Living in smaller communities

More homeowners today seek to live in communities that allow them to develop closer interpersonal relationship with their neighbors. According to Tristan dela Rosa, senior vice president of Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), the trend has seen the rise of smaller, more compact communities as against the larger neighborhoods of the past decades which were laid out simply in a grid and traversed by long avenues.

The newer communities are laid out in enclaves and usually have common facilities that foster social interaction, points out De la Rosa, project head of Tamarind Cove, a 1.6-hectare project within the highly successful Ayala Alabang Village community in Southern Metro Manila.

This is very much the case with this sub-neighborhood which represents the last phase of the Ayala-developed Muntinlupa subdivision. In response to homeowners’ preferences, ALI deliberately differentiated Tamarind Cove from the rest of the subdivision, designed facilities especially for this area, and even gave it its own name, says De la Rosa.

The cozy neighborhood, which is a joint project with Bank of the Philippine Islands, is composed only of 20 lots. Half of the lots were taken up during the pre-selling phase. Now that the development is complete and amenities are already in place, market interest in the project is likely to heighten even more. De la Rosa notes that the initial buyers of the project are now free to begin construction of their homes.

The lots are laid out in a cul-de-sac and each has easy access to a lush green strip envisioned for the use of Tamarind Cove residents. The mini-park incorporates a fragrance garden, a playground, a common activity center, water features and an open lawn for kite flying and similar activities. It also has a jogging path, which when incorporated with the roadway, forms a 400-meter track for running and brisk walking.

According to Pert Rodriguez, site development planner, the special strip of green is where residents and their families are expected to congregate during their free time. "It gives them room for a lot of interaction, which results in stronger community ties," he explains. On top of this mini-park, Tamarind Cove homeowners will also have access to the other parks of Ayala Alabang, its two community tennis courts, six basketball courts and a swimming pool.

Moreover, Tamarind Cove has limited access. There are no roadways in the area that lead to other portions of the Alabang community. This means added privacy and better security for its lot owners since vehicles that enter the area are expected to have specific business in the community.

De la Rosa observes that for as the world becomes more impersonal with the advent of computerization and more technology, neighbors will be seeking stronger bonds with one another. "Strong community ties are good antidotes to impersonalization and feelings of isolation," he says. "We at Ayala Land are aware of this trend and have designed our newer communities to fill this growing needs."