We care about our city. We dwell in its
communities. We use the city all the time. And we
spend a huge part of our lives building the metropolis
through our hard work every day. Hence, we want
the promises of “sustainable”, “inclusive”, “green”,
“smart”, “resilient”, “safe” cities and communities to
be realized. But why are our urban commons closing,
deteriorating and disappearing?
We need a map. And it needs to answer important
questions. Where are we now? Where should we go?
How do we get there? Why are we still here? So,
what? And that map—a representation of the urban
reality that we ought to transform—is comprised of
space, knowledge and power.
How do we get there? And why are we still here?
We need to go from merely reacting to the problem; to
reframing and transforming our shared urban reality.
But our usual responses are harming us.
The first thing we must change is how we react to
our shared urban problems. Urban life in Philippine cities
has become very difficult throughout the generations.
So we would rather be relentlessly pessimistic, be
overly optimistic or just stay pragmatic. When we are
relentlessly pessimistic, we say: “Pinoy kasi—ganyan
talaga.” But this changes nothing. When we are overly
optimistic, we say that the Filipino spirit is resilient. That
is symbolic, but it is empty. When we stay pragmatic,
we just resign ourselves to saying that “I will just work
hard”. But hard work is not enough. Millions of Filipinos
have worked hard and are working hard. Yet the urban
commons are still closing and deteriorating.
Instead, we must look at the situational, institutional
and systemic dimensions of what is happening (space),
what the limits are of our thinking (knowledge) and who
benefits from very solution we think of (power). We must
reframe our thinking about our urban problems.
Look around. Shortcuts are being pursued, even
using “modern” and “democratic” means in response
to the uncomfortable levels of uncertainty around us.
Instead of centralizing public spaces, most our landowners
and developers are privatizing them. Instead of making
spatial data open and usable, our government agencies
are controlling the flow and use of precious geospatial
information. Instead of expanding, enhancing and
enriching human rights, the governments then and now
continue to discipline, punish, and eradicate anyone who is
deemed as a threat.
Where are we now?
Public spaces are being fragmented. Spatial data
is being ignored. Human rights are being denied.
Whether it is about poverty, blight, disaster, traffic
or crime, the arrangements of space, knowledge and
power in the metropolis are systematically,
institutionally and practically annihilating our
urban commons. At present, the quality of our urban
commons is limiting what we can achieve
individually and collectively. This issue is not only
about Manila but also about the major urban centers
in the archipelago.
Where should we go?
Imagine public spaces where commuters and strangers
can encounter each other without hassle. Imagine that
pedestrians and public transport are first. In that place,
we do not have to shout that cities are for people and
not just for cars.
Imagine good map data about how our metropolis
works in a usable portal or app. Imagine the digital
city, and the sources and recipes for making the
digital geographic information, at your fingertips and
in your village center. In that place, we do not have
to plead for free, open and accessible geospatial data.
Imagine the day when we have not only the
right to access space but also the right to produce
space. The right to be alive in the first place. Imagine
that we do not have to remind our leaders and
law enforcers about that. In that place, there is no
mourning because the extrajudicial killings are a
barbarous thing of the past.
We need to restore our urban commons—public
spaces, spatial data and human rights.
“Look around. Shortcuts
are being pursued,
even using “modern”
and “democratic” means
in response to the
uncomfortable levels of
uncertainty around us.”
92
Eldon
VOX