The city government is planning to push for high rise structures to increase density, a top official said.
Ivan Cortez, head of the City Planning and Development Office, told TIMES on Friday that the agency is planning to advocate for higher buildings to ensure that more people can live in lesser areas.
“If it’s possible we go high rise already instead of sprawling,” said Cortez, explaining that the idea is using lesser areas for residential while preserving areas devoted to food production and other agricultural endeavors.
He said they are taking into considerations the importance of agriculture to the economy as well as the importance of settlement areas to the growing population. “We are always growing as a city, every weekend there’s a wedding ceremony which means that a new area is needed for another household,” he added.
He added that proper zoning is about finding the balance between agriculture and urban development.
In the city, there are already high rise buildings being constructed like condominiums and hotels that are primarily located in the city proper.
Last year, the city council approved 21 high rise buildings with 28 levels as the highest.
He said the initiative will support the advocacy of Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio to enhance agricultural production. “As a city planning office, we always provide support to the achievement of the agenda of the mayor such as poverty alleviation, agriculture, infrastructure, environment, among others,” he said.
