Tree-fic Makati

One of the key elements that make a city livable is its street trees. The most memorable and comfortable cities are those that have an abundance of trees along their streets and boulevards. Paris and Washington, DC, are my favorites in the west, while Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, in southeast Asia, come to mind as exemplars of cities that have given the planting and maintenance of trees importance in their urban design.

Metro Manila is not as conscientious with its tree planting, with the exception of Makati. Modern Makati has been the model for street-side tree planting since its inception. The majestic acacias in Forbes Park and the varieties of ficus, yellow flame, narra and mahogany have made the residential and business districts of this premier city delightful in its shade and greenery.

My memories of Makati have always been framed by its trees and open spaces. This was before I ventured into the profession of landscape architecture (whose practitioners set out the urban design strategies for streetscapes).

I remember realizing the power of trees to transform space in places like the Ayala Triangle, the old aviary (which is now the Greenbelt complex) and, in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the agohos (casuarina equistifolia) along Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas before they were replaced with acacias (samanea saman).

The Evolving Streetscape of Makati

Agohos, which look like pine trees but are actually seaside trees, were a fashionable choice for Manila in the ‘60s. Aurora Boulevard and P. Burgos near the old Congress (now the National Museum) were planted to it. But the species was found to get scraggly when it matured so they were eventually replaced.

In this regard, Makati was in the forefront, too, in continuously evolving and improving its landscape architecture and urban design. In the ‘60s, it hired landscape architect IP Santos (now a National Artist) to design much of its open green spaces.

Santos worked hand in hand with the Makati Development Corporation and Ayala Land to “green” up the central business district, decades before it became trendy to go “green.” Individual building owners also took an interest in landscape architecture in the ’70s onwards and started to improve within their properties and even atop their buildings in the earliest wave of green roofs — like those of the PLDT building, Manila Garden Hotel, and Makati Sports Club.

The Benefits of Trees in the Urban Environment

With my early partners in the practice of landscape architecture (Carlito Pesons, Ace Dimanlig and Noel Aleta), I had the chance to contribute to Makati’s greening in the ‘80s and ‘90s with improvements to the Velasquez Park, Legazpi Park, Greenbelt and the original phase of the MACEA’s (Makati Commercial Establishments Association) pedestrianization program. MACEA and Ayala Land Inc. have since been continuously proactive in projects that keep Makati’s urban environment green and healthy.

Trees are an essential element in urban design improvements. Aside from the aesthetic advantages of streets with trees, there are environmental pluses. Trees mitigate air pollution, they filter dust and even noise in some instances. Trees (as well as all plant materials) provide the oxygen we breathe.

Trees condition the soil to keep it rich and able to absorb rainwater (depending on the species). Trees also provide mitigation from the harsh sun — cooling whole districts one or two degrees lower compared to others and countering the “heat island” effect of most of the rest of Manila.

Trees and Pedestrians

Trees are pedestrians’ friends. They provide protection from sun and rain. Numerous bus stops and shelters also protect Makati CBD’s pedestrians. The green provided by trees soften the hard lines of modern architecture and serve to humanize the scale of skyscrapers.

Pedestrians are also able to navigate Makati via the branding of trees in its various districts. I know where I am by the type of tree I see along the streets. They lend distinctive character to individual streets in their silhouette, mass, color and texture. They also provide color — white and pink for acacias, yellow and red for kalachuchis, red-orange for dapdaps (erythrinas), and purple for bauhinias.

Trees also tone down the glare from the sun for passersby. They screen off services and utilities (cables and wires) from view. Certain types, like ylang-ylang and champaca, also mask odors and provide pleasant scents.

Trees and Change

Trees provide a reference point for people in the city. They grow and mature, just like city districts. Buildings stop growing after they are constructed, although their number may increase or they may be replaced by new constructions.

Trees serve to anchor the cityscape with a rational order. They also manage to smooth away stylistic differences in architectural styles of buildings, hence enhancing districts’ sense of place.

Trees change, too, and as a city like Makati grows, so must the streetscape keep pace with the onward push to the future. The Makati CBD and surrounding districts are, as we speak, finalizing plans for the improvement of its already excellent streetscapes and urban greenery.

The Triangle Gardens of Ayala Land have reopened with a pedestrian-friendly new look, incorporating the site’s existing treasure trove of trees and green. The Makati Commercial Center is also undergoing continuous improvements for its streetscapes in anticipation of major building projects already underway inside.

A Tree-Filled Urban Vision

The MACEA is also about to start improvements for the streetscape of Makati’s premier street — Ayala Avenue. The constant pounding of pedestrians’ feet has compacted the soil around the existing trees and stunted some of them. The rise in building heights has also compromised the growth of some of the existing street trees on Ayala.

Plans are afoot to upgrade the street tree planting, pavements and lighting on both sides of the whole length of Ayala. The vision is to create a newer, greener, more pedestrian friendly experience for both pedestrians and commuters while also enhancing the view of the avenue from it numerous commercial buildings, hotels and condominiums.

The changes to Makati CBD are already visible. The coming year and the whole second decade of the 21st century will see even more changes for the better. What will not change, and in fact improve greatly, according to MACEA and Ayala Land, is Makati’s distinction as the greenest urban district of the metropolis and its preference as home to many urbanites and a sought-after address for the country’s and global top companies.

Urban districts are like trees. If kept well maintained, they, like trees, will mature, branch out fully, and improve not only their own health and well-being but also that of their surroundings.

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Feedback is welcome. Please e-mail the writer at HYPERLINK “mailto:Paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com” paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.