area so they are improving sidewalks and walkways... that must be one reason why there had been diggings for pedestrians..

Ph Man

September 26th, 2009, 04:55 AM

^^

i saw some diggings at intersections in ayala center. looks like they're installing pedestrian signalling system ? :banana:

if yes, then it will be one of the few districts in manila where you will have functioning lights! nice

guys, i think i know what you're talking about. i've seen some overlay bricks being removed along Ayala in front of the parking lot between Rustans and 6750. have no idea yet what is that all about. this might indeed be part of the program to improve the sidewalks of the city.

sloanesquare

October 12th, 2009, 07:14 AM

Dusit hotel being repainted....mocha colour not white...finally

pat3ck

October 14th, 2009, 03:50 AM

sloanesquare: how does it look? bagay ba?

sloanesquare

October 14th, 2009, 04:09 AM

sloanesquare: how does it look? bagay ba?

except that mocha brown is starting to be the overall colour of ayala malls ..landmark, greenbelt 2,3,4. seems overwhelming...not a fan..i just dont understand why given our dust, soot and harsh tropics, these geniuses do not use cladding that can be wiped clean and look new all the time. paint is great for 3-6 momths then comes 3 years of degradation before its is repainted and looks decent again....for another 3-6 months.

then again what do you expect from a hotel that has a huge fuse box next to its bronze DUSIT sign at its frontage..cheap...not even an attempt to camouflage it with a shrub.

michael677

October 14th, 2009, 03:46 PM

guys, i think i know what you're talking about. i've seen some overlay bricks being removed along Ayala in front of the parking lot between Rustans and 6750. have no idea yet what is that all about. this might indeed be part of the program to improve the sidewalks of the city.

^^
im almost 100% sure it is for pedestrian signaling system. i was told earlier that signal lights have been put up around the rotunda of marketmarket and serendra.. which is an ayala project. ganun din ngyari may diggings din sa una tapos even the road was dugged up ....

this is badly needed, buti they thought of that !:)

Kevinlondon

November 8th, 2009, 10:04 AM

After lots of activity this thread has gone very quiet!! Any latest news on the redevelopment?

Ph Man

November 8th, 2009, 11:40 AM

Maybe these photos can be considered updates. :)

Demolition works for G1 and G2
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2624/4062195211_bd3c6b841b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2690/4062208837_a8bdcb9100.jpg

Far left is the Raffles hotel construction
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/4062947624_3c865afe03.jpg

I was actually looking at the framed St Francis towers
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/4062219127_fdf70ecc9a_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2500/4062969058_d8b3d6e96a.jpg

leechtat

November 8th, 2009, 12:27 PM

^^ francis, nice photos. was busy. hindi ako nakapunta sa photography session. anyhow...

was advised last thursday that the Ayala Center Redevelopment will no longer focus on the frontage of Ayala Avenue. Glorietta 1 and 2 will also have a modern facade, much like what we see in glorietta 4. there will also be another BPO building to be built in the area.

Ph Man

November 8th, 2009, 02:00 PM

thanks jp. that's news to us. i hope the planned high rise on top of each G1 and G2 will materialize soon.

RonnieR

November 9th, 2009, 10:42 AM

Maybe these photos can be considered updated. :)

Demolition works for G1 and G2
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2624/4062195211_bd3c6b841b.jpg

I was actually looking at the framed St Francis towers
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/4062219127_fdf70ecc9a_o.jpg

lots of good memories of G1 and G2 :)

galing naman ng shot - kuhang kuha ang St. Francis Towers :cheers:

Ph Man

November 11th, 2009, 11:45 AM

Thanks Ronnie.

If you are inside Rustan and you are facing Rockwell, you will get the same framed shot of Manansala Towers. :)

ruralvillage

December 9th, 2009, 11:43 PM

Business District’s new urban oasis (http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19509:business-districts-new-urban-oasis&catid=47:properties)
Business Mirror (http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19509:business-districts-new-urban-oasis&catid=47:properties)
Wednesday, 09 December 2009 15:35

TAKING a walk outdoors in the holiday season could be quite an experience at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in the heart of the Makati Central Business District (MCBD), particularly between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., from Monday to Friday. The place is “dressed up” to lend cheer all around up to December 24.

Automated lights mounted on moving robotic parts, scores of laser lights wrapped around tree trunks, as well as 3,200 strands of Tivoli lights programmed to the beat of holiday tunes help achieve the purpose. “The Symphony of Lights” by award-winning lighting director Voltaire de Jesus and multiawarded sounds designer expert Jethro Joaquin takes place at the backyard of the iconic Tower One and Exchange Plaza. From Ayala Avenue, the lights are visible through the cavernous entrance plaza of Tower One. Salcedo Village denizens who come from Paseo de Roxas and cut through the plaza heading for the Ayala Center bus and train terminals will most likely catch the shows, which run for 10 minutes every 30 minutes during the weekday rush hour.

As the first medley of holiday tunes unfold, powerful lights form colorful Christmas patterns on the porte-cochère of the Tower One and Exchange Plaza. Soon enough, the viewer in the adjoining courtyard is surrounded by thousands of tiny Tivoli bulbs strung from the surrounding trees blinking and changing colors in time with the music.

One guest was overwhelmed on opening night and was moved to say: “The show surprises and delights because it’s so new to Manila. As the lights go on and off all around you, you feel like you are the star of the show.”

It took de Jesus two months to string out the bulbs from beneath the towering branches of the heritage trees of the Ayala Triangle Gardens. In the first two weeks of November, he labored nightly, from 10 p.m. up to 5 a.m., to come up with an appropriate sequence of light movements. He worked on three medleys of popular tunes put together by Joaquin and which the latter entitled: “Essence of Christmas,” “Paskong Pinoy” and the “Community Celebrates.”

The show, nevertheless, is merely a come-on to the rest of the Ayala Triangle, now dubbed as “the newest place to chill out” by opening-night guests. It recently opened to the public in mid-November, and was conceptualized by Ayala Land as a “grand community space for the MCBD office workers, according to Jay Caniza, senior architect of Ayala Land’s Innovation & Design Group.

Paved footpaths lead to a main walk which, when viewed from the top, looks like the wings of an airplane. Amusing sculptures fashioned from scrap and found objects by artist Ral Arrogante now serve as focal points of this main pedestrian boulevard. The pieces, which are wired or crimped together, take the form of an airplane, a helicopter, a three-wheeled vehicle with propellers, among other objects. All the pieces also function as wind veins.

Arrogante’s works are complemented by Ovvian Castrillo Hill’s abstract expressionist works exhibited in other parts of the garden. Mounted on pedestals, the works in mirror-finish stainless steel, marble and other metals carry names that reflect a Christmas theme, i.e., Search for Divinity, Three kings, Rejoice.

Hill’s and Arrogante’s works will be on exhibit at the gardens up to January 15. Better yet, annotations on each of the works are available via SMS by Globe. The pieces can be purchased on credit through BPI Credit Card.

From the gardens, which is a Globe Wi-Fi zone, the office and residential towers of Paseo de Roxas, Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue are visible, driving home the point that one is unmistakably in the heart of the Philippines’ premier business district. The eye-level vista of heritage trees, greens and paved walks, nevertheless, offers an oasis of calm and tranquillity for both the office worker and families seeking holiday displays.

ruralvillage

December 13th, 2009, 09:31 PM

Ayala Triangle Gardens: Makati Central Business District's breathing space (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=532277)
PERSPECTIVES By Tanya T. Lara (The Philippine Star (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=532277)) Updated December 14, 2009 12:00 AM

This convergence of three main thoroughfares — Ayala Avenue, Paseo de Roxas and Makati Avenue — forms part of the Ayala Triangle Gardens (ATG), “the biggest landscape in the heart of the Makati CBD” measuring 20,000 square meters and planted to over a hundred trees and tropical foliage.

Behind every great city lies a great skyline. More often than not, these buildings are located in the central business district (CBD), a city’s financial and commercial heart. New York has Wall Street and Midtown Manhattan with the iconic Empire State and Chrysler Buildings, Shanghai has Puxi, London has Leeds, Hong Kong has Central, and Sao Paolo has Brooklin.

Any photograph of the Philippine skyline is most often than not Makati’s, the country’s major financial and commercial hub. And when you talk about Makati, you talk about three major arteries — Ayala Avenue, Paseo de Roxas and Makati Avenue — where the city’s most iconic buildings, and headquarters of top companies, are located.

Ayala Triangle is the center of the central business district. And if seen from above — or even from street level — dotted as it is with trees and foliage it is clear that, as it has always been, this will be the lungs of a very busy CBD.

This convergence of three avenues forms part of the Ayala Triangle Gardens (ATG), described as “the biggest landscape in the heart of the Makati CBD” measuring 20,000 square meters and planted to over a hundred trees and tropical foliage. Tower One is just the first of the towers planned for the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

The master plan for the Ayala Triangle Gardens was developed by Ayala Land’s Innovation and Design Group headed by chief architect Joel Luna. Landscape architecture was undertaken by E-Group.

Luna says the plan was “a result of a collaboration between the design consultants, the project proponents, and the various resident technical teams of ALI. Even ALI chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala was involved, given the significance of the project and its location.”

Ayala Land vice president and group head for Strategic Landbank Management Meean B. Dy says, “The vision has always been clear in our minds — we wanted a civic space where people can converge, maybe even open their laptops because the area is a WiFi hotspot powered by Globe. We want it to be a place where people can relax and unwind. While the gardens primarily serve as a pedestrian thoroughfare connecting the office workers to the major transit terminals at Ayala Center, we want them to linger a bit, pause for a break before they catch a ride going home. We also knew that if done right, this would be a place everyone can be proud of. We had to translate this vision into the design, the hardware of the gardens, the operational guidelines and even the programs that we put in place.”

Luna says the concept of the Ayala Triangle Gardens was “inspired by the many public spaces, plazas and parks in many parts of the world such as New York’s Stanley Park. The theme was dictated by several things — the existing mature trees that we had to preserve, the context of the site given that it is where the center of Philippine business is located, the history of the property as a former airstrip during WWII, and benchmarks of successful public outdoor places in other countries.”

He adds that they had to inject local attributes to the design — filling the space with shade trees, local plants and shrubs, and sculptures by local artists for a more festive atmosphere. “The result is a corporate outdoor space that I think is very unique in the sense that it evokes a sense of festivity in a very corporate setting. This makes the space less intimidating, yet not too casual — a kind of outdoor living room for the whole CBD.”

Dy reveals some of the exciting elements that will be incorporated in the master plan. There will be a pedestrian thoroughfare that will link Salcedo and Legazpi Villages and bring access to the various modes of public transport in the city. There will be open spaces that will be an oasis for the buildings all around and, as such, a natural attraction to the busy workers of the city who are seeking a break from their daily work lives. It’s a space where people can take advantage of mature trees that create a canopy to protect them against sun and rain.

“ALI has been known to create spaces that encourage community building. We do this in our malls and residential developments and we are doing it again here in the Triangle Gardens,” she says.

The Ayala Triangle Gardens is as open to its surrounding environment as it is literally open to nature. It has a program focused on art and culture that are not private but are open to all in the CBD. “These programs are deliberate, they are well-planned and they convey the spirit of the Central Business District — classic, timeless, progressive, not just done by masters but also by contemporary artists like Ovvian Castrillo and Ral Arrogante whose art pieces are currently on display,” says Dy.

Luna adds that the project was already in the planning stages when the global financial crisis hit in 2008. “The decision to even push through with a project of a civic nature was one of the struggles that the project team had to confront early on,” he says. “Several tradeoffs and hard design decisions had to be made. We had to balance our aspirations with the realities of the times, and the plans had to go through a lot of iterations, making sure we provide what is essential and meaningful by staying focused with the main goal of the project — which was to provide a pleasant venue for social interaction for the workers, commuters and residents of the business district and thereby reinvigorate and give something back to the CBD.”

He emphasizes that what makes Ayala Triangle Gardens unique is its size and location, being flanked as it is by the three main thoroughfares of Makati. “It is literally located in the center of the business district and is the home of the Philippine Stock Exchange. And yet it is also the largest commercial property in Makati that has remained largely undeveloped all these decades. Thus, much like what the gardens in Greenbelt have done for Makati and what Bonifacio High Street has done for Bonifacio Global City, the development of the Triangle will be similar in terms of catalyzing activity, generating social convergence, and providing a respite for workers and residents. What makes it unique is that it also happens to be where several commuters from Salcedo and Legazpi Villages pass through every day to get their rides, given the centrality of its location. This natural daily flow of people gives further meaning to the function of the gardens. The fact that we are able to provide a pleasing environment for commuters to pass through and linger for a few minutes before going home makes the Triangle Gardens unique from other gardens that Ayala has done in the past in terms of the experience and relevance we aspire to deliver.”

Ayala Land recently opened just the first phase and they expect the Triangle Gardens to evolve over time, adding activities and features. The immediate next phase will be food outlets fronting the gardens primarily to serve the users of the place.

The target locators are prime companies “and just like in Tower One, we would like to capture the Philippine headquarters of local and international corporations to have their place of business here. We also foresee that the Triangle will have a richer mix of uses in the future — prime retail and hotels alongside the office buildings will further strengthen the place and add to its civic vibrancy and its locational stature,” says Luna.

Why is this large chunk of prime real estate property being developed just now? Luna avers that this development is just one part of a bigger and continuing effort to continuously enhance the quality of environment in Makati CBD. “This started with the construction of the dedicated pedestrian walkways and crossings in the CBD, then the redevelopment of the Salcedo and Legazpi Parks (which, by the way, also breathed new life into those sections of the CBD), the continuing redevelopment of Glorietta and Greenbelt, and now the Ayala Triangle Gardens. All of these are part of the continuous push towards a more pedestrian-friendly environment for the CBD. The opening of the gardens is just one stage of several other future projects in Makati that will focus on pedestrianization and transit-orientation.”

He adds that the landscaped areas and walkways that were built in mid-1990s were redeveloped and expanded into the gardens that you see today. “The previous gardens were not being utilized sufficiently and we noticed that there is a need for more outdoor areas in the city for people to jog or walk. The intent is for the gardens to remain as such even after the succeeding buildings in the Triangle are constructed.”

Luna foresees that the Triangle Gardens will change the way the CDB is seen both by Makati employees and by people who are there for leisure. “Makati is a place for productivity. There has to be something in the congested, fast-paced city to make it worthwhile. The garden is in the middle of the city. Our main target is the office workers. Most of them try their luck here and have to be here to be with their employers or customers. We want to make sure that they are here not because they have to be here but because they want to be here.”

Dy says the impact of the Gardens will be much more than adding to the present skyline. “In general, being in Makati will be an altogether more pleasurable experience. While we associate Makati with work and productivity, there are certain aspects about this city that also make it endearing and aspirational — the gardens will hopefully add to this. It will also make walking more pleasurable and convenient and give an alternative breathing space for the busy office workers and, in the future, it will have retail especially for the lunch crowd and after-office get-togethers. The programs we will be putting together, such as the Christmas light show, will create a new tradition for the CBD. Something that is special that we can all enjoy and something that we look forward to every year.”

The Ayala Triangle Gardens may even change the way other CBDs in the country will be built. “We are so used to boardrooms and beautiful buildings but to be productive in an open space is a treat,” says Luna. “We hope you feed your soul, you get to know other people whom you wouldn’t if you were inside your room. The Ayala Triangle Gardens is a place where you can get rejuvenated. It should have spaces where you can breathe, think differently or socialize in a different format or do a different kind of networking.”

* * *

Catch The Symphony of Lights at the Ayala Triangle Gardens from Dec. 14 to 19, and 21 to 24. Every 30 minutes from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bring the family. Invite your friends.

joshualegaspi32

December 15th, 2009, 08:22 AM

leechtat

December 16th, 2009, 10:56 AM

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The continuous increase of land values in the Makati CBD

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Makati CBD enjoys lower vacancy rates

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diz

December 17th, 2009, 03:14 AM

The Ayala - Paseo de Roxas intersection is very interesting.. Where will traffic go?

sloanesquare

December 17th, 2009, 03:20 AM

kurapica

December 17th, 2009, 04:50 AM

^^ They maintain it but not owned. Fernando Ayala absolutely hates rallies across Ayala but there's nothing they can do about it... They don't own the avenue.

RonnieR

December 17th, 2009, 09:25 AM

this is the first time that it is categorically stated that Ayala Avenue is maintained by ALI....so now we know why Binay lit Buendia and not Ayala Ave. So does that mean that the Zobels sanctioned all the mass demonstrations in front of the Ninoy statue or is this why the article says ALI maintained but not owned?

Ayalas are known to be pro-Cory. So, there were rallies held in Ayala Avenue against PGMA organized by Binay and attended by Cory - demanding that GMA resigned, etc. but they failed.

b_two

December 17th, 2009, 12:50 PM

ang importante lang naman e malinis, maayos, at ligtas. kahit gaano kaluma o kapayak ang isang lugar basta meron yung tatlong elemento na nabanggit ko e ayos na.

(clean, orderly, and secure... important elements needed no matter how old or simple a place is.)

ruralvillage

December 27th, 2009, 05:34 AM

Great news! :banana: :banana:

Ayala Land unveils 2010 plans in multiple growth centers (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=535856&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
(The Philippine Star (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=535856&publicationSubCategoryId=66)) Updated December 27, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Fresh from meeting 2009 head on in the face of global economic recession, the country’s most trusted real estate company, Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) goes full throttle next year with a more aggressive posture.

Ayala Land takes on 2010 with the most number of new projects to be launched within a single year ever. Antonino T. Aquino, Ayala Land president, announces new initiatives on the establishment of multiple growth centers across the Philippines to bring to more areas the well-recognized expertise of Ayala Land in enhancing land, enriching lives. He says, “We’ll have the busiest year ever as we’re expanding in geography, in the products that we offer including new business lines and in the market segments that we cater to. There will be a dynamic interplay of our projects and where we used to be focused only on the traditional segments, now we’ll be expanding for the benefit of our customers.”

There is no landscape too small or too large to change

“We are thinking of more than a dozen different locations, starting off in the North with Baguio, Angeles in Pampanga, Subic and in five locations in Southern Philippines namely Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Iloilo and Bacolod. We are making sure that we are coming around with product offerings that are best suited for the market and which will show the best practices that Ayala Land is known for,” he states, as he proceeds to give an overview of activities to take place.

In Baguio next year, the retail area and the BPO complex will begin development in Camp John Hay, allowing customers to enjoy the natural beauty of Baguio. Meanwhile in Subic, a bustling development will arise with a mix of retail, BPO and residential components.

In Pampanga, the company relishes the market acceptance of the Marquee mall in levels beyond expectations. “In the pipeline for the area is a very nice residential development right across the mall. It will be a mid-rise project with a Serendra feel,” enthuses Aquino.

With the successful expansion this year of Ayala Center Cebu with The Terraces, the company is set to have its first foray with Alveo and Avida offerings in the first quarter in Cebu.

Meanwhile in Davao, where Ayala Land jumpstarted its entry with the lifestyle mall, Abreeza Mall, new residential developments are slated to be launched coupled with a BPO complementary project, states Aquino. Similar mixed-use developments are also planned for in Cagayan de Oro.

Northpoint, a project of Ayala Land Premier in Bacolod, will host a new commercial development along the main road fronting it, making the area a multiple growth center. Aquino points out, “The whole idea behind our multiple growth center strategy is to highlight our mixed-use experience as a major differentiator of our organization. We’re known for how we masterplan things and how our projects develop into excellent growth centers, bringing in a new lifestyle.” This will also be realized in the mixed-use project to be developed in Iloilo.

In the Greater Manila Area, where Ayala Land focused largely in Makati and in the South, year 2010 sees the company pushing thru with plans for development covering the North Triangle area in Quezon City. Ayala Land again manifests its expertise in master planning, envisioning for the city a thriving business district that Quezon City still needs to date. “We want this to happen in a shorter time as we know there are business locators and partners who would like to see the priming of the area accomplished soonest,” Aquino declares.

A piece of land is never just a piece of land

In line with bringing in a new lifestyle, first off to be introduced as a new product in the retail segment will be the neighborhood and community centers. These will be quaint shops and retail establishments that will support residential and BPO developments. Ayala Land is also exploring hotels and tourism-related products to expand its portfolio.

Expansion projects and the opening of new phases of other existing developments are also set to go on full swing.

Ayala Land’s continued redevelopment of Ayala Center is brought to another exciting stage with the opening of the Ayala Triangle Gardens. According to Aquino, this will be the starting point for ramping up the Makati Central Business District with projects that will include upgrading the Glorietta retail center as well as launching a high-end residential play for Ayala Land Premier in that area, very much like how The Residences at Greenbelt (TRAG) is just a walk away from the mall. Other new residential offerings by Alveo will be in the office enclaves of Salcedo and Legaspi Villages. “These are excellent follow-throughs for the continued upscaling of the areas in Makati,” he describes. :banana:

The Bonifacio Global City (BGC), more popularly recognized as the Home of Passionate Minds, will witness Bonifacio High Street’s expansion to complete its 1-kilometer development plan to end closer to the Mind Museum, which will be the best science museum in the country. Also known as the “live, work, and play” zone, the city will likewise witness next year the addition of another building offering a total of 31,000 sqms of BPO space along with the launch of Avida Towers BGC and a new phase of Two Serendra, The Meranti.

Alabang will in turn follow thru with enhancements at the Alabang Town Center with an additional retail complex featuring department stores and supermarkets. Aquino added that Avida Towers Alabang will also be launched.

Further South in Laguna, the country’s first eco-community and now regarded as the nation’s sustainability capital in Ayala Land’s portfolio, NUVALI, earlier enjoyed highly successful take-up for its Ayala Land Premier (ALP) offerings: Abrio, Montecito and recently Santierra.

The sterling record provided fresh proof of Ayala Land’s ability to offer unique and highly-valued propositions to the high-end market. Where Ayala Westgrove Heights and Ayala Greenfield Estates further South fulfilled desires for lakeside sceneries, rolling hills and orchard-like environments, these new ALP offerings in NUVALI addresses particular aspirations for sustainable lifestyles.

Alveo will also be launching a project in NUVALI in the 2nd quarter of next year, while Avida will be expanding with Avida Settings Phase 4 and introducing new projects, Avida Village NUVALI and Avida Estates NUVALI.

Aquino also announced the introduction of more retail elements in NUVALI alongside the Sta.Rosa-Tagaytay road, with the construction of a new supermarket that enhances the Solenad retail area which has already scored distinct success in its provision of dining, shopping and convenience retail in the area.

“We expect NUVALI’s overall retail success and launch of residential developments to add to the attractions of One Evotech as a premium space for BPO locators,” states Aquino as he reveals the addition of the second BPO building next year.

Avida will be very busy launching some new phases in its existing developments, like Tower 5 for Avida Towers New Manila, Tower 5 for Avida Towers San Lazaro, and Tower 7 in Avida Towers Sucat, all to be launched in the 1st quarter and Avida Settings Phase 2 in Cavite in the 2nd quarter.

Cebu’s Amara and Alegria Hills in Cagayan De Oro will likewise see the addition of new phases.

A testament to enriching lives for more people

To top if all off, Ayala Land will be coming up with a breakthrough by launching projects in 2010 entering a new market segment. Aquino announces, “As part of being socially-responsible and contributing to nation-building, more will be benefiting from Ayala Land’s quality and level of service through ‘Amaia’. This is categorized as the economic housing line of Avida, ushering Ayala Land’s entry into a wider market—the very people who need us more. Amaia will offer house and lot packages with prices ranging from P700,000 to P1.3 million, to provide them with a high-quality product for their hard-earned money.” Amaia presents its maiden offerings in Laguna early next year.

“As we continue to finetune our products, our core competency on masterplanning is our distinct advantage and we want more and more people to benefit from this. This is part of our key thrust for the years to come, corporate social responsibility. This will be more integrated into Ayala Land’s business models, not as dole-outs but being more powerful as a driver for economic growth.” declares Aquino.