The Philippines is planning pollution-free city that will be larger than Manhattan

[M II A II R II K]

The Philippines is planning a $14 billion 'pollution-free' city that will be larger than Manhattan


May 8th, 2018

Read More: https://www.businessinsider.com/phil...18-5?r=US&IR=T

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As a possible solution to Manila's smog and gridlock, the country plans to build an entirely new, more sustainable city called New Clark. Plans for the $14 billion development — which will measure larger than Manhattan — call for drones, driverless cars, technologies that will reduce buildings' water and energy usage, a giant sports complex, and plenty of green space.

- Over the next three decades, the Philippines aims to build out New Clark about 75 miles outside Manila. According to the development's plan, the city will eventually stretch 36 square miles — a land area larger than Manhattan — and house up to 2 million people. — New Clark will be divided into five districts, each with a specific function: government, business, education, agriculture, and recreation. While New Clark's exact design is not fleshed out, developers say the urban plan will prioritize environmental sustainability and climate resilience.

- With a minimum elevation of 184 feet above sea level, the city will likely not see much flooding. To reduce carbon emissions, two-thirds of New Clark will be reserved for farmland, parks, and other green space. The buildings will incorporate technologies that reduce energy and water usage. — Driverless cars, running on electric energy rather than CO2-emitting gas, will roam the streets. Additionally, the city will feature a giant sports stadium and an agro-industrial park.

- New Clark's developers, BCDA Group and Surbana Jurong, plan to start construction in 2022. The new city will serve as a "twin city" to Manila, alleviating congestion in the capital, Surbana Jurong CEO Heang Fine Wong told CNBC. — "You'll gradually see Manila becoming a different type of city ... and in New Clark City, you'll see new technology companies coming through," he said. — The ambitious plan faces several challenges, including persuading Manila residents to move there. A new railway line could reduce the travel time between the two cities in half.

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[kingkirbythe....]

Is there an old Clark?

[Sun Belt]

Only $14 billion for development of 36 square miles, housing 2 million people and it's pollution free?!

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

Only $14 billion for development of 36 square miles, housing 2 million people and it's pollution free?!

The American dollar goes a long way in the Philippines.

$14 billion = ₱728.4 billion

Hehe

[dc_denizen]

the phillipines is one of the largest contributers to plastics pollution in the oceans. maybe focus on that first.

[xzmattzx]

Only $14 billion? We building individual bridges that cost more than that. I expect the price tag to balloon tenfold or twentyfold as construction begins and continues.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Only $14 billion? We building individual bridges that cost more than that. I expect the price tag to balloon tenfold or twentyfold as construction begins and continues.

Cost of labor, materials, and the average wage in the Philippines is far lower than in the US.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

Is there an old Clark?

Yes: Clark (US) Air Force Base. I assume this new city is planned for the same site. Trouble was, Clark AFB was perilously near the volcanic Mt. Pinatubo which erupted in 1991.


https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs113-97/

Meanwhile, US taxpayers, including those in Manhattan, have been sending about $175 million per year to the Phillippines in "development aid" and we can probably stop that if they have the funds for this vanity project.

[dimondpark]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Yes: Clark (US) Air Force Base. I assume this new city is planned for the same site. Trouble was, Clark AFB was perilously near the volcanic Mt. Pinatubo which erupted in 1991.


https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs113-97/

Meanwhile, US taxpayers, including those in Manhattan, have been sending about $175 million per year to the Phillippines in "development aid" and we can probably stop that if they have the funds for this vanity project.

$175M is nothing.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by dimondpark

$175M is nothing.

Especially when you compare it to what the US gives Israel in "aid."

[Shawn]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Especially when you compare it to what the US gives Israel in "aid."

It's less than 5% of what we send Israel annually. It's about 3% of what we send Israel + Egypt.

Anyways, Surbana Jurong is a Singaporean nationally-owned urban development consultancy firm with a strong track record of working in developing markets. It looks like they did great stuff in Kigali (Rwanda) recently. This could be promising.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by dimondpark

$175M is nothing.

I take it you are a billionaire.

But I'm thinking what, say, San Francisco could do with an extra $175 million as opposed to the Philippines.

[Sun Belt]

Manila is building a 16 mile subway line. I read that one estimate has it pegged at $7 billion. Even if labor and construction costs are a fraction of what they are here, how would the Philippines build a 36 square mile city to house 2 million people for $14 billion?

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

I take it you are a billionaire.

But I'm thinking what, say, San Francisco could do with an extra $175 million as opposed to the Philippines.

That's enough money to take care of the homeless problem of S.F.

5,833 homeless people @ $30,000/ea

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Meanwhile, US taxpayers, including those in Manhattan, have been sending about $175 million per year to the Phillippines in "development aid" and we can probably stop that if they have the funds for this vanity project.

This.

And we should probably have a conversation with Israel and Egypt about their allowances as well. Perhaps a part time job at Anthropologie?

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by JManc

This.

And we should probably have a conversation with Israel and Egypt about their allowances as well. Perhaps a part time job at Anthropologie?

I support cutting them off also. I just don’t think buying friends works and Israel in particular has a developed economy that shouldn’t be on anybody’s dole. But American cities and American infrastructure need aid and should come before all other countries.

Imagine the contrast between this proposed city and several of our own—I won’t name names to avoid another fight—if the Philippines pulled it off, even a little bit with our money.

[Xing]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

Is there an old Clark?

[Encolpius]

So Duterte is planning to move lots of government offices from Manila to this new city. That's nothing new, tin pot autocrats love building new capitals -- Sirte, Abuja, Astana, Oyala, Naypyidaw, the future Egyptian capital that's being planned... much better than the crowded slums and dangerous poverty of places like Lagos, Rangoon, Cairo. "You cannot rehabilitate the place, you have to, baklasin mo ang Maynila (break Manila apart) to do that," says Duterte, imitating his manner of speaking about drug addicts. "Manila, I think will be, in about 25 years, will be a dead city."

New Clark will also be a Special Economic Zone, which means that foreign companies that locate there can avoid taxes, tariffs and regulation (particularly labor laws). There will be shiny offices built with lavish government subsidies and sprawling resorts and industrial parks and gated communities. Filipinos' own little Singapore, or Shenzhen. The problem is that after the first couple thousand of these third-world Special Economic Zones were built, each new one began to feel less special. So they've always got to have a gimmick.

Will Duterte's new 'pollution-free' city be less polluted and congested than Manila? Undoubtedly. Is it good for the environment to build a whole new city from scratch on an exurban greenfield site, then connect it to Manila via highway, just to create an attractive investment destination for foreign capital? Doubt it.